Source: National Wildlife Federation
After sifting through 29,800 entries, the National Wildlife Federation has picked the winners of its prestigious National Wildlife’s 2020 Photo Contest.
According to USA Today, Alex Rose of Woodridge, Illinois, won the grand prize in the contest with a stunning photo of a swimming American crocodile with its mouth partially open and teeth displayed in front of a setting sun in Jardines de la Reina, an archipelago off Cuba’s southern coast.”
USA Today reports Rose was originally there to document sharks when she came within inches of the impressive croc.
“These wild animals are so powerful and impressive,” Rose told the National Wildlife Federation, revealing she and the crocodile drifted alongside one another in “silent harmony” until it vanished.
The contest also features first and second place winners in eight categories, including mammals, birds, baby animals, landscapes and plants, people in nature, youth photographers, and mobile photography.
“Every photographer who enters our contest is someone we think of as a ‘nature’s witness,’ using their passion for the natural world to create beautiful images that can inspire conservation,” said National Wildlife magazine editorial director and editor-in-chief Lisa Moore in a statement reported by USA Today. “Whether they’re alone in the dark shooting the Milky Way or quietly strolling through a neighborhood to capture the beauty of a butterfly, they witness the majesty – and fragility – of nature and the world we’re all committed to protect.”