National Geographic has released its picture of the year. Here are 7 of the most remarkable wildlife photos.

• National Geographic’s December 2025 issue presents its annual Pictures of the Year.

• The issue features striking wildlife photographs highlighting endangered species and fragile ecosystems.

• Some of the images also show once-endangered species being leapfrogged for conservation efforts.

National Geographic’s annual Pictures of the Year collection showcases stunning images of wildlife from around the world.

Of the millions of photos taken by its photographers in 2025, National Geographic selected 25 to be included in the feature.

“Individually, these images speak of beauty, fragility and wonder,” National Geographic editor-in-chief Nathan Lump said in a statement. “Taken together, I see a collective sense of urgency—a call to preserve what is in danger of disappearing, as well as a reminder of the poetic beauty found in continuing to dare to dream of a better future.”

Here are seven photos from the collection, which can be viewed in full on National Geographic’s website.

National Geographic’s annual Pictures of the Year issue features “the most unforgettable photos of 2025.”

The December 2025 issue highlights compelling images of fragile ecosystems, endangered species and wildlife.

Roe Galitz’s photo taken in Svalbard, Norway shows a polar bear digging into the floating carcass of a sperm whale.

Galitz was leading a photography expedition when he came across a decomposing sperm whale, an unusual sight because the species is mostly found in temperate waters. Galitz used a drone to capture images from above.

“It’s very unpredictable and fragile,” Galitz told National Geographic of wildlife photography in the Arctic. “The sight seen today may not be there tomorrow.”

Fernando Faciole photographed one of the few remaining jaguars in Rio dos State Park in Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Due to deforestation, National Geographic estimates that fewer than a dozen jaguars remain in Brazil’s Rio Dos State Park.

Brian Scarey got up close and personal with a 10-foot great white shark off the coast of Maine.

A result of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, shark sightings in the area have increased due to a growing population of seals, National Geographic reported.

Karin Aigner spotted a sunflower chimney bee resting on a flower in Davis, California.

Egner wrote on Instagram that she is “absolutely thrilled that native bees are getting the limelight they deserve” by including her photo in National Geographic’s Pictures of the Year.

Using a drone, Markus Westberg captured a sweeping view of antelope migration in South Sudan.

A 2024 study by African Parks and the University of Juba found that nearly six million antelope migrated to South Sudan, making it the largest land migration in the world.

Stephen Wilkes specializes in combining hundreds of photos taken over 18 to 36 hours into a single image, like this layered shot of a watering hole in Botswana.

Wilkes photographed a watering hole in the Okavango Delta during a drought, when the animals were “all thirsty, hot and stressed,” he said.

Wilkes also used his “day to night” technique to photograph Steller sea lions in Canada’s Malaspina Strait.

Steller sea lions are considered “near threatened” according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, cited by the Vancouver Aquarium, but conservation efforts such as federal protections have helped their numbers grow.

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