The Most Spectacular Wildlife Photos Of The Year {image warning}

[xchrom]

http://www.businessinsider.com/wildlife-photographer-of-the-year-2013-competition-2013-10?op=1

The winners of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition were revealed last week.
A South African photographer won the top award for his stunning portrait of African elephants in Botswana.

For the competition, one-hundred images were selected from 43,000 entries. There were winners in 18 individual categories as well as an overall award.

Here's a selection of some of the best images, including a pouncing fox, a scene of gharial crocodiles, and the rare shot of a polar bear underwater.


"Essence of Elephants" — Greg du Toit of South Africa won the Wildlife Photographer of the Year award for this shot of African elephants taken at a waterhole in Botswana’s Northern Tuli Game Reserve.


"Snow moment" — Jasper Doest of the Netherlands captured a Japanese macaque jumping on a rock in a hot spring.


"The Cauldron" — Sergey Gorshkov of Russia photographed Plosky Tolbachik, a volcano in central Russia, from a helicopter when it erupted last November for the first time in 36 years.


"Dive Buddy" — Luis Javier Sandoval of Mexico documented the endangered green turtle on the beaches of the Yucatan Peninsula near Cancún.


http://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit-us/whats-on/temporary-exhibitions/wpy/

[LeftofObama]

1. The pic of the volcano is beautiful!

[Mnemosyne]

2. Absolutely stunning photos. nt

[Bill USA]

3. finding the water warm? heh-heh

Finding the water warm??

[stuntcat]

4. LOVE that one!

[gopiscrap]

5. these are great