Overall winner

Fin whale’s demise
Fin whale
Balaenoptera physalus

The fin whale is sighted regularly in this region; seeing one beached, however, is rare. The whale sits less than 5m from shore and 100m from residential homes, giving whale researchers access to an unusual occurrence for this species. Bronze whalers and great whites feasted over the remains before removal.

Cheynes Beach, Albany, Western Australia

DJI Phantom 4 Pro Drone, 24mm, 1/500, f/5.6, ISO 100, 118m high, filmed with permission DPAW

Portfolio prize

Life in the esky
Eastern grey kangaroo
Macropus gigantus

Kosciuszko National Park, New South Wales

Portfolio prize

Gliders home
Sugar glider
Petaurus brevicpes

Cooma, New South Wales

Portfolio prize

Big step, little step
Common wombat
Vombatus ursinus

Kosciuszko National Park, New South Wales

Portfolio prize

Quoll reflections
Eastern quoll
Dasyurus viverrinus

Status: endangered

Mt Field National Park, Tasmania

Portfolio prize

Cradle Mt possum
Common brushtail possum
Trichosurus vulpecula

Cradle Mountain, Tasmania

Portfolio prize

Mountain echidna
Short-beaked echidna
Tachyglossus aculeatus

Kosciuszko National Park, New South Wales

Animal portrait: winner

Decorator crab
Decorator crab
Achaeus Spinosus

Typically, decorator crabs attach pieces of sponge and seaweed to themselves
to camouflage and hide from predators (which makes them very poor photographic subjects). However, Achaeus  spinosus attaches stinging
hydroids to itself to ward off potential predators (making it a very attractive subject for photography).

Lembeh Strait, North East Sulawesi, Indonesia

Canon EOS 7D Mk II, Canon EF 100mm, f/2.8 macro USM, 1/250, f/16, ISO 200, INON Z240 strobe with Retra Pro light shaping device, handheld

Animal portrait: Runner-up

Bride in the bath
Termite
Unidentified species

Storms finally broke the dry grip of drought, creating perfect conditions for termite nuptial flights. Making the most of their small window of time, some were lucky, but others were not – like this termite alate. Entranced by the reflective surface, it was trapped by the pond. Serenely beautiful in death.

Mt Perry, Queensland

Nikon D610, Tamron 90mm, 1/125, f/5.6, ISO 250, handheld

Animal behaviour: winner

The heat run
Humpback whales, Megaptera novaeangliae
Dolphins, unidentified species

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.

Tonga, South Pacific

Canon 1DX Mk II, Canon 8–15mm fisheye, 1/320, f/8, ISO 200

Animal behaviour: runner-up

Evil cousin
Crested horn shark, Heterodontus galeatus

A crested horn shark feeds on the egg case of the related Port Jackson shark. Each spring Port Jackson sharks gather on shallow reefs to breed and hide up to 10 eggs. Crested horn sharks make the most of the opportunity, searching the rocky crevices for an easy meal.

Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve, Manly, New South Wales

Sony NEX7 (mirrorless), Sony 10–18mm, 1/160, f/8, ISO 200, INON strobes, handheld, Nauticam underwater housing

Animal habitat: winner

Small but mighty
Commensal amphiod living in solidarity ascidian

I was searching for miniature pygmy seahorses on the reefs of West Papua when I happened across this tiny amphipod crustacean. Just 0.5–1cm long, this male is sitting at the mouth of the sea squirt to guard the females and young within. According to an amphipod expert, this is likely a new species.

Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia

Nikon D800, Nikkor 105mm macro, 1/125, f/14, ISO 100, twin INON Z240 strobes, handheld, Subal underwater housing

Animal habitat: runner-up

Spider on ice
Unidentified species

An overnight blizzard had knocked a myrtle tree down onto the path of the Enchanted Walk next to Cradle Mountain Lodge. I was out in the brilliant sunshine the next morning looking for subjects for my macro lens and came across this tiny spider crossing a patch of snow.

Enchanted Walk, Cradle Valley, Tasmania

Canon 5D II, Canon 100mm f2.8L macro, 1/4000, f/3.2,
ISO 400, handheld

Botanical: winner

The ghost of the forest
Ghost fungus
Omphalotus nidiformis

The elusive ghost mushroom show starts after dark, when the green light of its bioluminescence glows across the pine forest on the Bellarine Peninsula. It seems like magic but the glowing works to attract insects that then help disperse the spores and spread the mushroom.

Ocean Grove, Victoria

Canon 5D Mk IV, Samyang 14mm, 30, f/2.8, ISO 3200, Manfrotto tripod

Botanical: runner-up

Pandani at Lake Oberon
Pandani
Richea pandanifolia

Found only in Tasmania, the wild tropicallike pandani (Richea pandanifolia) are illuminated at sunrise overlooking Lake Oberon and Mt Pegasus along the rugged Western Arthur Range in Tasmania’s southwest wilderness.

