And the Winning Photo of National Geographic's 2016 'Nature Photographer of the Year' Contest is...

There were thousands, of course, but only one stood out among the many photos in this year's National Geographic's 'Nature Photographer of the Year' competition - the 'Sardine Run', by French photographer Greg Lecoeur. 

Lecoeur won the grand prize of a 10-day trip for two to the Galápagos with the National Geographic Expedition team. Congrats to you!

GRAND PRIZE WINNER

GREG LECOEUR/ NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

I captured this image during the migration of the sardines along the wild coast of South Africa. Natural predation, sardines are preyed upon by cape gannet birds and common dolphins. The hunt begins with common dolphins that have developed special hunting techniques. With remarkable eyesight, the gannets follow the dolphins before diving in a free fall from 30 to 40 meters high, piercing the surface of the water head first at a speed of 80km/h to get their fill of sardines.

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NATURE: Epic Battle to the Death Between Buffalo and Lion Captured (Bonus Video)

Warning: Disturbing Images

We know the battle for survival happens everyday in the wild but seeing images of this lion being defeated by a buffalo was still truly remarkable. These incredible images were taken by amateur photographer Matt Armstrong-Ford, who works as a safari guide for Shenton Safaris in the region of Zambia, South Africa. He knew of the lion – the six-year-old cat who suffered from a skin disease called mange, (caused by parasitic mites), which probably caused the lion to be cast out from his pride.

Tossed around: A male lion is flung into the air after attacking a lone female buffalo in the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia

The hour-long battle left both animals covered with blood, worn-out and with fatal wounds.

‘After this the lion managed to drag himself under a bush to lick his wounds. Both animals were covered in blood by the end,’ stated Mr. Armstrong. The lion finally succumbed to his injuries and died two days later, while the buffalo’s dead body, having failed to fight off infection, was found a few weeks later.

Starving: The hungry six-year-old lion was suffering from mange, a type of skin disease, and had become detached from his pride

Mr Armstrong added: ‘I have never seen anything like that before. Usually when lion hunt buffalo it is as a pride – it is hardly ever alone.

‘The fact that the lion was familiar to us and we had seen him in his prime made it very emotional to see him in the state he was in. By the end of the fight everyone was exhausted.’

Bloody battle: Dramatic images capture the lion biting and clawing at the buffalo’s mouth, the big cat’s face smeared with blood and dust

NATURE: 4 UNIQUE CREATURES OF NATURE

The Four-headed Penis of  the Tasmanian Echidna

The Tasmanian Echidna has one of the world's strangest penises - it has four heads. The reason for this is still a mystery. WTF?

Photograph by Lucy Cooke

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DISASTERS: OKLAHOMA TORNADO'S PATH - 2013

Amazing aerial photos of the destruction path of the recent tornado in Moore, Oklahoma.

Click to enlarge

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NATURE: 16 AMAZING PICTURES BY PETR BAMBOUSEK

We discovered these amazing 'animals-in-the-wild' and nature pictures captured by photographer Petr Bambousek, from his collection entitled "Around the World - Borneo Wildlife 2012".

Viper Waglerůw (Tropidolaemus wagleri) Wagler's Pit Viper-

NATURE: 10 AMAZING DROPLETS ON LEAVES

Great macro captures of droplets on leafs...

Droplets on a tiny rose leaf

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NATURE: 9 AMAZING PICTURES OF LOVING BIRDS

Müller's Barbet, taken at Bei-Tou, Taipei City, TAIWAN

Chinese Bulbul, taken at Waishuanghsi, Taipei City, TAIWAN

Red Headed Tits hop toward the water... 

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COOL! LAVA SKULL

The site claims this to be the real deal so we'll just have to take their word for it!  Cool isn't it?
Wished we had more details... COOL!

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OPTICAL ILLUSIONS: CAN YOU SPOT THE TOAD(S)?

OPTICAL ILLUSIONS

Would you believe there are 3 'leaf-litter' toads in this yard of leaves?  As National Geographic said it best: "Staying alive in the tropics, where nearly everything is food for something else, often calls for such trickery to fool a predator's eye."  Amen to that!

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NATURE: THE COCONUT CRAB

Now this is one HUGE crab if we may say so ourselves! WOW!

The coconut crab is a species of terrestrial hermit crab, also known as the robber crab or palm thief. It is the largest land-living arthropod in the world, and is probably at the upper size limit for terrestrial animals with exoskeletons in recent Earth atmosphere, with a weight of up to 4.1 kg (9.0 lb). It can grow to up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in) in length from leg to leg.

Remember this famous picture of a coconut crab clinging to a garbage can?

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