Photo by @Jayaprakash_bojan | After over 11,000 photo submissions from around the world, our panel of judges has named the 2017 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year! Jayaprakash Joghee Bojan of Singapore is this year's grand prize winner for his stunning shot of an enormous male orangutan, waist-deep in a river, shyly peeking from behind a tree. Our judges were impressed by how the poignant image spoke to the impact deforestation is having on the habitat of this critical endangered species. See all of this year's spectacular award-winning photos at ‪natgeo.com/photocontest‬ (link in profile).

A post shared by National Geographic (@natgeo) on Dec 12, 2017 at 11:32am PST

Ocean pool. #sydneyphotographer #djiglobal #aerialphotography #dji #phantom #sydney #drone

A post shared by Todd Kennedy (@toddkennedypics) on Mar 31, 2017 at 4:40pm PDT

First place for landscape in the @natgeo nature photographer of the year contest! It is such an honor to have my work featured recognized by them. I still can’t believe it. Photography has been an amazing vehicle that has taken me on the wildest journey to see things I never imagined seeing from battling humpbacks to the earth spilling it’s guts in the form of melted rock off ocean cliffs to create the islands of Hawaii. I hope that I can continue to share this journey with people to show how beautiful and special our planet and the creatures that live on it are. Thanks for the continued support!

A post shared by Karim Iliya Photography. Drone (@karimiliya) on Dec 12, 2017 at 3:05pm PST

世界最高峰のフォトコンテスト、National GeographicのNature photographer of the year 2017のAerials部門で2位に選出されました。多くの方の助け無しには撮れない一枚でした。ありがとうございます。 管理者様の許諾の元、撮影及び写真公開しております。 My photo is selected as the 2nd place in Aerials section of “National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year 2017”!! Very honored!! Check mine and the other great works as follows! http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/nature-photographer-of-the-year-2017/gallery/winners-all/12 #tokyocameraclub #igers #igersjp #ig_japan  #ig_asia #ig_worldclub #bestjapanpics #jp_gallery #photo_shorttrip #instagram #instagramjapan #instagramers #icu_japan #bns_japan #wu_japan #wonderful_places #yourshot #500px #color_of_day #nationalgeographic #natgeo #yourshot #nature #metasequoia #winter #trees #shiga #takashima

A post shared by Takahiro Bessho 別所隆弘 (@takahiro_bessho) on Dec 13, 2017 at 5:30am PST

Dushanzi Grand Canyon, China. Yuhan Liao Photography pic.twitter.com/TRoAJkyJVW

— eosNext (@eosNext) December 13, 2017

Happy to see my Caribbean reef sharks from Cuba got an "Honorable Mention" in this year's National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year – Check out all the imagery here: http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/photographer-of-the-year-2017/gallery/winners-all/7 #sharks #reef #cuba #underwater #marineprotectedarea #MPA #conservation #1frame4nature #NationalGeographic #gottolooovetheocean

A post shared by Shane Gross (@shanegrossphoto) on Aug 1, 2017 at 3:07pm PDT

Esta fotografía titulada "Mothers Love" de Alejandro Prieto, ganó el segundo lugar del certamen National Geographic 2017.💞
📍Celestún, Península Maya pic.twitter.com/w9BgPgxyHj

— Playa Riviera (@PlayaRiviera) December 13, 2017

Wow! Shared this photo before but today it won Third Place in the Landscape category for @natgeo Photographer of the Year! So honored and humbled. I mean…it took years just to finally get a storm there which was rewarding in of itself. But this added awesomeness just validates that I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing!

A post shared by Mike Olbinski (@mikeolbinski) on Dec 12, 2017 at 6:36am PST

From a few weeks ago: #Flyingfish in flight; another favorite of mine from all the #blackwater dives recently. May have to make a print of this one for my home. ©Michael Patrick O’Neill / www.mpostock.com #Nikon #fisheye #pelagic #offshore #ocean #PalmBeach #Florida #nofilter #underwater #GulfStream

A post shared by Michael Patrick O'Neill (@mpophotography) on Aug 26, 2017 at 11:58am PDT

Winners of 2017 @NatGeoMag Nature Photographer of the Year are all great. I'm partial to bickering herons / indifferent eagle here (Bence Mate) https://t.co/OgpcaQSCSQ pic.twitter.com/kKWRg78E74

— pourmecoffee (@pourmecoffee) December 12, 2017

Hey Everyone – I really need your help! My photo Meandering Canyon was selected as one of the 20 People's Choice Finalists in the National Geographic Photo Contest. I need to get as many votes as possible, so I'd really appreciate it if you visited the link below and gave it a vote (you can also click the link in my bio). Voting closes on Dec 11. Thanks so much for the help!! http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/nature-photographer-of-the-year-2017/gallery/peoples-choice-all/12

