Hold Steady! 21 Photos of Wildlife in Action

I like to take pictures of animals, but I need them to be asleep to get a quality photo. That’s why I’m so impressed with the images below from the National Wildlife Photo Contest. These photographers were able to capture brilliant photos of wildlife in action. Think about it: they flutter, run, dance, fly, the list could go on forever. I hope you dig this sampling of all the ways animals move. What would you add to the list?

Swim

Tiger shark in North Carolina by Jeremy Kozman.
Most sharks move their tail back and forth to propel themselves forward. This tiger shark was photographed off the coast of North Carolina by National Wildlife Photo Contest entrant Jeremy Kozman.

Splash

Grizzly bear splashes around trying to catch a salmon in Alaska. Photo by Tommaso Balestrini.
Grizzly bear creates quite a splash while trying to catch salmon in Alaska. Photo by National Wildlife Photo Contest entrant Tommaso Balestrini.

Sprint

Cheetah chasing a wilder beast in Tanzania by Sanjay Hiraskar.
Cheetahs can sprint at speeds of up to 70 m.p.h. while a wildebeest runs at 50 m.p.h. Photo by National Wildlife Photo Contest entrant Sanjay Hiraskar.

Scoot

Seal on the move in England by Milko Marchetti.
Seals have small flippers that make it difficult to move on land. Photo by National Wildlife Photo Contest entrant Milko Marchetti.

Pounce

Fox kit pouncing in Massachusetts by Sandy Selesky.
Red foxes pounce with incredible precision. This fox kit was photographed in Massachusetts by National Wildlife Photo Contest entrant Sandy Selesky.

Hover

Blue banded bee hovers in India by Joshi Bhavya.
Blue banded bees have a dart and hover flight pattern. This one was photographed hovering in India by National Wildlife Photo Contest entrant Joshi Bhavya.

Breakdance

Turtle in New Jersey by Mike Quinn.
Turtle in New Jersey, by National Wildlife Photo Contest entrant Mike Quinn.

Leap

Frog leaps in India by Satpal Singh.
Frog leaps in India, by National Wildlife Photo Contest entrant Satpal Singh.

Butt

Bighorn sheep butting heads by Daryl Hunter.
Bighorn sheep butting heads. Photo by National Wildlife Photo Contest entrant Daryl Hunter.

Jump

Mountain goats jump in Colorado by Cathy and Gordon Illg.
Mountain goats jump in Colorado. Photo by National Wildlife Photo Contest entrant Cathy and Gordon Illg.

Chest Bump

Great egrets dance in California by Thomas Anderson.
Believe it or not, this is a fight, likely related to nesting or feeding territory. Great egrets apparently can’t help but be graceful. Photographed in California by National Wildlife Photo Contest entrant Thomas Anderson.

Dabble

Ducks dabble in Pennsylvania by Donald Madson.
Dabbling ducks tip their bottoms up in the air while they feed. They submerge their heads in shallow water and probe the bottom for aquatic organisms (vegetation, fish, invertebrates, etc). These ducks were photographed in Pennsylvania by National Wildlife Photo Contest entrant Donald Madson.

Slide

Gentoo penguin slides in Antarctic Peninsula by Brian Kamprath.
Gentoo penguin slides on the Antarctic Peninsula. Photo by National Wildlife Photo Contest entrant Brian Kamprath.

Hang

Fruit bat hangs in Kenya by Jenna Parker.
Fruit bat hangs in Kenya. Photo by National Wildlife Photo Contest entrant Jenna Parker.

Slither

Snake slithers in Maryland by Hannah Grove.
Snake slithers in Maryland. Photo by National Wildlife Photo Contest entrant Hannah Grove.

Wrestle

Bears cubs wrestle and play in Alaska by Ursula Dubrick.
Bears cubs wrestle and play in Alaska. Photo by National Wildlife Photo Contest entrant Ursula Dubrick.

Flap

Buzzard photographed by Amir Ayalon in North Israel.
Photograph by National Wildlife Photo Contest entrant Amir Ayalon in North Israel.

Dive

Pelicans diving into water in Florida, photographed by Nancie Rowan.
Pelicans diving into water in Florida, photographed by National Wildlife Photo Contest entrant Nancie Rowan.

Climb

Bear cub climbing in a tree by Barrett Hedges.
Bear cub climbing in a tree. Photo by National Wildlife Photo Contest entrant Barrett Hedges.

Surf

Giant petrel playing in the surf by Isobel Wayrick.
Giant petrel playing in the surf. Photo by National Wildlife Photo Contest entrant Isobel Wayrick.

Relax

Sometimes after all that action, it’s time to just relax.

Raccoon stretched out to relax in Washington. Photo by Nancy Martin.
Raccoon stretched out to relax in Washington. Photo by National Wildlife Photo Contest entrant Nancy Martin.

For more great wildlife photos…

If you’d like to see more wildlife and nature pictures, check out the National Wildlife Photo Contest. And if you’re a nature photographer, enter to win great prizes, like a trip to photograph polar bears and a chance to have your pictures in National Wildlife Magazine.