Ace Wu searches the deep to photograph stunning underwater creatures. Against their predominantly black backdrops, Wu’s breathtaking subjects glow with sublime vibrancy. In one, a fearsome fish glares at the camera with rows of sharp teeth showing, while in another, a translucent octopus looks like an extraterrestrial. Here: Wunderpus larva. (Photo by Ace Wu/Caters News Agency)

Revellers attend the 25th edition of the Sziget Festival on August 9, 2017 in Budapest, Hungary. The Sziget Festival, one of the largest music and cultural festivals in Europe, celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2017, taking place from August 9-16 on the Hajogyari Sziget in Budapest. (Photo by Laszlo Mudra/Rockstar Photographers)

Members of rival teams fight with oranges during an annual carnival battle in the northern Italian town of Ivrea, Italy on February 11, 2018. Established in 1808, the Carnival of Ivrea is one of the oldest and most particular festivals in the world. (Photo by Alessandro Bianchi/Reuters)

Second Place Winner: “Thunderstorm at False Kiva”. I hiked out to these ruins at night hoping to photograph them with the Milky Way, but instead a thunderstorm rolled through, creating this dramatic image. – Max Seigal. National Geographic Traveler Director of Photography Dan Westergren, one of this year's judges, shares his thoughts on the second place winner: “This photo combines two different scenes into one: the small kiva in a cliff dwelling and the grand vista of Canyonlands National Park across the valley. I really like the two different color palettes – warm inside and purple outside. This two-for-one scene was caused by the lightning storm outside the dwelling, which lit up the landscape like it was a huge electronic flash. Looking at this picture I can imagine what a wonderful sight it must have been for the ancient people who lived here. It doesn't seem too amazing now in our modern world, but might have been mind-blowing for the prehistoric residents”. Location: Utah. (Photo and caption by Max Seigal/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“The Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) is a rare tiger subspecies that inhabits the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It was classified as critically endangered by IUCN in 2008 as the population is projected to be 441 to 679 individuals, with no subpopulation having an effective population size larger than 50 individuals, with a declining trend”. – Wikipedia

This photo taken on July 25, 2012 one of 14 preserved bodies of critically-endangered Sumatran tigers seized as members of the Indonesian national police and the special crime unit inspect the scene at a warehouse in Cibubur, south of Jakarta. Indonesian police seized 14 preserved bodies of critically-endangered Sumatran tigers in a raid on a house near Jakarta, a spokesman said on July 19. (Photo by Bay Ismoyo/AFP Photo)

“The inspiration for this book came to me one afternoon as I watched my son, Hudson, playing with his toy bus. I was trying to keep pace with his three-year-old mind as he got deeper and deeper into a fantasy involving nothing more than a yellow plastic box and armless figurines. At least that’s what I saw. He saw frantic commuters rushing to catch the 77 local bus to Australia. He jumped in place, mouth open and slapping his knees, joyously reacting to a world I couldn’t see, but one powerfully present for him...”. – Jordan Matter

Photo: “Dancers Among Us”: Macys, NYC – Annmaria Mazzini. (Photo by Jordan Matter)

A sinkhole is seen on the shore of the Dead Sea near Kibbutz Ein Gedi, Israel July 27, 2015. The Dead Sea is shrinking, and as its waters vanish at a rate of more than one meter a year, hundreds of sinkholes, some the size of a basketball court, some two storeys deep, are devouring land where the shoreline once stood. (Photo by Amir Cohen/Reuters)

Ricardo Azevedo rides his Honda NX 200 motorbike, which he converted to be powered by water, in Salto, northwest of Sao Paulo, Brazil, August 6, 2015. The Sao Paulo civil servant built the motorbike, which can cover up to 500 kilometres (311 miles) fuelled by just one litre of water. Dubbed “Moto Power H2O” the bike is powered by the process of electrolysis, which breaks the water molecule down into its constituent elements. (Photo by Nacho Doce/Reuters)