See our favorite pictures of 2025 taken by … you
These 10 standout images were among thousands of stunning submissions in National Geographic’s Your Shot Pictures of the Year 2025 challenge.
National Geographic is revealing our ten favorite photos from the Your Shot Picture of the Year 2025 challenge, chosen from thousands of stunning submissions.
Curated by National Geographic photo editor Anne Farrar, these favorites expose extraordinary encounters and show the hidden beauty in our backyards.
“The process was both exciting and challenging,” says Farrar of selecting the best photos. “I reviewed many images and kept returning to the ones that stayed with me visually and emotionally. Each of the final images stands out for a different reason, and while it’s hard to choose a single favorite, they all have a lasting impact that continues to reveal itself over time.”
Here are the final ten favorites.
1. A sawfly lays crimson eggs (pictured above)
Alicia Luna captured the moment that a West Indian seagrape sawfly (Sericoceros krugii) laid its crimson eggs on a leaf in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Luna says that these small moments are a reminder of the hidden wonders that often go unnoticed in our everyday lives.
2. An albino humpback whale
David Currie was traveling in Western Australia when he heard a rumor about an albino humpback whale calf that had been spotted near the Ningaloo Reef in Exmouth. After spending hours searching for the ultra-rare white whale with a drone, he finally spotted its telltale shimmer as the sun began to set.
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“It was insane, and it felt amazing, but I didn't really realize how rare it was at that point,” says Currie, who originally hails from the small village of Arisaig in the Scottish Highlands.
Currie soon learned that albino humpbacks make up only one of 40,000 whales, and his footage of the calf with its mother attracted intense interest. He says it is a “dream come true” to have his work selected by National Geographic, which is the “home of wildlife” from his point of view.
3. Jaguar vs. anaconda
Ary Nascimento Bassous (@arybassous) witnessed an incredible showdown between a jaguar and an anaconda while boating through the Três Irmãos River in Brazil 's Encontro das Águas State Park. The anaconda fought for its life, but the jaguar ultimately won the struggle.
“Moments like this are the climax for a wildlife photographer,” Bassous says in an email, who also credited the skills and experience of his guide and boat driver Julinho in helping to capture that split second moment.
He advised photographers and other nature lovers to avoid interfering with wildlife, and to simply observe. “Have the patience to let things happen,” he says. “They will happen. Nature is amazing. Trusting local knowledge is fundamental.”
4. Dinner with beavers
Emily Dahl filmed this pair of beaver kits sharing a meal together as the sun set over eastern Massachusetts. These kits are the descendants of beavers that were successfully reintroduced to New England early in the 20th century, after over-hunting eradicated them from the region.
5. Slovenian snow globe
Nina Lozej (@ninalozej) captured this serene view of St. Lenart Church in Crni Vrh, Slovenia. From its hilltop perch in the middle of the twilight winter landscape, the scene looks like it belongs in a snow globe.
6. A curious stoat
Michel Godimus (@yosomono.photography) was observing nature in Hokkaido, Japan, when he saw a stoat poking its head out from between the snowy rocks. As the animal curiously looked his way and made eye contact, he snapped this memorable shot.
7. Roll away the dew
At dawn, Dara Ojo recorded this damselfly wiping away a night’s worth of dew at the University of Alberta Botanic Garden in Edmonton, Canada. “This moment was particularly meaningful because I’ve been trying to capture a clean, close video of a damselfly grooming for over two years,” he said in an email.
“My hope is that the video encourages people to rethink what they consider ordinary,” he added. “Arthropods are everywhere, yet most of us never see them at their scale or notice their behaviors.”
8. An owl fixes its gaze
Francois Potvin captured a mesmerizing reel of a long-eared owl in the Québec woods. As snowflakes fall, the owl slowly shifts its gaze, providing a rare glimpse of a shy nocturnal hunter.
9. Dense, writhing masses
Jules Jacobs captured this mass of pelagic tuna crabs (Grimothea planipes) gathering in dense groups of several thousand on the slopes of Scripps Canyon in La Jolla, California.
10. Mouth breathing moray
Gerardo Parot came across this spotted moray eel under the corals on the Villa Blanca reef in Cozumel, Mexico. He recorded the eel’s gaping expression as it opened and closed its mouth to breathe.
“Nature and wildlife photography is more important than ever,” Farrar says. “In an age of biodiversity loss and shrinking wild spaces, these images help people connect emotionally to places and species they may never see firsthand, making the issues feel real and urgent. Photography can spark curiosity, build empathy, and remind us of what’s at stake—often in ways words alone can’t.”
“I hope this year’s contest inspires a sense of wonder and care,” she concludes. “For aspiring photographers, I hope it encourages patience, curiosity, and respect for the subjects they photograph and for readers, a deeper appreciation for the natural world and a desire to protect it.”
See the stunning images featured in our 2025 Pictures of the Year, and follow @NatGeoYourShot on Instagram to see more from our visual storytelling community.
