Highly Commended, Underwater: Coral connections by Alex Mustard, UK
London’s Natural History Museum has revealed some of the finalists of its Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2023 competition. This year’s contest saw just shy of 50,000 entries from both professional and amateur shooters from around the globe.
Among the “Highly Commended” underwater photos is Alex Mustard’s wonderful capture of a pair of ghost gobies swimming within the branches of a sea fan, which was captured at the Lembeh Strait in North Sulawesi, Indonesia; and Pietro Formis’s spooky shot of a Mediterranean stargazer peering through the sandy floor at the coast of Rijeka in Croatia.
The overall winners will be announced on October 10th, at an awards ceremony at the Natural History Museum hosted by wildlife TV presenters and conservationists Chris Packham and Megan McCubbin. The exhibition of pictures at the Museum opens on the following Friday, October 13th, running till June 30th, 2024.
And no worries if you didn’t get the chance to enter this year: Next year’s competition is opening on October 16th.
Highly commended, Animal Portraits: Death in waiting by Pietro Formis, Italy
Highly commended, Natural Artistry: The vanishing seal by Bruno D’Amicis, Italy
Highly commended, Oceans: The Bigger Picture: Prize catch by Jef Pattyn, Belgium/the Netherlands