A spectacular picture of a football covered in barnacles has been unveiled as the winner of this year’s British Wildlife Photography Awards.

The image was chosen from more than 14,000 submissions from amateur and professional photographers.

The winning image was taken by Ryan Stalker and also won in the Coast and Marine category.

“Above the water is just a football. But below the waterline is a colony of creatures,” Mr Stalker said.

“The football was washed up in Dorset after making a huge ocean journey across the Atlantic. More rubbish in the sea could increase the risk of more creatures making it to our shores and becoming invasive species.”

The RSPB Young British Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award went to Max Wood for his picture of a coot running across a misty lake at sunrise.

Here are the other winners:

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Animal Behaviour winner

Three Frogs in Amplexus by Ian Mason, taken in Perthshire.

Animal Portraits winner

Mark Williams’ Starling at Night, showing a common starling in Solihull.

Botanical Britain winner

Jason McCombe won with his picture of slime mould in Essex.

Black and White winner

Raven Above Arran by Robin Dodd won in the black and white category.

Habitat winner

Daniel Valverde Fernandez captured a red fox in Sherwood Pines Forest Park in Nottinghamshire and titled it The Tightrope Walker.

Hidden Britain winner

Three’s a Crowd, by Ross Hoddinott, showing a group of common blue butterflies in Devon.

Urban Wildlife winner

Simon Withyman’s Day Walker, showing a red fox in Bristol.

Wild Woods winner

A picture of a beech tree by Graham Niven, taken in East Lothian.

British Seasons winner

Warren Price’s The King’s Quarters, showing a common kingfisher in Bedfordshire.

RSPB 12 – 14 Years winner

Mother and Fawn by Felix Walker-Nix, showing roe deer in Sherfield on Loddon.

RSPB 11 and under winner

Spring’s Treasures, showing a pheasant in Mid Wales, by Jamie Smart.

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“The British Wildlife Photography Awards [BWPA] brings to light the spectacular tapestry of Britain’s natural heritage,” said Will Nicholls, director of BWPA.

“This collection is more than just a gallery of images; it is a celebration, a reminder of the enduring beauty of British wildlife and a call to preserve the natural spaces that we are so fortunate to have in Britain.”

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