A brown bear in water surrounds a school of red fish.

Take a Closer Look at Bears, Birds, and Blooms From Nat Geo’s Photo Editors

SurroundedA coastal brown bear surrounds a school of sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) in the Alaska Peninsula. Each year, these fish journey thousands of miles upstream from the freshwaters of Alaska to the Pacific Ocean. They are constantly leaping above water during the journey, where the bears wait to catch them. Photographer Mike Rigney told National Geographic it was "easily one of the most beautiful natural displays I've ever seen."
Mike Rigney
Photos curated byNational Geographic's Photography Department
Captions written byDomonique Tolliver and Yasmine Maggio
Last updated October 9, 2026

Snoozing bears, spinning mills, and birds of prey. Check out some of the pictures featured in our Photo of the Day.

Close-up of a technicolor wasp.
A Colorful StingParasitic wasps like the Torymus calcaratus depend on other insects to complete their life cycle. With a long, needle-like organ called an ovipositor (bottom right), they inject their eggs into the larvae of a host species. At the Stuttgart State Museum of Natural History’s entomology collection, photographer Thorben Danke took 289 shots of the symbiotic predator and combined them using a stacking technique to create this sharp, vibrant image. This photo is featured in the "In Focus" series in the September 2026 issue of National Geographic.
Thorben Danke
A black bear sleeps atop a tree trunk in a forested area.
Scenic SnoozeIn Vancouver Island’s temperate rainforests, black bears use holes in old-growth Douglas firs as hibernation dens. But as industrial logging has claimed most of the giant trees, bears like this one, photographed with a camera trap by National Geographic Explorer Ryan Tidman, sometimes curl up on the stumps. Tidman says the beasts use this spot as a “summer hangout zone,” where they might snooze after fishing for salmon. This photo is featured in the "In Focus" series in the September 2026 issue of National Geographic.
Ryan Tidman
A scabiosa stellata (Lomelosia stellata) with geometric seed pods grows at Redwood Roots Farm in Bayside, California.
A Flower After BloomA scabiosa stellata (Lomelosia stellata) grows at Redwood Roots Farm in Bayside, California. The plant’s delicate blossoms quickly fall away, leaving behind distinctive paper-like, geometric seed pods often coveted in gardens and bouquets. Photographer Ellen Mary Cronin tells National Geographic the flower stopped her in her tracks, as it was “somehow both delicate and rough at the same time.”
Ellen Mary Cronin
Two shirtless men climb a ladder up to the top of a rusty white, yellow, and red ship.
A Day at the ShipyardWhile snapping pictures at a shipyard in Dhaka, Bangladesh, photographer GMB Akash could hear the “constant sound of hammering and metal work,” not unusual for a place where massive ships are repaired and constructed day in and day out. These workers—who earn around 1,000 taka per day (about 8 US dollars)—are docking this cargo ship by hand, which entails diving under the murky, polluted water below until the vessel is well-positioned and ready to reel in. This photo is featured in the "In Focus" series in the September 2026 issue of National Geographic.
GMB Akash
An abandoned and damaged home sits in a field next to a tree, with the sky glowing pink and orange behind it.
Abandoned in the GlowA home perches precariously atop a ruined embankment on Mousuni Island in West Bengal, India. The island is in the Sundarbans, a region in the Bay of Bengal that has experienced an increase in natural disasters such as cyclones, monsoons, and rising sea levels as a result of climate change. The destruction has impacted the millions of residents in the region—many of whom rely on local agriculture for employment—forcing some to migrate elsewhere.
Arko Datto
A close-up photo of the underside of a red long-spined sea urchin.
Saving the Sea UrchinLong-spined sea urchins (Diadema antillarum) like this one are among the most important algae grazers in Caribbean coral reefs. However, during a mass die-off event in the 1980s, the marine invertebrates were almost completely wiped out by an unknown cause, and their population has struggled to bounce back since. Researchers since have identified one of the biggest bottlenecks in sea urchin recovery: early larval survival. At The Florida Aquarium in Tampa, University of Florida scientists are testing a newly developed “baby formula” that dramatically improves sea urchin survival during the earliest stage of life. Ninety-nine percent of urchins do not survive to adulthood, meaning that improving early survival by even one percent could double the number of urchins available for reef restoration.
Nicholas Conzone
A man plunges into the brown-colored Jialing River in Chongqing, China.
Into the RiverA diver plunges into the Jialing River in Chongqing, China, one of the world’s largest cities. Recently, photographer Aleksey Kondratyev came across a group of men mostly age 50 and older along the riverfront. They gather almost daily, diving and swimming during Chongqing’s famously hot summers—and, for the most dedicated, throughout the winter as well.
