Considering that they’re chosen from 88 photographers, 112 stories, and nearly two million photographs, it’s no surprise that the best of the lot are pretty darn incredible.

Last week we looked at ‘Seven Fantastic Photos From The Royal Society’s 2017 Competition’ (HERE) and ’10 Jarring News Photos That Sum Up 2017′ (HERE), and now it’s Nat Geo’s turn.

That picture above, by the way, shows Samburu women in a classroom in a settlement north of Nairobi. They are learning about tablets—designed to withstand tough use—that connect to the Internet through a satellite and come preloaded with educational programs.

We’re going to pick some of our favourites for you to ogle below:

A tourist on a boat in Laguna San Ignacio reaches into the water in the hope of petting one of many gray whales that frequent the bay to mate and care for their young. Once feared by fishermen, the unusually friendly animals are now a crucial part of the economy.

In 2011, the Zetas cartel, seeking revenge against members believed to be informants, rampaged through Allende and neighboring towns, killing dozens, and possibly hundreds. For this stricken community, the Day of the Dead holiday, when Mexicans honor their ancestors, has taken on extra poignancy.

Emperor penguins head for the open ocean in search of food. The brownish patches above them are microalgae that cling to the sea ice and start to photosynthesize [sic] in spring. The photographer’s day camp was on one of these floes.

Mauli Dhan climbs a hundred feet up a bamboo rope ladder to his prize: a hive filled with neurotoxic honey. Smoke from smoldering grass disorients the bees, possibly reducing the number of stings Mauli will suffer. Before he grabs the support rope beside him, a misstep could be fatal.

Roger Matthews (left) and Aaron Rodwell stand next to a 15 foot, approximately 1500 pound, male saltwater crocodile that they legally caught and killed in the Northern Territory of Australia.

At a Hindu temple near their home in Delhi, India, three generations of a family with albinism pose for a rare family portrait. When two people with albinism—a recessive genetic trait—have children, the children will have albinism.

We will finish with a little local flavour:

Bare-knuckled and poised to punch, boys from the Venda tribe in Tshifudi, South Africa, engage in the boxing tradition known as musangwe. For boys as young as nine, it’s both an outlet for male energy and a check on aggression. Adults oversee the bouts to contain the violence.

Do yourself a favour and run through the rest HERE, because there are some real gems.

Thanks, Tara

[source:natgeo]