Lurking polar bears and flying egrets: Winners of the National Geographic Photo Contest 2013

Updated 20 December 2013 at 11:02 am

Grand Prize and Nature Winner: 'The Ice Bear' by Paul Souders. A polar bear peers up from beneath the melting sea ice on Hudson Bay as the setting midnight sun glows red from the smoke of distant fires during a record-breaking spell of hot weather. The Manitoba population of polar bears, the southernmost in the world, is particularly threatened by a warming climate and reduced sea ice. (Paul Souders/National Geographic Photo Contest)

People Winner: 'Together, Alone' by Cecile Baudier, Jylland, Denmark. This portrait of two identical twins (Nils and Emil, 15 years old) in Fyn, Denmark, is part of a series of pictures, portraying people who have a strong connection to another person and who often think of themselves as a 'we' instead of 'me'. (Cecile Baudier/National Geographic Photo Contest)

Places Winner: 'Long Road to Daybreak' by Adam Tan, Selangor, Malaysia. Realizing this old town (Laocheng, means old town in Chinese) would soon be transformed into a new town through the speedy economic growth in China and perhaps lose its raw beauty in no time, I was pleased to capture this working mother carrying her child in her basket walking through the thick mist in a very early foggy morning, 2012. (Adam Tan/National Geographic Photo Contest)

Honorable Mention, People: 'Laurentiu' by Aurélie Geurts. This picture is a part of the series of my work ëFrumoasaí.

Honorable Mention, People: 'Life Along The Polluted River' by Andrew Biraj. A boy plays with balloons by Buriganga River as smoke emits from a dump yard during sunset in Dhaka, Bangladesh. (Andrew Biraj/National Geographic Photo Contest)

Honorable Mention, People: 'Ida' by Cecile Baudie. This is Ida. She is seven years old and born in Greenland. A year ago her mother, Marie, decided to move to Denmark in search of an easier life and to give her daughter everything that she never had, but even though the two countries are tied historically, the two cultures are very different and they have no Danish friends or any strong connections to Denmark. In Denmark, Greenlanders are seen as second-class citizens, drunks and socially challenged. This photo is part of an on-going series that is trying to show a different side to the greenlandish minority in Denmark. (Cecile Baudier/National Geographic Photo Contest)

Honorable Mention, People: Arabic in Gambia' by Bisig Maurin. Arabic born in one of the biggest city in the World, New York. Right in the middle of the Bronx she grow and go to School. As she's 13 years old, her Father decides to send her to her Family in a small town named Bajakunda. Now she lives here without electricity and a two hours bus drive away from the next city. Working every day from early morning til late night. No chance to leave this Country. Arabic is the only person in this small town whit an official American Passport, everybody dream about that one but she can’t use it anymore because of family tradition. (Bisig Maurin/National Geographic Photo Contest)

Honorable Mention, Places: 'Graveyard' by Julie Fletcher. I cannot describe the eerie feeling I had when I walked in on this scene. I followed a massive storm front several 100 kilometers hoping to capture something special but this blew my mind. The surreal milky green water is a natural phenomenon caused by electromagnetic activity from the lightning hitting the waters surface. There was no rain where I was and not much wind either but in the distance the sky was charged and angry subjecting its wrath over the graveyard of dead trees in this normally very dry lakebed. I was able to capture a series of unique images this being one of the best. (Julie Fletcher/National Geographic Photo Contest)

Honorable Mention, Places: 'Cows And Kites' by Andrew Lever. I was driving along the beach highway when I noticed the bulls sunbathing on the empty beach. I initially thought I was seeing things, but no it really was sunbathing cows! I had to park my car a fair distance away and that meant a long walk along the beach in 35-degree heat. It did not matter because I had to get the shot! When I got closer to them I was careful not to spook them so I crawled on my stomach on the hot sand to get a good picture of them. Mission Accomplished! It was worth the effort! (Andrew Lever/National Geographic Photo Contest)

Honorable Mention, Nature: 'Flying Egrets' by Réka Zsirmon. On a good day in the field, a birder might see flock of birds. Great Egrets; Tidal area of the Danube in Hungary. (Réka Zsirmon/National Geographic Photo Contest)

Honorable Mention, Nature: 'Indian Rhino, Canadian Winter' by Stephen De Lisle. An Indian rhinoceros, far from home and stuck inside with late-winter blues at the Toronto zoo. (Stephen De Lisle/National Geographic Photo Contest)

Honorable Mention, Nature: 'Crows Nest' by Yosuke Kashiwakura. The crows that live in Tokyo use clothes hangers to make nests. In such a large city, there are few trees, so the natural materials that crows need to make their nests are scarce. As a result, the crows occasionally take hangers from the people who live in apartments nearby, and carefully assemble them into nests. The completed nests almost look like works of art based on the theme of recycling. (Yosuke Kashiwakura/National Geographic Photo Contest)

Honorable Mention, People: 'Francesca' by Michele De Punzio. My girlfriend in her car at the stop street. (Michele De Punzio/National Geographic Photo Contest)

Grand Prize and Nature Winner: 'The Ice Bear' by Paul Souders. A polar bear peers up from beneath the melting sea ice on Hudson Bay as the setting midnight sun glows red from the smoke of distant fires during a record-breaking spell of hot weather. The Manitoba population of polar bears, the southernmost in the world, is particularly threatened by a warming climate and reduced sea ice. (Paul Souders/National Geographic Photo Contest)

Grand Prize and Nature Winner: 'The Ice Bear' by Paul Souders.
'A polar bear peers up from beneath the melting sea ice in Hudson Bay as the setting midnight sun glows red from the smoke of distant fires during a record-breaking spell of hot weather. The Manitoba population of polar bears, the southernmost in the world, is particularly threatened by a warming climate and reduced sea ice.' (Paul Souders/National Geographic Photo Contest)

A polar bear lurking beneath the melting sea ice of Hudson Bay has won the top prize in the 2013 National Geographic Photo Contest. Paul Souders, from Washington, beat more than 7,000 entries from more than 150 countries. Competitors were asked to submit photos in three categories: People; Places; and Nature. The winning images will be published in the prestigious magazine. Take a look at the winners and the remarkable best entries the contest produced.

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