Aleksey Kondratyev
A black cow stands in front of a makeshift background surrounded by studio lighting and people.
The Perfect CowA cow stands during a professional livestock photography session at an annual cattle show in Verden, Germany. The country is one of Europe's largest milk producers and the second largest producer of beef on the continent, with cattle farming contributing about 25 percent to Germany's total agricultural output.
Nikita Teryoshin
An up-close image of the green eye of an animal surrounded by its maze-like skin.
Eye of WonderWhile diving in Raja Ampat, Indonesia, photographer Charles Samama snapped this close-up image of the eye of a map puffer (Arothron mappa). The fish is distinguished by the intricate, maze-like patterns on its body. Although typically shy, this particular map puffer approached Samama, allowing him to capture a rare, intimate perspective of the species.
Charles Samama
The scarred chest of a Samburu warrior wears a silver and blue rosary.
Guardian of the HerdThe chest of a Samburu warrior in Ngurunit, Kenya, bears traditional scarifications and a Catholic rosary. Known as moran, the warriors are young, semi-nomadic males aged roughly 15 to 30 who protect the tribe and its livestock. They frequently encounter armed conflicts with rival clans and neighboring tribes, where they reclaim stolen animals or defend their own herds from attackers. A small number of the Samburu have also partly converted to Christianity while retaining many markers of their cultural identity.
Guillaume Petermann
People dressed in hats and wearing sun-protective clothing stand among rows of tomato plants in the early morning in Los Banos, California.
Before the Sun RisesTomato pickers begin work early in the morning to avoid the day’s worst heat in Los Baños, California, in the San Joaquin Valley. As temperatures continue to rise, extreme heat is expected to make outdoor agricultural work increasingly dangerous, but photographer Karla Gachet says many workers paid by the bucket may push through breaks to increase their earnings.
Karla Gachet
Four red raspberries hang from a green vine in Sharon, Connecticut.
Fruits of LaborRaspberries (Rubus idaeus) grow along a vine on a farm in Sharon, Connecticut. Photographer Landon Speers captured the image at The Fen, a willow and native plant seed farm that works to support Connecticut's local food systems. “The challenges our collective food security faces are only compounding,” he tells National Geographic. What feels most meaningful to Speers is documenting how communities of people with shared values and a common ethos work together to provide for one another.
Landon Speers
A variety of wild flowers sit in recycled plastic bottles in the sun.
A Second LifePhotographer Irina Rozovsky took this photo in the summer of 2016 on the shore of Lake Ohrid in Macedonia. "While driving around photographing, I was moved by the plethora of wild flowers growing in every direction the eye could see, especially red poppies," she told National Geographic. Rozovsky began picking up bottles that litter the streets in the absence of trash cans, then decided to turn them into vases. "I just loved the fresh hopefulness." The image is featured in Rozovsky's new book, Mountain Black Heart, published by MACK.
Irina Rozovky, MACK
Industrial machines untangle and align raw magenta wool fibers in a factory.
The Spinning MillMechanical carders untangle and align raw magenta wool fibers in a factory in Millbury, Massachusetts. Christopher Payne has explored the ins and outs of how everyday things are made in his photography for almost 20 years. The image is part of his latest collection, Made in America: The Industrial Photography, which is on view at Cooper Hewitt in New York City through September 27th.
Christopher Payne/ Esto, Cooper Hewitt Gallery, Smithsonian Design Museum
Three masked Kukeri dancers perform inside an abandoned, roofless pink-walled house in Bulgaria’s Strandzha region.
Dancing Through RuinsKukeri are part of Bulgaria’s winter traditions, which take many different forms across the country. Elaborately costumed in masks, animal skins, and bells, the dancers move through villages and enter households, performing rituals associated with driving away evil spirits and welcoming health, fertility, and prosperity. The pink walls of this abandoned, roofless home in Sredets caught Ivo Danchev's attention as he photographed three Kukeri performing inside during Kukeri Day.
Ivo Danchev
A person rides a unicycle along a tightrope with the moon behind them.
Walking the LineHighliner Gabriel Camolesi rides a unicycle along a tightrope in New South Wales, Australia, with a full moon in the backdrop in this photograph from National Geographic's "How I Got the Shot" series. The image took photographer Aidan Williams seven years to capture due to constant planning and failed attempts. The combination of timing, landscape, weather, and lunar cycles—all of which may only align for a few seconds at a time—was needed to snap the breathtaking moment. 
