This year's Wildlife Photographer of the Year honor went to French
photographer Laurent Ballesta for his shot of a tri-spine horseshoe crab
taken off the coast of Pangatalan Island, Philippines.
The winner of this year's Wildlife Photographer of the Year award is this
breathtaking picture of a golden horseshoe crab scuttling down the ocean
floor with three striped fish soaring overhead.
The remarkable sight was photographed by French underwater photographer and
marine researcher
Laurent Ballesta
in the protected waters of Pangatalan Island in the Philippines, which
serves as a haven for tri-spine horseshoe crabs (Tachypleus tridentatus), an
endangered species.
According to a statement sent to Live Science by the prize officials, these
horseshoe crabs have been around for more than 100 million years, but
overfishing has resulted in habitat loss and a decline in their food supply.
They are also harvested by humans for their special blue blood, which is
utilized in the creation of vaccinations.
Kathy Moran, chair of the competition jury, stated in the statement, "To see a
horseshoe crab so vibrantly alive in its natural habitat, in such a
hauntingly beautiful way, was astonishing." We are examining a critically
endangered ancient species that is also important to human health. This
image is glowing."
The remark suggested that the three young golden trevallies (Gnathanodon
speciosus) around the horseshoe crab were likely there to steal any
appetizing items dug up by the crab's plodding approach.
Ballesta's picture, "The Golden Horseshoe," was chosen by the judges from
among over 50,000 submissions from 95 different nations. Prizes were given
to an additional eighteen winners who demonstrated the great diversity of
life on Earth.
The Natural History Museum's
Doug Gurr, director, said in a statement that this year's winning photos "present
compelling evidence of our impact on nature — both positive and negative—
while inspiring absolute awe and wonder."
The Natural History Museum in London will host the "Wildlife Photographer
of the Year" exhibition including the winning photos from Friday, October 13
through June 30, 2024.
Ballesta has already won the Wildlife Photographer of the Year title once.
His image of camouflage groupers (Epinephelus polyphekadion) moving in a
milky cloud of eggs and sperm in the South Pacific Ocean off the coast of
Fakarava, French Polynesia, won him first place in 2021.
See our selection of the top wildlife photography cameras as well as our
beginner's guide to wildlife photography if you want to give it a
shot.