Western Arthurs, Southwest National Park, Tasmania

Canon 5D Mk IV, Canon 16–35mm
f2.8 L 16mm, 1/60, f/11, ISO 200, Feisol CT-3441 tripod

Landscape: winner

Barron Falls

When Barron Falls (Din Din) is in flood, the usually tranquil scene is
transformed into a tumultuous cataract as huge volumes of water make their way to the coastal plain below. The sheer violence of this display, coupled with the deafening roar, makes it an unforgettable experience.

Barron Falls, Kuranda, Queensland

Pentax X-5, 28.3mm, 1/320, f/5, ISO 100, handheld

Landscape: runner-up

Through the curtain

A small waterfall curtains the rainforest of the Great Western Tiers World Heritage Area.

Great Western Tiers World Heritage Area, Tasmania

Nikon D800, Nikon 16–35mm f4, 6, f/16, ISO 100, polarising filter, tripod

Monochrome: winner

Texture
Honeycomb moray eel
Gymnothorax favagineus
Maze coral
Leptoria SP.

I came across this amazing juxtaposition of a honeycomb moray eel and a textured brain coral. It screamed monochrome to me, but one
of the significant disadvantages of shooting under water is that you
cannot just change your lens to suit the subject. Still, I slowly moved as close to the eel as possible, increased the depth of field, and adjusted my strobes to light up the coral and the eel.

Banda Sea

Nikon D850, Nikonos 13mm RS, 1/200, f/16, ISO 400, Seacam housing, Ikelite 161s strobe

Monochrome: runner-up

King pair conversation
King penguin
Aptenodytes patagonicus

An enormous king penguin colony is overwhelming to all of one’s senses. Photographically, it pays to sit and watch for a while to find moments of penguin interaction. Flipping the
frame upside down and black-and-white processing allows for a different and creative interpretation of a common scene.

Salisbury Plain, South Georgia Island

Canon EOS 7D Mk II, EF 100–400mm f4.5–5.6 L IS II USM, 1/800, f/10, ISO 400, handheld

Junior: winner

In the dark

This night was the most amazing display of lightning that I have ever seen, with constant flashes of lightning lasting hours. For the composition, I decided to focus on a man standing at the edge of the water
with an umbrella to add a sense of scale to the image.

Fingal Bay, New South Wales

Canon EOS 5D Mk lll, Canon 17–40mm f4 L, 15, f/4, ISO 200, tripod

Junior: runner-up

Under the spikes
Short-beaked echidna
Tachyglossus aculeatus

On the way back from the Murray River we saw this echidna crossing the road. It hid its face and I knew it wasn’t coming out, so I decided to take a close-up. That was the best shot I took.

Near Blanchetown, South Australia

Nikon Coolpix B700, 4.3–258mm, 1/100, f/3.3, ISO 100, handheld

Our impact: winner

The watering hole

The Menindee Lakes were deliberately drained in 2016–17 and New South Wales has experienced a lengthy drought. Animals and birds desperately seek food and water and there is very little left due to these human-made and natural events. Lake Cawndilla is now just a drying lakebed scattered with the remains of our native animals.

Cawndilla Creek, Menindee, New South Wales

DJI Phantom 3 Advanced, 20mm, 1/640, f/2.8, ISO 200, ND4 filter

Our impact: runner-up

End of the line
Eastern quoll
Dasyurus viverrinus

Country roads + speed × darkness = the end of the line. And not only for this poor eastern quoll, but for so many other native mammals across our country. In places like Bruny Island, more needs to be done to limit drivers’ speed at night. Too many
animals lose their lives every night, not only to speed, but carelessness,
and, even more sadly, wanton cruelty.

Bruny Island, Tasmania

Canon 5D Mk IV, EF 16–35mm f4 L IS, 1/100, f/8, ISO 640, Canon 600RT-EX flash (off camera), handheld, additional fill light with Wolf Eyes torch

Threatened species: winner

Curious encounter
Merten’s water monitor
Varanus mertensi

STATUS: ENDANGERED

Mertens’ water monitors are highly inquisitive. This extremely bold specimen ostentatiously approached
me to investigate the good-looking lizard in my dome port while I observed another nearby pair engaged in courtship – sadly for him he was staring at his own reflection, not the mate of his dreams.

Adelaide River, Northern Territory

Olympus OMD EM-1 Mk II, Olympus
8mm f1.8, 1/125, f/11, ISO 64, two Sea & Sea YS-D2 strobes, manual flash output, handheld, Nauticam underwater housing

Threatened species: runner-up

Just hanging on
Grey-headed flying fox
Pteropus poliocephalus

STATUS: VULNERABLE

On extremely hot evenings grey-headed flyingfoxes will dip their bellies into the river so they can lick their wet fur for a drink. This female still carrying her young misjudged her approach and nearly dropped the baby on impact with the river, but somehow it just managed to hang on.

River Torrens, Adelaide, South Australia

Canon 7D Mk II, Canon 100–400mm
f4.5–5.6 L IS USM and Canon Extender EF 1.4X III, 1/1600, f/8, ISO 1600, handheld