Thousands of Gannets, One Unbelievable Photograph: UK Photographer Takes Home First Prize in Animal Portraits Category at The World Nature Photography Awards

The World Nature Photography Awards have just announced the winners of their 2024 competition. Tracey Lund from the UK has won first prize in the Animal Portraits category with a photograph of two gannets fighting for a fish in the waters near Scotland’s Shetland Islands. Lund captured the shot from a boat using a DSLR camera in waterproof housing while on holiday.

Describing the scene, Lund stated, “Thousands of gannets were in the sky above us and then started to dive into the sea after locally caught fish. An unbelievable spectacle to witness, let alone photograph. I took 1,800 images on that day but only had two that I could use.” In addition to Animal Portraits, categories included Plants and Fungi, Invertebrate, Amphibian and Reptile Behavior, Planet Earth’s Landscapes and Environments and more.

The World Nature Photography Awards was launched in 2020 with the aim of promoting photography and contributing to environmental causes by planting a tree for each entry into the competition. Co-founder Adrian Dinsdale commended the winners stating, “Our winners never fail to take our breath away with their stunning images. As always, it’s such a joy to see the amazing caliber of entries into the awards.”