A post shared by David Swindler (@actionphototours) on Dec 1, 2017 at 12:08pm PST

Today we are celebrating the grand life of my uncle Jean. He took on himself the role of a father after my Dad passed. I always looked up to him and his lifestyle of diplomate; living all around the world to promote and keep alive Quebec's culture. I will cherish forever this last words to me "stay authentic", his greatest disappointement in our today's culture were that most people follow a too conventual routine. Although his travels were politically based, we shared this commun love for humanity, photography, powder skiing and Bali. When I took this photo last august I immediately though of him. Despite his uphill battle against cancer, he would always be there and strong, like this giant cedar floating in the ocean. Still majestic. When I asked the pilot to go over the tree again to get a better perspective, a flock of white birds flew right over. I am not religious but to me this was a clear sign that despite our loves ones living us too soon, some part of them keeps living forever. I am so honoured he asked for this photo to be buried with him. 💙#rememberingthegiant #majesticlife #lifecelebration

A post shared by A'gat Sunshine ☀️🎼 (@agathebernardphoto) on Sep 25, 2017 at 8:31am PDT

August details #nature #sunrise #terraquantum #natgeoyourshot #romania #lake #natura #travel #forest #water #morning #fog #atmosphere #trees #reflections #sony #sonya7rii #sony70200f28 #sonyextender #naturephotography #gphoto #gphotoblog #cuejdel #cuejdellake @gphotoblog

A post shared by Gheorghe Popa (@gphotoblog) on Aug 20, 2017 at 12:16pm PDT

Predators on a Bait Ball. Honorable Mention, Underwater. Preparing to strike, tarpon cut through a ribbon-like school of scad off the coast of Bonaire in the Caribbean Sea. #

© Jennifer O'Neil / 2017 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year pic.twitter.com/GsbJCFpjiW

— Seref Sezgin (@SEREF737) December 13, 2017

A macaque being groomed at the Jigokudani snow monkey park in the Nagano Prefecture in Japan, March 4, 2016. The Jigokudani snow monkey park has become a major tourist hot spot, attracting visitors from all over the world hoping to get a glimpse of these amazing creatures huddled together in hot springs. But because of the warmer than usual weather during this time, the macaques were frequently found lazing about on some nearby rocks instead of spending much of their time keeping warm in hot springs. #wildlife #nature #poyi #picturesoftheyear #macaque #japan #jigokudani #grooming #animals

A post shared by Lance McMillan (@lance.mcmillan) on Aug 16, 2017 at 8:29pm PDT

#nationalgeographic #award #faroeislands Please vote! Editors here at National Geographic have chosen your photo as a nominee for this year’s People’s Choice awards. Congratulations! http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/nature-photographer-of-the-year-2017/gallery/peoples-choice-all/1 Share this link and invite others to vote for your image. Voting will be open until December 11, 12pm EST. Users will be able to vote again each day. On December 12, we will announce who all the contest winners are. The four images with the most votes in each category—Wildlife, Landscapes, Aerials, and Underwater—will be named the 2017 People’s Choice winners!

A post shared by Wojciech Kruczyński (@stroophotography) on Dec 2, 2017 at 1:13pm PST

So it turns out my image "Drift" of a Pacific man of War won the National Geographic "Peoples Choice Underwater" award. Special thanks to everyone who voted, my gratitude for your support knows no bounds. This one's on you! @nikonaustralia @aquaticadigital @oceangeographic #mynikonlife #mattysmithphoto #natgeo

A post shared by Matthew Smith (@mattysmithphoto) on Dec 13, 2017 at 12:45am PST

Just found out I have another photo this year in the editors favorite selections for the @natgeo Nature Photographer of the Year competition! http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/nature-photographer-of-the-year-2017/gallery #waycoolshots #animals #animalelite #wildlifephotography #earthcapture #only_raptors #udog_feathers #feather_perfection #bird #pocket_birds #nuts_about_birds #wildlife #wildlifeplanet #nature_perfection #nikon #nikonnofilter #wildlifephotography #elite_owls #splendid_animals #your_best_birds #nature_brilliance #nature #birdsandblooms #bb_of_ig #wildplanet #birds_adored #animalsofinstagram #bestbirdshots #nature #majestic_wildlife_ #nature_sultans #animal_sultans

A post shared by Harry Collins (@harrycollinsphotography) on Oct 16, 2017 at 7:34am PDT