If you can’t quite hack the requisite international airfare and/or annual leave to explore the Amazon, meet polar bears, or go deep sea diving right now, you’re in luck.
For the 58th year in a row, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition will arrive in Sydney on loan from London’s Natural History Museum. Taking root at the National Maritime Museum, this stunning collection of photographs will be in Sydneytown until October, 2023.
This incredibly prestigious photography event is centred on drawing attention to the wild beauty and fragility of the natural world. This year, judges had to look at 38,575 entries from 93 countries, being faced with the near-impossible task of whittling these down to just over 100 photo finalists.
The results are a mesmerising snapshots of fascinating animal behaviour, stunning secret moments in the hearts of the wildest places, and breathtaking shots of human, animal and nature stories that would normally never get seen.
In 2023, four Australian photographers won highly commended in the worldwide competition, while the Wildlife Photographer of the Year for 'Animals in their Environment' was awarded to Ecuadorian Daniel Mideros for his powerful portrait of a starving Spectacled Bear standing alone on a hill in Peñas Blancas, Quito, Ecuador. His image, like so many in this exhibition, was all about drawing light to the issue of rapidly disappearing habitat, and the devastating consequences this has for residents of the natural world.
So, if you are in the mood to escape reality, dive into strange and wonderful corners of the globe, and fight for a brighter future for all the miraculous living creatures and ecosystems on our planet, think about taking a day trip to the Maritime Museum. You won’t regret it.
Tickets will cost adults $20, under 15’s can come in for $12, and kids under four can enter for free. Concessions cost $15, and a family group can get in on the action for $50. If you’re keen, click here to book yourself in now.
