From birds in a Himalayan snowstorm to a tiny organism in polar waters, see winners of this year’s Environmental Photography Award
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This year marks the third edition of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation’s Environmental Photography Award – and after the submission of over 10,000 images by over 2300 professional and amateur photographers across the world – the overall winner and laureates of the five contest categories have now been revealed.
With his photograph ‘Fight to the Death’, Jasper Doest was crowned the winner in the category ‘Humanity versus Nature’ and overall winner of the 2023 Environmental Photographer of the Year by peers and the public vote. Doest also received a total prize money of €6500, as well as a trip to Ecuador to visit the SEK International University research base in the Amazon rainforest.
In addition to the Public Award, and five laureate categories, the Students’ Choice was created for high school students of the Principality, as part of the Foundation’s aim to raise awareness of environmental issues among the younger generation.
‘Photography is a powerful tool for giving a voice to threatened wildlife and biodiversity,’ jury president Sergio Pitamitz said. ‘Thanks to the Environmental Photography Award, photographers are given the opportunity to showcase their images and, above all, their conservation messages.’
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Overall winner of 2023 Environmental Photography Award, ‘Humanity vs Nature’ winner & Public Award winner: Fight to the Death – Lopé National Park, Gabon, 2021.
The overall winner of the 2023 Environmental Photographer of the Year, Jasper Doest’s ‘Fight to the Death’ depicts an enraged elephant fighting for its life after being struck by a train transporting manganese through Lopé National Park in Gabon. Unable to be saved due to a hip shattered beyond repair, the elephant was killed. Following its death, the park director distributed its meat to the local community.
Despite the danger posed by regular train accidents in Lopé National Park and the director’s efforts to identify potential conflict areas, the railway company has declined to take action and continues to ignore the risk of running trains at full speed through the park. This is primarily due to the economic pressure of transporting Gabon’s second-largest export product, manganese, which accounts for 11 per cent of the country’s exports.
‘While it’s tempting to assign blame, I also believe that this photograph has the power to inspire change for those willing to take responsibility,’ said Doest. ‘Upon receiving this award, I would like to extend the invitation to all parties involved to gather together and have a meaningful discussion on how we can collectively put an end to the continuous killing of these critically endangered animals alongside this railway track.’
‘Change makers, reasons for hope’ category: Airborne – Malawi, 2022
Marcus Westberg’s Airborne shows elephants being moved from Liwonde National Park to Kasungu National Park, Malawi, under the supervision of conservation specialists.
This method of elephant transportation is commonly used – first, elephants are put to sleep, then placed in lorries using cranes before being woken up during the journey. All these operations are carried out with the utmost care and respect for the animals, and help to regulate populations from one area to another.
‘Ocean Worlds’ category: My Kingdom – Espiritu Santo National Park Mexico, 2022
Simon Biddie’s photograph depicts California sea lions enjoying protected status in Espiritu Santo National Park in Mexico. The region is a no-fishing zone, providing the sea lions with a food-rich environment and a stable population. The only remaining threat for these animals is climate change.
‘Into the forest’ category: Falling Leaves are Blue – Himalayas, India, 2018
Kallol Mukherjee captured a snowstorm in the Himalayas at an altitude of 4,267 m, just as a flock of Grandala birds invaded the landscape, offering a superb view of their synchronised flight or ‘murmurations’.
‘Polar Wonders’ category: Tiny Umbrella – Tasiilaq, East Greenland, 2018
Franco Banfi’s photograph of a tiny benthic hydromedusa, with a bell measuring less than a centimetre, won this year’s ‘Polar Wonders’ category. This little-known gelatinous organism lives in deep or polar waters.
Students’ Choice 2023: Baby it’s Cold Out There! – Mýrdalsjökull glacier, Iceland, 2019
The beauty of Iceland won over the Principality’s high school students in David Feuerhelm’s photograph of the Mýrdalsjökull glacier, the fourth largest ice cap in the country. The glacier has many surreal ephemeral caves and landscapes.
