A family of Japanese macaques lives the good life in the hot springs of Japan’s Jigokudani Yaenkoen Park, where the protected primates enjoy warm waters as much as any human bather could.

This image captured first place in the Wildlife category of the International Conservation Photography Awards (ICPA), a global showcase of images that inspire people to care about conservation of the environment.

“The photo is such a beautiful shot of a macaque family interacting with one another,” said ICPA judge Cynthia Hall, an environmental graphic designer with Girvin in Seattle, WA. “The father’s head thrown back in ecstasy, the child touching with a little hand, the look on the mother’s face—emotionally you can’t help but love the moment that’s going on.”

Winning images are exhibited through September 6, 2010 at the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture on the University of Washington campus.

PHOTOS: 2010 International Conservation Photography Awards

See some of the year's best nature pictures—winners of the 2010 International Conservation Photography Awards.