British Photographer Takes Home First Prize in World Nature Photography Awards

The World Nature Photography Awards has recognized Tracey Lund from the UK as the first prize winner for her photograph of two gannets fighting for a fish in the waters near Scotland’s Shetland Islands. The image, captured from a boat using a DSLR camera in waterproof housing while on holiday, showcases the incredible spectacle of thousands of gannets diving into the sea after locally caught fish.

Lund described the scene, saying, “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.” The awards featured categories such as animal portraits, plants and fungi, and invertebrate, amphibian, and reptile behavior. In addition to Lund’s award-winning photograph, Ivan Pedretti from Italy won first prize in the Planet Earth’s landscapes and environments category for his magical photo of winter in Stokksnes, Iceland.

Pedretti shared his appreciation for the contrast of colors in the landscape, saying