Nature Photographer of the Year finalists show off Aussie animals at their cutest (and strangest)

The finalists in the Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year competition provide elegant proof that the wide brown land is no slouch when it comes to fine-looking fauna.

The Reef Wanderer. “While snorkelling in the lagoon late one afternoon I crossed paths with this endangered green sea turtle. I took this photo using a slow shutter speed to capture the movement of the wind-swept ocean surface and contrast with the calm below as the turtle gracefully and effortlessly glided along.” Picture: Jordan Robins/Australian Geographic

Africa might have a lock on the scariest predators on the planet, and the Galapagos is home to some pretty unique species, but for sheer cuteness, nobody serves it up like Australia’s native animals.

Need proof? Then check out the finalists in the Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year competition, which together act as a neat reminder that the wide brown land is no slouch when it comes to fine-looking fauna.

Take the satin bowerbird for example, with its bizarre predilection for decorating its habitat with blue objects of any kind.

Matt Wright’s engaging image shows a strutting male bird adding yet another blue item to an already impressive display. What prospective mate could fail to be impressed by this dedication to a colour scheme?

The baby wombat captured through Deb Sulzberger’s lens seems just as happy with its home - mum’s pouch - although it looks to be quite a tight fit, so one wonders if an eviction might be imminent.

Baby animals and their mothers are a recurring theme among the 75 finalists. Look closely at Charles Davis’s atmospheric image of kangaroos holding out against a snowstorm and you’ll spy a joey staying nice and snug.

There’s plenty to smile at in Gary Meredith’s image of a mother and baby brush-tailed possum peeking out from an urban roof cavity. You can hardly call yourself Australian if you haven’t been woken at odd hours by possums scampering in your roof, but this picture reveals the big reason why we still love them, despite the noisy ruckus they make: they’re cute as hell.

Photographers from around the world submitted more than 2200 entries for this year’s competition, which showcases nature and wildlife photography from Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica and parts of Papua New Guinea.

Category winners will be announced at the official launch at the South Australian Museum on Thursday August 15.

Finalists will be on display at the museum from August 16–November 10, and online at

https://naturephotographeroftheyear.com.au/gallery/.

Peekaboo. “I was lucky enough to encounter this mum that was waddling and dragging her large pouch across the grassy terrain. I could see why she seemed to be struggling – this baby wasn’t ready to leave home and looked snug, with a perfect and safe view of the world from Mum’s pouch”. Picture: Deb Sulzberger/Australian Geographic

Life in the Sky. “I’d been chasing storms all winter to film kangaroos in the snow; this storm in particular held lots of promise. The snow started coming down like large snowballs and the roos could do nothing but stand and be engulfed in the blizzard. The snow swirled around them from all directions and in 10 minutes the world was white.” Picture: Charles Davis/Australian Geographic

Quoll Reflections. “Once night fell, high up the mountain near an old hut, a young eastern quoll came out, bouncing around the campsite. It didn’t look at us at all. After following it for about two hours, it came close to this pool for a drink. I used a single flash off-camera, off-centre and down low to get the reflection I needed.” Picture: Charles Davis/Australian Geographic

A Possum’s Lookout. “A common brush tail possum mother and one of her young peek out of a roof space. These possums were waiting for the sun to go down before heading out into the night to forage for food. Across Australia, these possums often prefer to live in the roofs of houses rather than in the trees.” Picture: Gary Meredith/Australian Geographic

Spot the Difference. “I have spent years photographing the whale sharks on Ningaloo Reef but never have I had an encounter quite as unique as this. A whale shark accompanied by a zebra shark with the most spectacular spot pattern. Coincidentally, these two spotted sharks are both carpet sharks.” Picture: Jess Hadden/Australian Geographic

Mountain Echidna. “I followed this echidna for two days, its little tracks in the fresh snow leading me for kilometres to every dead tree and tuft of grass on the snow-covered range. When I finally tracked it down it was over 2000 metres above sea level and not bothered in the slightest about being surrounded by snow and ice.” Picture: Charles Davis/Australian Geographic

Gull Attack. “Crested terns gather on the beach with youngsters learning the art of courting. The male catches a fish and returns, squawking loudly hoping to interest a female. Predacious seagulls mix among the terns and often snatch fish from inexperienced youngsters. This young tern kept its fish with some artful flying.” Picture: Australian Geographic/Sally Hinton

Trash or Treasure. “Satin bowerbirds have taken advantage of human presence by decorating their bower with bright blue objects. They meticulously place each piece of rubbish around their courtship arena and even parade around with objects in their bill to impress females. In this instance, one person’s trash is another bird’s treasure. Picture: Australian Geographic/Matt Wright

The Heat Run. “The heat run is the ultimate wildlife encounter–multiple whales competing for a female. The chase can last for hours or even days and males can display bubble netting, open mouth gulping, physical contact, loud acoustic sounds, and breaching. Even after 16 years documenting humpback behaviour in the region, it is still truly heart-thumping and adrenaline-pumping action.” Picture: Australian Geographic/Scott Portelli