These are the Unbelievable Winners from National Geographic’s Traveler Photo Contest

If a regular picture is worth a 1000 words, these ones better be priced in the millions.

From the National Geographic website:

The 2015 Traveler Photo Contest judges reviewed nearly 18,000 photographs, and ten pictures won top prizes. Photographers entered pictures into four categories: Travel Portraits, Outdoor Scenes, Sense of Place, and Spontaneous Moments.

And these ten do not disappoint.

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01-grand-prizeGrand Prize: Whale Whisperers
“Diving with a humpback whale and her newborn calf while they cruise around Roca Partida … in the Revillagigedo [Islands], Mexico. This is an outstanding and unique place full of pelagic life, so we need to accelerate the incorporation of the islands into UNESCO as [a] natural heritage site in order to increase the protection of the islands against the prevailing illegal fishing corporations and big-game fishing.”
Image: Anuar Patjane Floriuk National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

02-second-placeSecond Place: Gravel Workmen
“[This] gravel-crush working place remains full of dust and sand. Three gravel workmen are looking through the window glass at their working place. Chittagong, Bangladesh.”
Image: Faisal Azim National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

03-third-placeThird Place: Camel Ardah

“Camel Ardah, as it called in Oman, is one of the traditional styles of camel racing … between two camels controlled by expert men. The faster camel is the loser … so they must be running [at] the same speed level in the same track. The main purpose of Ardah is to show the beauty and strength of the Arabian camels and the riders’ skills. Ardah [is] considered one of the most risky situations, since always the camels reactions are unpredictable [and] it may get wild and jump [toward the] audience.”
Image: Ahmed Al Toqi National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

08-meritMerit: Sauna in the Sky

“A sauna at 2,800 meters high in the heart of Dolomites. Monte Lagazuoi, Cortina, eastern Italian Alps.”
Image: Stefano Zardini National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest 


10-meritMerit: Romania, Land of Fairy Tales

”White frost over Pestera village.”
Image: Eduard Gutescu National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

04-meritMerit: A Night at Deadvlei

“The night before returning to Windhoek, we spent several hours at Deadveli. The moon was bright enough to illuminate the sand dunes in the distance, but the skies were still dark enough to clearly see the Milky Way and Magellanic Clouds. Deadveli means ‘dead marsh.’ The camelthorn trees are believed to be about 900 years old but have not decomposed because the environment is so dry.”
Image: Beth Mccarley National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

07-meritMerit: White Rhinos
“The night before this photo, we tried all day to get a good photo of the endangered white rhino. Skulking through the grass carefully, trying to stay 30 feet away to be safe, didn’t provide me the photo I was hoping for. In the morning, however, I woke up to all three rhinos grazing in front of me. Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, Uganda.”
Image: Stefane Berube National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

06-meritMerit: Kushti, Indian Westling

Kushti is the traditional form of Indian wrestling. Wearing only a well-adjusted loincloth (langot), wrestlers (pelwhans) enter a pit made of clay, often mixed with salt, lemon, and ghee (clarified butter). At the end of a workout, wrestlers rest against the walls of the arena, covering their heads and bodies with earth to soak up any perspiration and avoid catching cold. This relaxation ceremony is completed with massages to soothe tired muscles and demonstrate mutual respect.”
Image: Alain Schroeder National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest 


05-meritMerit: Catching a Duck

“Two boys are trying to catch a duck at the stream of the waterfall. Nong Khai Province, Thailand.”
Image: Sarah Wouters National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

09-meritMerit: Highlanders

“Traditional haymaking in Poland. Many people continue to use the scythe and pitchfork to sort the hay.”

Image: Bartlomiej Jurecki National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

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