Weird & Wonderful

Science doesn't always have to be serious.

© Laurent Ballesta, Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Otherworldly image of underwater creation nets Wildlife Photographer of the Year prize

Western lowland gorilla female 'Malui' walking through a cloud of butterflies she has disturbed in a bai (Gorilla gorilla gorilla). Bai Hokou, Dzanga Sangha Special Dense Forest Reserve, Central African Republic. December 2011.

Serene gorilla in a cloud of butterflies wins Nature Conservancy Photo Contest 2021

#1 - JasonKirk_60x_OakTrichomeStomata

You say ‘stomata’ and I say ‘Nikon Small World photography competition winners 2021’

During a shallow night dive in Wollongong Harbour, NSW I came across this adult male Southern Bobtail Squid hunting across the sand. As I approached it seemed to take interest in its reflection in my camera lens port and began to dance with this curious and colourful display. It’s a behaviour I’ve only witness a couple of times in several years of diving here, but this time I managed to capture it before the animal vanished into the night.

Glowing alien squid is the star attraction in the Ocean Photography Awards 2021

The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2021
Chee Kee Teo
Singapore
Singapore
Title: Time for school
Description: A smooth-coated otter

It’s off to school for you: The Comedy Wildlife Awards finalists 2021

Monstrous rains in Masai Mara Kenya during January of 2020 caused one of the major rivers to flood and become larger and more violent than ever before. The world’s only recorded coalition of 5 male cheetahs, were looking to cross this river in terrifyingly powerful currents. It seemed a task doomed to failure, with many famous cheetahs dying trying to cross much fewer daunting waters.
After hours of careful searching along the banks, they suddenly jumped into the water and began trying to swim across this maelstrom of water as we watched terrified, they would be washed away or eaten by crocodiles. Their aim was to cross over to the other side, which was part of their territory and full of game.
The lead cheetah looked straight at us during the crossing while gritting teeth with swimming effort, as if accusing us of not helping them and watching them about to die. We screamed with delight as we saw them finally cross over about a 100m downstream from where they jumped.

Up to our necks: Swimming cheetahs commended by Wildlife Photographer of the Year

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DIY on Mars and amazing ice caves: 24 fantastic Images of the Month August 2021

A basketball-playing robot named CUE plays basketball during half-time of the Men's Preliminary Round Group B game between the United States and France on July 25, 2021, during Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Saitama Super Arena. - Toyota has created a 6-foot-10-inch basketball-shooting robot named Cue that uses sensors on its torso to judge the distance and angle of the basket and uses motorized arms and knees to execute set shots. (Photo by Thomas COEX / AFP) (Photo by THOMAS COEX/AFP via Getty Images)

Pizza robots and a 3D-printed bridge: 23 astounding images in science July 2021

LIGHT GOLD AWARD WINNER – Bernhard Schubert, Austria. Prize: £500.
Image Title: Magic Spores
Subject: Cockroach and bracket fungus
On a night hike through a Bornean national park, I noticed this bracket fungus releasing masses of spores. At first, I held my headlamp behind the fungus to get a better sense of the floating spores. As I tried capturing the scene with my camera and a flash, I noticed that the white light split up in many different spectral colours. Experimenting to achieve the right angle for the flash in relation to the position of my camera took quite a while, but in the end I was rewarded with this picture. The cockroach which came by later added just the final touch to it.
Equipment and Settings: Canon EOS 5D mark IV with Tamron 35mm DI VC f/1.8 lens. Focal length 35mm; 1/200 second; f/16; ISO 800. Meike MT-24 flash.
Website address: www.bernhardschubert.com
Instagram: @bernhardschubertphoto

Stunning cockroach bathing in light wins WildArt photo competition

CONNECTION GOLD AWARD WINNER ñ Amit Eshel. Israel. Prize: £500.
Image Title: Lessons for Life
Subject: Patagonia Puma Puma concolor
This beautiful female Puma is looking for prey from a high vantage point while her playful cubs are learning through imitation.

I spent a week tracking this Puma family, comprising a mother and four cubs, in Patagonia, Chile. These incredible wild cats where completely calm in my presence, and accepted me into their world and allowed me to capture some special moments.
The Puma of Patagonia, once almost hunted to extinction, has made a phenomenal comeback in the last few decades thanks to safeguarding measures. This is an example of conservation and coexistence with a wild cat that is persecuted and misunderstood in other parts of the Americas.
Equipment and Settings: Canon EOS 1DX mark II with Canon EF200-400mm f/4L IS USM lens. Focal length 381mm; 1/1,250 second; f/4; ISO 640.
Website address: www.amiteshel.com
Instagram: @siberianart

Puma mother and her playful cubs win WildArt photo competition

An incredibly rare black panther (Panthera pardus) photographed in Laikipia Country, Kenya. The photographer spent more than a year photographing leopards in this location using a high-quality camera trap system that was developed to snap elusive and nocturnal wildlife. Prior to this project, a black panther had not been scientifically documented in Africa for more than 100 years.

The rare black panther not seen in Africa for 100 years: Sony World Photography Awards 2021

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21 incredible pictures from the Bird Photographer of the Year 2021

A blobfish

The blobfish: a bloated guide to the world’s ugliest animal

13 amazing facts about tardigrades, the world's toughest animal © Getty Images

The world's toughest animal 16 tremendous tardigrade facts

What were the ‘Oakville blobs’? © William Defalco/YouTube

Everyday science

What were the ‘Oakville blobs’?