Kangaroos under the snow and other natural wonders of Australia in the photo contest Nature Photographer of the Year 2019

When remembering Australia, kangaroos, giant snakes and spiders usually come to mind. But the Green Continent is rich not only in amazing creatures, but also in incredible beauty, which is perfectly conveyed in the pictures from the shortlist of the "Nature Photographer of the Year 2019" photo contest from the Australian Geographic magazine.

In Australia, the winners of the annual Australian Geographic Nature Photographer Award have been announced, the jury of which evaluates the works of naturalist photographers dedicated to the wildlife of Australia itself, as well as New Zealand, Antarctica and New Guinea. Until the end of autumn, the pictures can be seen in museums in Sydney and Adelaide.

Portrait of the curious monitor lizard Mertens, who took first place in the nomination "Endangered species".

The main prize was awarded to the picture "The Death of a Whale", which captured a dead fin whale off the coast of Western Australia.

This mountain echidna is located at an altitude of about 2 thousand meters above sea level. The photographer had to track her down for two days, guided by the tracks left in the snow. He received a prize for the best series of pictures ("Portfolio").

A photo of the dried-up Condilla Lake in Australia was recognized as the best in the nomination dedicated to the human impact on the environment. Like several other lakes, it was drained artificially.

This bright bokoplav (one of the representatives of the order of crayfish) was awarded the first place in the nomination "Small but mighty".

Kangaroo during a snow storm on the territory of the Kosciuszko National Park, located at the foot of the eponymous highest mountain in Australia. The picture won first place in the nomination dedicated to photographs of animals in their natural environment.

"Ghosts of the Forest" is a picture of glowing forest mushrooms, which took first place in the nomination "Botany".

Another prize for a series of pictures was awarded to a photographer who captured possums in the forests of Tasmania.

The winner in the Landscape category is a photograph of the Barron Falls in Queensland.

And another winner in the Portfolio category is one of the pictures in the series dedicated to wombats in the Kosciuszko National Park.

The first place among black-and-white photos was awarded to a picture of a moray eel in the Banda Sea.

The second place among the photos dedicated to animals in their natural habitat was given to a portrait of an unidentified spider on the ice.

The second place among the photos depicting animals in motion was awarded to a helmet-shaped bull shark during a successful hunt off the coast of southeastern Australia.

The second place in the nomination "Botany" is richey, rare trees that can be found only in Tasmania, in the dawn sun.

The second place in the nomination "Black and white photos" was taken by the photo "Conversation of the royal couple", which depicts the shadows of two royal penguins living on the island of South Georgia.