20 Great Wildlife Photos To Vote For Your Favorite In The Win BigPicture Contest
The BigPicture Nature World Photography Competition by the California Academy of Sciences is inviting wildlife and nature photography lovers from around the world to have their say and vote for their favorite wildlife photos to win this year's prestigious People's Choice Award.
From a young clownfish peering out from the shelter of a sea anemone and an argonaut fish hitching a ride on an unsuspecting jellyfish to the artistic silhouettes of four wolves traversing a snowy landscape in Yellowstone, the 20 finalist images selected by the contest's judges offer powerful insight into the remarkable beauty of nature.
The voting for the 2025 People's Choice Award is open until midnight July 31.
The winner — the photographer whose image garners the most votes — will receive $300 and have their image and profile featured on the BigPicture website. Their photograph will also be featured in the interactive BigPicture Exhibition on view at the California Academy of Sciences starting in fall, 2025.
The BigPicture Nature World Photography contest, now in its 12th year, strives to inspire viewers to value and protect the remarkable diversity of life on Earth. It welcomes high-quality nature, wildlife and conservation images and is open to photographers around the world. Forbes Funny Animal Photos: 10 Front Runners For Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2025 By Cecilia Rodriguez
Scroll down to see all of the images, then vote for your favorite on the voting form here.
Aspen Shadow, People's Choice finalist, Yellowstone National Park, U.S. Four wolves traverse Yellowstone's snowy landscape. Devon Pradhuman, U.S. - BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition
Four wolves traverse the snowy landscape of Yellowstone Park in the U.S. in search of their next meal. Their presence echoes through the minimalist beauty of snow and Aspen trees.
Wolves are a polarizing subject regarding the lands they roam. In Yellowstone, they're relatively safe from human harm. However, just outside the park boundaries anything goes. There's no way for these animals to see the invisible lines humans mark as a 'boundary' and because of that, there is much contention about the management of these beautiful animals.
Blue Dream, People's Choice finalist, Qilian Mountain National Park, China. Haiyong Cai, China - BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition
A group of common meadow blue butterflies rests on the grassland, appearing at first glance like a large field of blooming flowers.
Relaxing in the Snow, People's Choice finalist, Wapusk National Park, Canada. Daniel Valverde Fernandez, Spain - BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition
Despite the unfavorable conditions of the Canadian tundra, this polar bear looks surprisingly tranquil and relaxed as it shakes off a considerable sheet of snow that has fallen on it during a big storm.
Hitchhiker, People's Choice finalist, Ningaloo, Australia. An argonaut hitches a ride upon an unsuspecting Bell jellyfish. Caitlin Winskil, Australia - BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition
An argonaut, a type of octopus also called 'paper nautili' — a distant relative of the true 'nautili' — hitches a ride upon an unsuspecting bell jellyfish.
Argonauts are open-sea octopi, which is odd as bell jellyfish are often found in harbors closer to shore. It's anyone's guess how this argonaut ended up hitching a ride, but it makes for one spectacular photo.
In Mother's Arms, People's Choice finalist, La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica Dvir Barkay, U.S. - BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition
A baby brown-throated sloth sleeps in the protective embrace of its mother's arms, ensuring it doesn't get wet during a downpour.
Circle of Life, People's Choice finalist, Murcia, Spain. Angel Fitor, Spain - BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition
A poignant portrait of the duality of life and death: A dying barrel jellyfish rests on a weed bed as thousands of newly born Mediterranean jellyfish bloom all around it.
Cicada Awakening, People's Choice finalist. Illinois, U.S. Gavin Koester, U.S. - BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition
A rare and striking moment: A massive cluster of yellow mushrooms at the base of a tree is surrounded by an overwhelming number of pharaoh cicadas.
Despite their numbers, the cicadas seamlessly integrate with their environment, almost blending with the landscape, a reminder of the complexity and interconnectedness of nature, where even the most familiar species can create something awe-inspiring when they appear in such abundance.
Pathfinders, People's Choice finalist, Svalbard, Norway. Jonas Beyer, Denmark - BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition
A pod of Beluga whales glides gracefully through the frigid waters of a broken fjord, their white forms contrasting against the deep, icy blue. As they move in unison, threading their way through the maze of shifting ice, they embody the resilience and adaptability needed to survive in the ever-changing Arctic.
