‘Ice Bed’ by Nima Sarikhani (United Kingdom) | Wildlife Photographer of the Year

The People’s Choice Award saw a record-breaking 75,000 votes cast, propelling Sarikhani to victory over 24 other finalists. These 25 finalists were chosen by the Natural History Museum in London and an international judging panel from nearly 50,000 submitted photos.

“Nima’s breathtaking and poignant image allows us to see the beauty and fragility of our planet. His thought-provoking image is a stark reminder of the integral bond between an animal and its habitat and serves as a visual representation of the detrimental impacts of climate warming and habitat loss,” says Dr. Douglass Gurr, Director of the Natural History Museum.

Sarikhani captured the image after three days of searching for polar bears off the coast of Norway. The expedition vessel the photographer was on decided to change its course and head toward areas where there was still sea ice.

The vessel located a pair of polar bears and one of them, the particularly photogenic of the two, clambered onto a small iceberg around midnight. He proceeded to carve out a bed for himself and settle in for a restful sleep.

“I am so honored to have won this year’s People’s Choice Award for WPY, the. Most prestigious wildlife photography competition,” Sarikhani says. “This photograph has stirred strong emotions in many of those who have seen it. Whilst climate change is the biggest challenge we face, I hope that this photograph also inspires hope; there is still to fix the mess we have caused.”