Michael D. Kern / Kaleidoscope pattern formed from picture of Greenbottle blue tarantula (Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens) - see original image number 01482830 EMBARGOED FOR NAT GEO UNTIL the end of 2015

Alex Mustard / Grooved brain coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis) at night with polyps extended to feed, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indies. Caribbean Sea.

Nick Garbutt / Aggregation / bloom / swarm of Moon Jellyfish (Aurelia aurita) in the clear waters of Loch Na Keal, off the Isle of Mull, north west Scotland, UK, June, Photographed through the surface.

Andy Rouse / Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) portrait in sea-ice landscape. Wide angle / fish-eye shot. Svalbard, Norway, September.

Klaus Echle / Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) walking along a fallen trunk, silhouetted in misty forest. Black Forest, Germany, November.

Bence Mate / Two Great white egret (Ardea alba) in winter, Kiskunsag National Park, Hungary. December.

David Pattyn / Juvenile Mute swan (Cygnus olor) in early morning light, Valkenhorst Nature Reserve, The Netherlands, Europe. August.

David Pattyn / Common starling (Sturnus vulgaris) murmuration in between high voltage powerlines and electricity pylons, The Netherlands, Europe. February.

Mateusz Piesiak / Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) flock in flight a dawn, Barycz Valley Landscape Park, Poland. Emotion'Ailes Photography Competition 2021 Category Winner - Artistic.

Guy Edwardes / Ancient Roman bridge and autumn leaves, Allt da Ghob Waterfall, Glen Lyon, Perthshire, Scotland, UK. October.

Guy Edwardes / Clustered bonnet fungi (Mycena inclinata) in broadleaved woodland, New Forest National Park, Hampshire, England, UK. Focus stacked image. November.

Eduardo Blanco / Snow covered trees in the Sotos del Alfaro Natural Reserve, Alfaro, La Rioja province, Spain. January.

Marie Read / Front view of an adult Black skimmer (Rynchops niger) in flight carrying a fish, Long Island, New York, USA. August. Awarded a Judges Choice in the Birds category in the 2020 North American Nature As...

Guy Edwardes / Spectacular rustgill (Gymnopilus junonius) at night with rain, New Forest National Park, Hampshire, England, UK. October.

Guy Edwardes / Oak-stump bonnet cap fungus (Mycena inclinata). New Forest National Park, England, UK. November

Klaus Echle / Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) silhouetted in mixed beech-Douglas fir forest. Freiburg, Black Forest National Park, Germany, October.

Danny Green / European river otter (Lutra lutra) in mist reflected in water at night. Lincolnshire, UK, September.

Pal Hermansen / Whooping swan (Cygnus cygnus) in flight, blurred image. Tysslingen, Orebro, Sweden. March.

Pal Hermansen / Fishing boat surrounded by flock of Gulls, blurred image. Troms and Finnmark, Norway. November 2014.

Pal Hermansen / Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) landing on coast in midnight sun. Lofoten, Norway. July.

Edwin Giesbers / Orange tip butterfly (Anthocharis cardamines) male resting in dappled light created by dew droplets. The Netherlands. April.

Edwin Giesbers / Firefly (Lamprohiza splendidula) light trails in woodland at night, multiple exposure. The Netherlands. June.

John Waters / Honey bee (Apis mellifera) approaching hive entrance, with trails of departing bees visible. Urban garden, Bristol, UK, May.

John Waters / Honey bee (Apis mellifera) flying close to hive entrance, with flight trails visible. Urban garden, Bristol, UK, May.

Pal Hermansen / Snow covered mountains with image of sea behind, double exposure. Western Svalbard, Norway. April 2018.

Pal Hermansen / RF - Double exposure shot of sheet of ice on Greenland Sea with snow covered mountains in background. Krossfjorden, Svalbard, Norway. April 2018. (This image may be licensed either as rights managed o...

Brandon Cole / Oceanic whitetip shark (Carcharhinus longimanus) and Pilotfish (Naucrates ductor) swimming under a stormy surface. Egypt, Red Sea.

Markus Varesvuo / Black Grouse (Lyrurus tetrix) male displaying with bokeh effect in the foreground, Liminka, Finland, March

Markus Varesvuo / Black Grouse (Lyrurus tetrix) male displaying with bokeh effect in the foreground, Liminka, Finland, March

Markus Varesvuo / White-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) with backlit wings, and water spray, Norway, October

Ross Hoddinott / Lesser celandine flower (Ranunculus ficaria), Cornwall, England, UK. April.

Ross Hoddinott / Herb robert (Geranium robertianum) flower, Broxwater, Cornwall, UK. April.

David Hall / Split-level of Cormorants (Phalacrocorax sp.) standing on rocks with Sea lettuce (Ulva sp.) seen underwater, Hussar Bay, Nigei Island, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia, Canada. September.

David Hall / Fried Egg Jellyfish (Phacellophora camtschatica) viewed from below; Browning Pass, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia, Canada. September.

Danny Green / Starling murmuration, hundreds of thousands of starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) gather in the skies near their night time roost. Gretna Green, Scotland, January. Black and White Category Winner, Wildlife...

Ross Hoddinott / Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis) silhouetted at twilight, double exposure, Broxwater, Cornwall, UK. February 2017.

Jack Dykinga / Arizona sycamore (Platanus wrightii) roots and leaves amongst pebbles. In riparian area, Chiricahua Mountains, Coronado National Forest, Arizona, USA. November.

Milan Radisics / Crystallised patterns in an abandoned pond used for the disposal and stacking of phosphogypsum with shallow, but highly toxic radioactive green water in Huelva, Southern Spain. Phosphogypsum is a radi...

Milan Radisics / Service road crossing an abandoned pond used for the disposal and stacking of phosphogypsum with crystallised patterns and shallow, but highly toxic radioactive green water in Huelva, Southern Spain....

Milan Radisics / Service road crossing an abandoned pond used for the disposal and stacking of phosphogypsum with crystallised patterns and shallow, but highly toxic radioactive green water in Huelva, Southern Spain....

Markus Varesvuo / White-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) taking off with fish prey, Norway, August.

Espen Bergersen / Northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) in front of the Seljalandsfoss waterfall, Iceland. May

Andres M. Dominguez / Dead Lang's short-tailed blue butterfly (Leptotes pirithous) in a river with bacterial film, Los Alcornocales Natural Park, Southern Spain, September.

Andres M. Dominguez / Guillemots (Uria aalge) in flight over snow, Vardo, Norway, March.

Andres M. Dominguez / Holm oak (Quercus ilex) in the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park, Benaocaz, southern Spain, November.

Ann & Steve Toon / Meerkats (Suricata suricatta) on the move, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Northern Cape, South Africa.. Second place in the Mammals Category of the GDT European Nature Photographer of the Year Competi...