Behaviour: Mammals category. Giant Gathering by Tony Wu, USA. Dozens of sperm whales mingled noisily off Sri Lanka’s northeast coast, stacked as far down as Tony could see. This was a congregation of dozens of social units, like a gathering of the clans. Aggregations like this could be a critical part of the whales’ rich social lives but are rarely reported. Some two thirds of the population was wiped out before commercial whaling was banned in 1986. This kind of major gathering could be “a sign that populations are recovering”, says Tony. (Photo by Tony Wu/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2017)

Breath of an Arctic fox by Marco Gaiotti, Italy. Marco was watching this little Arctic fox as it incessantly called another nearby. Gradually he noticed the fox’s wet breath was quickly freezing in the air after each call. It was late winter in Spitsbergen, Svalbard, and the air was -35C (-31F). Photographing Arctic foxes is often frustrating, as they are normally running around fast in search of food, but this one was very relaxed and let Marco get close enough to focus on it, with the light glowing perfectly in the background. (Photo by Marco Gaiotti/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2021)

The British Wildlife Photography Awards winners have been revealed, with Lee Acaster from Suffolk taking home the top prize for his shot of a Graylag Goose in London. Acaster, who received £5,000, photographed the animal against an ominous London skyline, with The Shard clearly visible in the background. Here: “Urban Tourist (Graylag Goose)”. Urban category and overall winner. (Photo by Lee Acaster/British Wildlife Photography Awards 2014)

Looking for love by Tony Wu, USA. Highly commended, Animal Portraits. “Accentuating his mature appearance with pastel colours, protruding lips and an outstanding pink forehead, this Asian sheepshead wrasse sets out to impress females and see off rivals, which he will head-butt and bite, near Japan’s remote Sado Island. Individuals start out as females, and when they reach a certain age and size – up to a metre (more than 3 feet) long – can transform into males. Long-lived and slow-growing, the species is intrinsically vulnerable to overfishing”. (Photo by Tony Wu/2018 Wildlife Photographer of the Year)

A recently rescued grey seal pup looks up from its indoor kennel at the RSPCA West Hatch Wildlife Centre on January 9, 2012 in Taunton, England. The centre is currently dealing with a number of mainly grey seals that have been rescued from the coast due to the recent storms. Staff at the centre hope to release all the seals back into the wild by the spring. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

A cat dressed in a traditional outfit takes part during the Orthodox Christmas celebration in Kiev, Ukraine on January 7, 2020. Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas Day on December 25 of the older Julian calendar, which currently corresponds to January 7 in the Gregorian calendar. (Photo by Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Visitors are seen with giraffes on a bus at Safari Park in Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand, January 19, 2020. Kanchanaburi in western Thailand an area known for its waterfalls and caves. (Photo by Rachen Sageamsak/Xinhua News Agency/Eyevine)