National Geographic Reveals PICTURES OF THE YEAR 2025: 25 Unforgettable Images That Capture a Planet in Flux — From Wildlife and Wonder to Human Discovery

Stunning Photo Retrospective Available Now at natgeo.com/photos

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, National Geographic unveiled PICTURES OF THE YEAR 2025, highlighting the images that most inspired and defined the past year through the eyes of its photographers and editors.

This year's collection showcases 25 extraordinary images that span the breadth of National Geographic's storytelling, from intimate wildlife portraits and sweeping composites of changing landscapes to groundbreaking scientific discoveries and compelling human narratives. The photographs capture nature's most remarkable moments, cutting-edge exploration, and the diverse experiences of people around the world.

The standout images include the first underwater photograph of a great white shark in Maine, the largest religious gathering in the world, the last Indigenous people of Europe; the planet’s largest land migration documented by drone, a female polar bear feasting atop a sperm whale in Svalbard, the new benchmark record set for a nuclear tokamak reactor, and the precise moment an egg transforms into a chick.

While each image was selected from hundreds of thousands of images captured in the field this year, the final PICTURES OF THE YEAR collection of the top 25 photos paints a sweeping portrait of a changing world as seen through the lens of Nat Geo’s global network of photographers across more than 20 countries.

“PICTURES OF THE YEAR is a project that is always inspiring and thought-provoking,” said Nathan Lump, editor-in-chief of National Geographic. “Each year, our photographers and editors sift through thousands of images, searching for those rare moments that stop us in our tracks. Individually, these photographs speak to beauty, fragility, and wonder. Taken together, I see a collective sense of urgency — a call to preserve what’s in danger of being lost, as well as a reminder of the poetic beauty to be found in carrying on, in daring to dream of a better future.”

This year, National Geographic is also celebrating PICTURES OF THE YEAR across social media by inviting global audiences to share their own photos and videos of the year using the hashtag #NatGeoYourShotPOY25 from now through the end of December, with a chance to be featured on @NatGeoYourShot. Nat Geo photo editor Anne Farrar will select her favorites by Dec. 31 to be shared across Nat Geo's social accounts.

The full selection of National Geographic’s PICTURES OF THE YEAR 2025 is available now at natgeo.com/photos and in the December 2025 issue of National Geographic. This year’s retrospective also includes behind-the-scenes anecdotes, including the unique process behind photographer Stephen Wilkes’ day-to-night images.

Visuals are available HERE. Spokespersons available upon request.

About National Geographic Content

Representing the largest brand on social media with over 780 million followers and 1.1 billion impressions each month, National Geographic Content's award-winning and critically acclaimed storytelling inspires fans of all ages to connect with, explore and care about the world through factual storytelling. National Geographic Content, part of a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and the National Geographic Society, reaches over 532 million people worldwide in 172 countries and 33 languages as a digital, social and print publisher and across the global National Geographic channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO), National Geographic Documentary Films, and direct-to-consumer platforms Disney+ and Hulu. Its diverse content includes Oscar®- and BAFTA award-winning film Free Solo, Oscar-nominated films Sugarcane, Fire of Love and Bobi Wine: The People's President, Emmy® Award-winning franchise 9/11: One Day in America and JFK: One Day in America, Emmy® Award-winning series Animals Up Close, series Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller, Life Below Zero and Secrets of the Whales, in addition to multiple National Magazine Awards, Pulitzer Prize Finalists and Webby wins. Visit nationalgeographic.com and natgeotv.com or explore Instagram, Threads, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok and Reddit.