15 Incredible Entries from the 2015 Nat Geo Traveler Photo Contest

These are some of the most incredible photos from the contest and the best we have seen in a while, The 27th annual National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest which began on April 7, will close for entries on June 30, 2015.

Official categories include Travel Portraits; Outdoor Scenes; Sense of Place; and Spontaneous Moments.

For those contemplating a submission, contest prizes include:

1st prize: An eight-day National Geographic Photo Expedition: Costa Rica and the Panama Canal with airfare for two
2nd prize: A six-day National Geographic Photo Expedition: Winter Wildlife in Yellowstone for two
3rd prize: A six-day cruise from Schooner American Eagle and Heritage for two
7 merit prize winners will receive: A $200 gift certificate to B&H Photo

Click here to submit your own photo to the 2015 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest.

Sunrise at Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. Aerial Image. If you look carefully, you might notice the person enjoying this natural beauty.

Beautiful tornado tracks in open farm land narrowly missing a home near Simla, Colorado.

Lion cub jumping on mother’s head, Naboisho Conservancy, Masai Mara, Kenya, Africa.

There’s nothing quite like being able to stand at the base of Niagara Falls as you feel and hear the thundering roar of the water as it falls over the edge and plunges 170′ down to the Niagara River.

The famous hall “Halle der Circe” is located at the end of the highest-lying touristic cave in the world (2100 m alt.), which can be reached only by experienced cavers. With proper lighting the permanent ice in the hall shines in beautiful blue tones, which add enchantment atmosphere to the frozen hall.

The herd bull watches over his small harem as they cross the river while the Tetons catch the day’s first rays.

The late afternoon sun shines down on the Gorner Glacier above the Swiss town of Zermatt. The radiant heat offers enough warmth to let algae grow in the snow and cast a pink hue with their growth. The seasonal weather also causes the ice to crack and melt, which causes rivers and waterfalls to form from the runoff and cascade down the giant rock face of Monte Rosa Massif.

Volcan Villarrica, ubicado a mas de 700 Kilometros al sur de Santiago de Chile, este Volcan desde el 03 de Marzo se encuentra en proceso eruptivo. esta fotografia fue tomada el pasado 11 de Mayo en la ciudad de Pucón.

The little tarsier, nicely nestled in a leaf, suddenly opens its eyes! They are nocturnal so what a surprise. These tiny primates (3 to 6 inches) are found only in the Philippines and most of them are in sanctuaries. This one was in a sanctuary in Bohol Island.

Captured in Kruger National Park in South Africa, this lion was one of four coalition males that had made an elephant kill during the night. For four days they fed on their prey, and this beautiful male was ready for a nap after filling his belly.

It was minutes before sunset in Masai Mara reservation and moments before we arrive at the camp where I saw hundreds of wild beast heading toward the river. one of the wild beasts was still and staring at me. A shot with a slow shutter produced this photo.

The Rock restaurant just off shore in Zanzibar. As the sun set, I was taking photos of The Rock before going out there to have dinner. As the light levels dropped, the light came on in the restaurant and I knew I had my shot.

While touring the waterways along the Antarctic Peninsula, we saw two Adelie Penguins watching their surroundings from the top of an Iceberg

Freediver Carlos Correa ascending towards the light on a break during the 2015 Caribbean Cup of Freediving in Roatan, Honduras. Every time I look at this photo it relaxes me and makes me wonder about how these athletes can reach depths of 300ft. and hold their breath for upwards of 4 minutes.

I visited Deadvlei in 2008. The personal emotional and spiritual connection I felt with “The Beginning” I know I had to return someday. That time came in May of 2015. I knew I had to make a photograph that reflected how I felt during my first visit and on this visit. I did capture it. I fell it was not just a sense of place but a sense of time.