Amazing Flight of Penguin and Birth of Ant: National Geographic Shows Best Photos of the Year

The American TV channel National Geographic has presented its annual selection of the best nature photos.

In 2024, the works of photographers who worked in all corners of the world - from frosty Antarctica to the rainforests of India - were highlighted.

This year, the best photos were chosen from among 2.3 million images depicting the extraordinary diversity of the planet, National Geographic says.

The selection includes a photo by Bertie Gregory, where you can see an emperor penguin chick. The young bird approaches the edge of the cliff and jumps into the icy water from a height of over 15 metres. At this time, its ‘relatives’ are standing behind.

National Geographic says that the picture is the first ever to capture such bird behaviour. The unique image was created using a drone.

The list of best photos also includes the image ‘Tiny Breakthrough’ by Ingo Arndt.

The photographer worked together with scientists from the University of Konstanz (Germany) to build a nest to observe the behaviour and reproduction of forest ants. Ingo watched as the insect colony's ‘workers’ cleaned eggs, larvae spun cocoons, and babies came into the world, as in the photograph.

In Texas (USA), the photographer Babak Tafreshi managed to capture approximately 10 million Mexican free-tailed bats in flight. In the photo, the animals fly out of their homes in a coordinated stream after sunset to eat.

‘You think it might be over in 10 minutes, but they keep flying for two hours,’ said the author of the photo.

In another photo by American photojournalist Amy Vitale, a scientist holds a 70-day-old fetus of a rare northern white rhino, which was conceived through artificial insemination.

There are only two individuals of these animals left in the world, both females. Therefore, scientists have resorted to this method of insemination to protect the species from extinction.

In January 2024, in Kenya, scientists successfully performed the first procedure to transfer a fetus into the body of a female white rhino. However, the success was bitter - before scientists could confirm the pregnancy, the surrogate mother died of a bacterial infection. An autopsy later showed that she was in labour.

In Guatemala, Peter Fisher photographed the Fuego volcano, which has been erupting almost continuously since 2002. The work was called ‘Explosion with a View’.

National Geographic also recognised the work ‘Liquid Fuel from the Sun’ by photographer Davide Monteleone. The photo shows a synthetic liquid made using sunlight, water and carbon dioxide.

Scientists say it can be used to power trucks, ships and aircraft without modernising vehicles.

The tiger was photographed by Prasanjeet Yadav during its ‘patrolling’ of a nature reserve in India. The animal in the photo is distinguished from others by its unique colour - its unusually wide black stripes are believed to be the result of a genetic mutation.

During the work, the photographer faced difficulties - it seemed that black tigers, unlike other animals in the reserve, were trying their best to avoid areas with cameras.

‘Yadav worked 14-16 hours a day, managing his equipment and perfecting his techniques to avoid detection.

Eventually, he got this image of a young female tiger, one of the few photos of black tigers taken during his 60 days in the reserve,’ National Geographic said.

The photos taken by Mathieu Paly show a shrine on Mount Pamir in Tajikistan. This place is looked after by local residents who are Ismaili Muslims.

Many years ago, a tree fell on the shrine, decorated with goat and sheep horns. However, the locals left it lying there, as is customary.

Ryan Tidman's photo shows a Pacific herring spawning near Vancouver Island, Canada. Every spring, each female fish lays up to 20,000 eggs, and then the males produce milk.

‘This event causes a visual display that usually lasts less than a day,’ National Geographic explained.

In Zambia, Jasper Dust witnessed the aftermath of a highway accident that killed an elephant and a man. There, animals often cross the road to get to the Zambezi River, the only source of water in the hot, dry months.

Passers-by gathered at the scene of the incident, and buses with schoolchildren also arrived. Despite the sometimes hostile relationship with elephants, many locals have never seen the animals up close.