Trapped, People's Choice finalist. Lucerne, Swizterland. Roman Willi, Switzerland - BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition
A wasp spider feeds on its prey in a meadow. As the name suggests, these spiders are known for their distinctive yellow, white, and black markers and are remarkable orb-web weavers.
The Frigatebird, People's Choice finalist, Vancouver, Canada. Liron Gertsman, Canada - BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition
A magnificent frigatebird glides in front of a total solar eclipse.
Over a year in the making, this image is all the more impressive once you learn that the eclipse is in a brief phase called the "Diamond Ring," where the slightest bit of sun is visible at the edge of the moon — meaning this photographer had only seconds to snap this spectacular shot.
Vulture Restaurant 9, People's Choice finalist, Kawasoti, Nepal. Alain Schroeder, France - BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition
Team members of the Jatayu Vulture Restaurant weigh a wounded Himalayan vulture .
The first community-managed vulture restaurant, Jatayu Vulture Restaurant is a space specifically designed for vultures to be fed and nurtured in safety. It was established after the numbers of vultures were reduced from more than a million to just 20,000. Once this vulture has fully healed, it will be released back into the wild.
Big Hair Day, People's Choice finalist, Tatamá National Park, Colombia. Nick Kanakis, U.S. - BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition
A flannel moth caterpillar munches on moss while cocooned in the soft tangle of hair-like setae. While it may look fluffy and harmless, these setae in fact conceal venom-filled spines that produce a nasty sting.
Urchin Spines, People's Choice finalist, Hokkaido, Japan. Sayaka Ichinoseki, Japan - BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition
What looks like a futuristic landscape is actually an extreme close-up of a purple sea urchin. These spike-like structures are actually moveable spines, alternating long and short, which the urchin uses not only for defense but as a means of transport as well.
Dance of the Elements, People's Choice finalist. Mount Edna, Sicily, Italy. Philipp Egger, Italy - BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition
Mount Etna is one of the tallest and most active volcanoes in Europe, making it a difficult subject for photographers, between battling toxic smoke and unpredictable winds at nearly 12,000 feet altitude.
A primeval titan, its lava flow typically rests under a blanket of snow during the winter, but on this day the fiery soul of the volcano broke through.
Sniff, People's Choice finalist, Victoria, Australia. Doug Gimesy, Australia -nBigPicture Natural World Photography Competition
Border collie conservation detector dog Raasay undertakes kayak training with her handler Tracy to sniff out invasive aquatic weeds such as common cordgrass.
Whenever Raasay finds a patch of spartina, she'll sit, lie down, or — if atop a kayak — point with her nose to alert her handler. Tracy will then log their location with GPS coordinates and that data point will be added to a detailed map of common cordgrass sightings slated for removal.
Maternal Huddle, People's Choice finalist. California, U.S. Anton Sorokin, U.S. - BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition
A glimpse into the unseen lives of amphibians: female California newts gather together in a ball as they lay their eggs at the bottom of a pond. This pond is more than likely the one in which these newts originated from, as newts tend to return to their own hatchplace to lay their eggs.
Nuptial Gift, People's Choice finalist. Goronogosa National Park, Mozambique. Piotr Naskrecki, U.S. - BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition
During mating, a male Armored katydid presents the female with a spermatophylax, a nuptial gift in the form of a large, nutritious package produced by the male. The female will consume this gift, the purpose for which has been hotly debated as there's no explicit benefit beyond securing paternal investment.
Fortress, People's Choice finalist. Emilia Romagna, Italy. Iacopo Nerozzi, Italy - BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition
A masterpiece of animal engineering: This pile of woodland debris is actually an enormous nest curated by Red wood ants. These big nests are made up of respective sections above and below the ground, which red wood ants create by burrowing into the earth, as well as accumulating needles, leaves, bark, and twigs.
Powerless, People's Choice finalist, Diepenbeek, Belgium. Niki Colemont, Belgium - BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition
While photographing another subject in a garden, Niki Colemont spotted a robber fly near a spider web.