Aidan Williams
A man sitting in a car feeds a carrot to donkeys outside the car window.
German Flores feeds Pancho and other donkeys at the Burrolandia (Donkeyland) Sanctuary in Otumba, Mexico. Flores is a co-founder of the sanctuary, which was created in 2006 in an effort to preserve the country's donkey population. The animal is intimately linked to Mexico's culture, with the town of Otumba holding the National Donkey Festival each year.
Sara Escobar
A black cat sits atop a pole watching over a heard of alpacas as the icy Andes mountains loom in the distance.
Andes WatchcatA black cat rests alongside alpacas in the icy Andean landscape of Cojata near Puno, Peru. Puno is one of the seven regions in Peru responsible for approximately 80 percent of the world’s alpaca fiber production. Photographer Uriel Montúfar captured the image while working on a documentary series about high-altitude Andean alpaca herders, also known as alpaqueros. “What struck me most was the unexpected harmony and character in that scene,” he tells National Geographic. “This small domestic cat standing watch over the herd in such a cold, harsh environment felt both humorous and poetic.”
Uriel Montúfar
A dark grey bird with big eyes and an open mouth stretches its wing over two other grey birds as they all balance on a tree branch.
Umbrella WingCamouflaged against the bark of a tree, a tawny frogmouth (Podargus strigoides) shields two other birds from the forest rain with its wing in Perth, Australia. The bird's large eyes and bright yellow insides of its mouth are meant to frighten predators and potentially attract prey. These nocturnal birds are experts at camouflaging, using their gray and brown feathers to blend in with tree bark while they hunt at night. This photograph was a winning entry in the 2026 Bird Photographer of the Year competition.
Donald Chin, Bird Photographer of the Year
A brown and tan short-eared owl flies over the salt marshes of British Columbia’s Fraser River Delta at dusk.
A Moment in FlightA short-eared owl (Asio flammeus) flies over the salt marshes of British Columbia’s Fraser River Delta at dusk. Photographer Ivan Sjögren spent the evening watching five owls hunt, witnessing aerial fights and displays in which the birds clapped their wings together. These owls flu low and slow as they hunt, relying primarily on acute hearing to drop down on prey hidden under grass coves. They primarily hunt small mammals like meadow voles and mice. and frequently get into aggressive aerial fights with other daytime over the same territory and prey. This photograph was a winning entry in the 2026 Bird Photographer of the Year competition.
Ivan Sjögren, Bird Photographer of the Year
A white-bodied yellow-legged gull stands on a wall painted with gull artwork in Rome, Italy. The gull artwork shows a gull in the same position wearing a black ski mask and a gold chain, holding an open wallet in its claws.
City GullsA yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis) stands on a wall painted with gull artwork in Rome, Italy. Small colonies of these birds often take advantage of the city’s tall buildings for nesting, roosting, and perching. During the COVID-19 pandemic, residents routinely left dry pet food out on ledges of these buildings, allowing gulls to thrive alongside people in this urban environment. This photograph was a winning entry in the 2026 Bird Photographer of the Year competition.
Gianluca Damiani, Bird Photographer of the Year
A black-and-white photo of an Australian wattlebird balancing on a native Australian grass tree that has five flower spikes.
An Occasional BloomAn Australian wattlebird (Anthochaera) balances on a native Australian grass tree (Xanthorrhoea). These slow-growing perennials produce towering flower spikes that can reach two to four meters tall and drip with nectar, attracting birds, butterflies, and native bees. In a press release, photographer Raoul Slater says that he has photographed this tree for a decade but has never seen it produce more than two flower spikes at once. After a particularly rainy year in 2025, the tree responded with five spikes. This photograph was a winning entry in the 2026 Bird Photographer of the Year competition.
Raoul Slater, Bird Photographer of the Year
A raft of penguins swim through the clear blue waters of Port Charcot in Antarctica.
The Great Penguin RushGentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua) dive into Antarctica’s Port Charcot. The species is the fastest underwater-swimming bird on Earth, reaching speeds of up to 22 miles per hour. Photographer Romain Barats captured this raft while snorkeling as the penguins headed out to fish and feed on krill. "These iconic birds are incredibly curious, so they went straight to me to evaluate if I could be a threat or not," he tells National Geographic. "They spent a while swimming so fast around me." This photograph was a winning entry in the 2026 Bird Photographer of the Year competition.
Romain Barats, Bird Photographer of the Year
Walker Guinnee curated this selection of images for Photo of the Day, where we highlight one extraordinary photograph every day. Domonique Tolliver and Yasmine Maggio wrote and researched the captions. Check out today's photo here.