The Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year competition has revealed its breathtaking winners for 2025, featuring remarkable images that capture everything from tiny marine creatures to majestic wildlife across Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica, and New Guinea. The competition attracted 1,864 photographs from 449 photographers representing 18 countries, with judges narrowing the entries down to a shortlist of 99 exceptional images.

Western Australian photographer Ross Gudgeon claimed the top prize of $10,000 and a cruise for his mesmerizing underwater photograph titled "Fractal Forest." The winning image, captured in Indonesia's Lembeh Strait off North Sulawesi, shows the intricate interior of a cauliflower soft coral through an innovative macro photography technique. "I carefully threaded the end of the extended macro wide lens through the branches of the soft coral so as not to damage them to take an image looking from the inside out," Gudgeon explained. "After some trial and error and with backlighting from my strobes I was able to produce my winning image. The moral of my story is that beauty can be found anywhere."

Judge Scott Portelli praised Gudgeon's unique approach, noting that the macro perspective of "Fractal Forest" creates an ethereal experience for viewers. "It shows an environment that few people see, presented in such a stunning way," Portelli commented. The photograph transforms what Gudgeon described as "lumps of red cauliflower" from the outside into a psychedelic, almost painting-like composition that reveals the hidden beauty within coral structures.

The competition, produced by the South Australian Museum, spans 10 categories including animals in nature, aerial photography, macro, landscape, human impact, and threatened species. South Australian Isabella Rogers won the junior category with her dawn photograph of two galahs perched on a lamp post, while Charles Davis from New South Wales captured the animals in nature category with "PJ & Crabs," showing a Port Jackson shark gliding over thousands of spider crabs in Victoria's Port Phillip Bay.

Marsupials featured prominently throughout multiple categories, highlighting Australia's unique wildlife. Davis also contributed another standout image of a quoll mid-leap on a Tasmanian trail, while Tim Nallipogu's "Leaping for Joy" captured a young numbat learning to jump in Western Australia's Dryandra Woodlands. These images showcase the playful and dynamic nature of Australia's native species in their natural habitats.

One of the most heartwarming entries came from Victorian photographer Nicholas Cullen with "Too Cold Out," depicting a devoted penguin parent cradling its chick at Auster Rookery near Mawson Station in Antarctica. Cullen's accompanying notes poignantly describe the scene: "Surviving birth in the harshest environment on Earth is no easy feat. A devoted parent cradles its chick on its feet, nestled in the warmth of a brood pouch. Yet, like any other day, this curious penguin waddled over, chick in tow, to investigate why I was lying on the ice."

Other notable shortlisted images include "The Leap" by Charles Davis, "Rainbow Lorikeet in a Grass Tree" by Brandon Pasowicz, "The Beast" by Darren Wassell in the landscape category, and "Incoming" by Chris Young. The monochrome category featured "Party Streamer" by Rachelle Mackintosh, while the junior category included "Battle Scarred" by Oliver Lacey. Sara Corlis contributed "Skink in a Tight Spot" to the "Our Impact" category, which focuses on human environmental effects.

The shortlisted photographs are currently on display at the South Australian Museum through February 1, 2026, allowing visitors to experience these stunning nature images in person. The complete collection is also available for viewing in an online gallery, making these remarkable captures of natural beauty accessible to audiences worldwide.