National Geographic released its annual “Pictures of the Year” issue this week, showcasing 20 images — out of nearly 2.3 million in conflict — that capture striking scenes of nature, wildlife and humanity’s connection to the world. do
Here are CNBC’s picks for the best of the best.
A leap of faith
A young emperor penguin jumps off a 50-foot cliff for its first swim.
Source: Bertie Gregory for National Geographic
With “a lot of persistence and even more luck,” Bertie Gregory was able to capture the moment a young emperor penguin jumped off a 50-foot cliff for its first swim.
According to National Geographic, emperor penguins are rapidly moving from lower ice to higher, more permanent ice shelves as climate change alters their environment.
It said the chicks, whose parents abandoned them a month ago, are learning to hunt on their own.
‘very patient’
A baby ant uses its jaws to break out of its cocoon.
Source: Ango Arndt for National Geographic
At the University of Konstanz in Germany, photographer Ingo Arndt took a close look at an ant colony that is usually hidden in the forest.
She is there to catch the hatching crack that opens her cocoon with her jaws, after which the adult females help free her from the rest of the cocoon.
“To take this picture it was necessary to work under controlled conditions in the laboratory,” Arndt said. Arndt said.
‘Deep sense of urgency’
A scientist holds a 70-day-old rhinoceros embryo that was created through in vitro fertilization.
Source: Amy Vitelli by National Geographic.
In January, scientists Bio-rescue The project transferred a southern white rhino embryo into a female southern white rhino. But the rhino died of a bacterial infection before the pregnancy could be confirmed. Scientists later discovered a 70-day-old embryo.
Still, scientists are hopeful that a successful pregnancy could help efforts to save the northern white rhino, which is on the brink of extinction. Only two remain, according to National Geographic.
It’s a story Amy Vital has been hiding for the past 15 years.
“Realizing how close we are to losing not just rhinos, but countless other species, instilled in me a deep sense of urgency and our shared responsibility,” he said. “It is my hope that this work will help raise awareness of the urgent challenges facing our planet.”
Backlit by stars
Cancun, Texas
Texas’ Freeo Bat Cave is the spring and summer home of approximately 10 million Mexican free-tailed bats.
Source: Babak Tafreshi for National Geographic
With 10 million bats, the Frio Bat Cave is home to one of the largest colonies in the world, although the number can sometimes double in the summer.
These Mexican free-tailed bats emerge from the cave at sunset, primarily on kites, in a nightly ritual that can take up to three hours. With dozens of bats emerging from the cave every second, Babak Tafarishi said, he captured this shot using a 30-second exposure with multiple soft flashes to reveal the bats in the night sky. were also retrograde by the constellations of Orion and Taurus. .
“I learned a lot about bats on this project. How smart they are, how incredibly accurate their flight paths are. How important they are to ecosystems and local farmers and the Texas economy,” he said. told CNBC Travel.
When cold and hot collide.
Fanning Springs State Park, Florida
Just after sunrise, snook and mullet dart between the shallow and deep waters of Florida’s Suwannee River, where it meets Fanning Spring.
Source: Jason Gulley for National Geographic
This photo was taken on a winter morning at a point where hot spring water meets the black, cold water of the Suwanee River.
Photographer Jason Gulley said he put on a dry suit, jumped into the water and waited motionless to photograph the fish dancing between hot and cold temperatures.
“It was years of experience with springs on the Suwannee River that told me I would have unique and visually stunning conditions that morning,” Gulley told CNBC Travel.
“The benefit of shooting in my symbolic backyard is that it took me years to learn how different water levels, seasons and weather affect the environment.”
Fuel from the sun
Jülich, Germany
The researchers behind the solar synthetic fluid say it has great potential to reduce the world’s dependence on fossil fuels.
Source: David Monteleone for National Geographic
According to National Geographic, made using sunlight, water and carbon dioxide, solar synthetic fluid could one day power trucks, ships and airplanes without the need to rebuild their engines.
In June, Swiss company Synhelion opened the world’s first industrial-scale plant to produce alternative energy.
“The image attempts to summarize the fuel produced by two simple and basic elements: wind and sun. I shot it in an improvised studio at the company’s facility, using a mirror to support the fuel droplets. Leia, and a gradual light that would emerge from the sun and the sky,” said photographer David Monteleone.
‘I felt and heard a rumble’
Antigua, Guatemala
Fuego Volcano has been erupting regularly since 2002.
Source: Peter Fisher for National Geographic
The one-day hike of the Fuego’s passive twin, the Actinango, to get this shot — carrying 45 pounds of camera gear — was one of the hardest Peter Fisher said he’s ever done.
But a well-timed pause to catch his breath proved to be a rare moment.
“About 30 seconds after I stopped, I felt and heard a rumble, then saw lava flying up into the sky. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect,” he told CNBC. “The sun had just set, so you could still see the silhouettes of the other climbers, and if I continued to climb, the perspective would change to see their bodies disappearing into the black volcanic ash around them. would have done.”
Fisher said a friend climbing with him added “a nice pop of light in the foreground” with a flashlight.
“It’s one of those moments that you can’t plan for and everything just falls into place,” he said.
The cover of National Geographic’s December 2024 “Pictures of the Year” issue shows researchers at Bongolo Cave in Gabon.
Source: Ruby Schon for National Geographic
To see more of National Geographic’s “Pictures of the Year 2024,” visit NatGeo.com/Photos.
