American wildlife photographer Jake Stout has received high commendation in the 2025 Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition for his stunning underwater photograph titled "The Welcoming Turtle," capturing a common snapping turtle gliding gracefully over lake vegetation in New Hampshire. The image, photograph 46 of 1,695 entries, earned recognition in the Adult Wildlife Photographer of the Year category under the underwater section.
Stout's photograph showcases a common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) in its natural aquatic habitat, revealing the gentle nature of these often-misunderstood creatures. Despite their fearsome reputation, Stout has discovered through his extensive fieldwork that snapping turtles are actually calm and inquisitive animals with dramatically different personalities and behaviors.
The photographer has been documenting turtles in this particular New Hampshire lake for over four years, developing a deep understanding of their individual characteristics. Common snapping turtles can weigh up to 20 kilograms (44 pounds) and are capable of striking with remarkable speed to deliver powerful bites when hunting, though they also function as scavengers in their ecosystem.
Stout specializes in underwater natural history photojournalism, having developed his passion for nature during childhood summers spent in New Hampshire. Since 2021, he has served as director of the Boston Sea Rovers Film Festival, recognized as the world's longest-running underwater-centered film festival. His work focuses on raising awareness about aquatic wildlife, fostering respect for these creatures, and ultimately contributing to their protection.
The award-winning photograph was captured using a Canon EOS 5D Mark III camera with a 16-35mm f4 lens set at 16mm, shot at 1/125 second at f11 with ISO 400. Stout utilized an Aquatica housing and two Sea & Sea YS-D2 strobes to achieve the perfect lighting in the underwater environment near Greenfield, New Hampshire.
The image is part of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition, which aims to help viewers pause, reflect, and reconnect with the natural world through photographs that celebrate nature's awe-inspiring beauty while urging protection of wildlife habitats. The competition maintains that copyright ownership remains with the respective photographers, and the organization continues to harness the power of photography to advance scientific knowledge and spread awareness of important conservation issues.