Curious if the fly might land in the web, he decided to stay and observe, eventually watching a quiet drama unfold as the spider made its move. Colemont was able to capture the moment.
To vote for your favorite image from these 20 wildlife photos for the 2025 People's Choice Award of the BigPicture Photo Competition, go to the voting form here.
MORE FROM FORBES Forbes World Naked Bike Ride: A Protest Against 'Indecent Exposure' To Car Culture By Cecilia Rodriguez Forbes Nature From Above: 20 Amazing Winners Of International Aerial Photography Contest By Cecilia Rodriguez Forbes Spiritual Tourism: 8 Iconic European Pilgrimage Routes And Ancient Trails By Cecilia Rodriguez
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She'd jeopardize relationships with clients, dominating sales calls with details from her personal story and turning down future campaigns they offered because the money wasn't immediate. 'She denied people on our team their annual bonuses, people that had worked really hard,' says another ex-staffer. 'And then like five minutes later she was on Instagram posting all these stories of her new Chanel roller blades and of the new marble kitchen she's installing in her Soho apartment.' Adds one former employee, 'I have never before in my life worked with someone who knew so little, but thought that she knew everything.' //// Pierson's rise, powered in part by promoting her one-time net worth estimate from Forbes , almost led her into an unexpected deal… Forbes itself. 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Over lunch in January 2024, Pierson wooed Lemkau with her latest concept: Be a Breadwinner, a company that would empower women to become their own breadwinners by promoting financial planning. 'She's like, 'We have the same idea,'' Pierson recalled in a Forbes interview she did with Lemkau last March, 'And it literally came from that conversation, and I've never seen any company move this quickly. It's truly a partnership.' Pierson told other outlets at the time that Breadwinner would eventually include a newsletter, podcast series, book and a venture capital fund. Lemkau told Forbes that the Chase mobile app's free wealth-planning tool would integrate some of Breadwinner's content. J.P. Morgan sponsored a 'bread carpet' event on March 20, 2024 at its Manhattan headquarters. Pierson declared it the official launch of the company on social media and in the press. Speakers included Diane von Furstenberg and poet Rupi Kaur. Von Furstenberg, who remains a close mentor to Pierson, tells Forbes that she didn't realize the event also served as a company launch. 'I personally only thought it was a conference,' she says. 'I mean, she asked me to speak at J.P. Morgan, so I said yes.' There were similar struggles with the media launch of Breadwinner. Pierson pitched an 'exclusive' to Forbes , which was killed, given her recent ties to a potential Forbes purchase and increasingly desperate, hyperbolic tendencies. Pierson's response defaulted to what an exaggerator might do when cornered: She threatened. 'Since there is absolutely zero conflict of interest, blocking the story seems like a repression of freedom of speech or some sort of discrimination,' she wrote to a Forbes reporter in March of last year, before escalating to the company's chief content officer and CEO: 'I just explained clearly that your 'reason' is actually not valid… As a woman of color who was amplified by your platform, I sincerely thought unethical, discriminatory, or personal feelings were not part of your editorial process…Let me know if you have an answer to this or if I need to loop in my family office team.' Since then, Be a Breadwinner appears to have gone nowhere. Pierson has stopped mentioning it, and the website still says that 'Breadwinner's content is coming soon.' 'We were never in a partnership with her,' says Veronica Navarro, head of communications at J.P. Morgan Wealth Management. 'We promoted the event, and that was the end of the collaboration with her,' adding that Breadwinner content did appear in the Chase app for an unspecified amount of time. Pierson recently transitioned the Be a Breadwinner Instagram page (which has 13 followers) to link to Chasm, a new venture she launched in May to address gender disparities in venture capital funding. A spokesperson for Pierson says the idea for Breadwinner has now turned into Chasm: 'She's always been passionate about supporting female entrepreneurs.' Pitched as an invite-only club of 'the most successful men and women in the world' who contribute $25,000 annually, Chasm promises to award monthly grants and offer resources to female founders. It claims in marketing materials to have already partnered with 50 high-profile investors and entrepreneurs, including Spanx founder and billionaire Sara Blakely, Drybar founder Ali Webb, Tony Robbins and Instacart CEO Fidji Simo. Yet none of these advertised 'members' attended the kick-off on May 20—an expensive affair at luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet's swank AP House in Manhattan where espresso martinis featured the name 'Chasm' inscribed in foam. Nor do those 'members' appear to have shared anything about the company on social media or spoken about it publicly. Forbes reached out to every known name: Webb confirmed her participation, a Simo spokesperson denied that she is a member and others did not reply to requests for comment. A spokesperson for Pierson insists Simo is a member and 'close friend' and says Pierson is paying her membership fee to ensure involvement. As Forbes was finishing this article, Pierson took to Instagram to post a preemptive response. 