‘Captivated’: Canadians Win Prestigious Wildlife Photography Awards

The winning photo titled “The Swarm of Life” by Shane Gross. Courtesy of the Natural History Museum

Two Canadians have gained international acclaim for their stunning photography featuring wildlife scenes from British Columbia and the Yukon.

Shane Gross, a marine conservation photojournalist based in B.C., was named Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2024 during an awards ceremony hosted by the UK Natural History Museum on Oct. 8. He received the distinction for his photo “The Swarm of Life,” which shows hundreds of western toad tadpoles streaming through an underwater forest of water lilies.

His work was selected among 59,228 entries from 117 countries and territories.

“The jury was captivated by the mix of light, energy and connectivity between the environment and the tadpoles,” said Kathy Moran, chair of the jury and editor, commenting on Gross’s work in a release announcing the winners.

“Over the last few years, the competition has highlighted environments and species that are often overlooked yet provoke the same wonder and delight when shared as the more typically photographed wildlife and wild places.”

To capture the scene, Gross snorkelled for several hours among carpets of water lilies in Cedar Lake on Vancouver Island. He had to avoid disturbing the silt and algae on the lake bottom, otherwise it would affect the visibility of the photo. He followed trails through the thick patches of water lilies that were cleared by beavers.

“The photographer immerses us in an epic migration of tiny tadpoles, a scene that most of us would have never imagined existed,” said competition judge Tony Wu. “By putting us in the midst of this movement of millions, they highlight the fact that beauty and magic exist everywhere, even in the most mundane of settings.”

‘On Watch’

The photo of a vigilant lynx resting from the frigid Yukon winds while its fully-grown cubs shelter behind it, has earned an Alberta photographer the winning title in the animal portraits category.

John E. Marriott, a wildlife conservation photographer based in Canmore, Alta., followed the animals for nearly a week, snowshoeing through the snowy woods, waiting for the perfect moment.

Photo titled "On Watch" by John E. Marriott. Courtesy of the Natural History Museum from the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition

Fresh animal tracks led him to the encounter and, keeping a safe distance, he captured the family of three.

“That intent look, the soft, thick fur, the huge snowshoe feet and those ear tufts. But wait... It’s not one Canadian lynx, it’s two–no, three,” said competition judge Roz Kidman Cox, commenting on Marriott’s work. “To have got close to such an elusive, wary cat–widely trapped for its fur–is rare, but to have portrayed the whole family is extraordinary.”

Wildlife Photographer of the Year is an annual competition organized by the Natural History Museum in London, UK. This year’s awards were for its 60th edition, and the next competition will accept entries from Oct. 14 to Dec. 5.

The competition includes a touring exhibition in the UK and in countries such as Australia, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland. In Canada, the exhibition will be available at the Royal Ontario Museum, and at the Royal BC Museum.