'In the last 24 hours, people who represent everything that my gender equality initiatives have fought to change, have launched a smear campaign against me and my companies. The result has been an eagerness to spread false statements and fabricated information intended to discredit me and eliminate my ability to continue to put millions of my own dollars into helping women.' 'I will not allow anyone to get away with defiling the character of me and my companies with uninformed speculation and outright lies.' One person in a position of informed speculation doesn't seem impressed. Peter Rahal still owns the 1.25% of Newsette that he vastly overpaid for, the investment that provided Pierson her inflated net worth figure, but the state of their relationship is murky. When Forbes asked him for comment, he replied, 'Danielle is a great entrepreneur'—misspelling her name. And when Pierson was making announcements about Chasm on LinkedIn this May, he publicly responded with a comment. It was a clown emoji. 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- Yahoo
How Much Is Ryan Seacrest Making on ‘Wheel of Fortune'? His Net Worth Revealed
With his nearly two-decade career, Ryan Seacrest is certainly a household name. He has more than dipped his toe into hosting TV programs and has amassed a large fortune for himself with his numerous jobs. How much does Ryan Seacrest make from Wheel of Fortune, and what is his total net worth? Beginning in 2002, Seacrest emerged onto the scene when he hosted American Idol. With 23 seasons under his belt, he doesn't appear to be going anywhere. His paycheck for the ABC reboot is reported to be $12 million per season, according to multiple sources. Seacrest branched out into radio in 2004 and currently hosts On Air With Ryan Seacrest and American Top 40. According to Forbes, he earned $15 million in 2015 for hosting both shows, though he likely makes significantly more now. Through his iHeartRadio programs, Seacrest also hosts the annual Jingle Ball event in Los Angeles. While hosting Idol, Seacrest, 50, has taken on additional projects, including Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve With Ryan Seacrest,, which he has hosted since 2005. The program airs annually on December 31, but it continues to contribute to his substantial net worth. According to OK! Magazine,, he earned $1 million for the gig in 2013, a figure likely to be much higher 12 years later. ABC has extended Seacrest's contract to host the show through 2029, according to Variety. In 2006, Seacrest joined E! to host E! News and various red carpet and NBC programs. Under his contract, he contributed to the Today Show, Olympic coverage, and other news coverage. He left in 2012 after the London Olympic Games. According to reports, Seacrest signed a three-year contract for $21 million. With his six years at the program, his salary most probably doubled. The same year he joined E!, he launched Ryan Seacrest Productions, which produced Keeping Up With the Kardashians. It was the network's longest and most popular reality TV show. His salary from the show has not been publicly reported, but the legacy and residuals are not something to scoff at. In 2017, Seacrest began flying coast to coast while hosting not only American Idol but also Live! with Kelly and Ryan.. He continued hosting the program until April 2023. According to Forbes he earned $10 million per season. Leaving Live! gave Seacrest the opportunity to host Wheel of Fortune. After Pat Sajak retired in 2024, Seacrest was a seamless fit, but came at a price. Radar Online shared that the host reportedly signed on for $28 million per season, making him one of the highest-paid people on TV. In addition to his hosting duties, Seacrest has multiple revenue streams, including his tequila line, Casa Dragones, his work as a spokesperson for Health-Ade kombucha, and his children's book with his sister, Meredith. He also gives back to the community through his Ryan Seacrest Foundation. So what is Ryan Seacrest's net worth? According to Celebrity Net Worth, the TV host is worth a whopping $500 million. The site also reported that he gets a salary of $75 million per year. And Seacrest doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Solve the daily Crossword
