An underwater motion-sensor camera rigged near a seal’s breathing hole in the Arctic has captured a female polar bear peering directly into the lens, earning Norwegian photographer Audun Rikardsen a ‘Highly Commended’ spot in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026 competition, according to BBC reporting.
Rikardsen set up the camera while working as a guide with Arctic Wildlife Tours. After waiting until 4 a.m. for the bear to approach, he waited another eight hours for the animal to move away before retrieving his equipment. “I was so extremely happy,” Rikardsen told BBC, describing his reaction to reviewing the footage. “I was screaming, so I probably woke up all the polar bears for miles.” Rikardsen previously won two categories in the competition: Birds in 2019 and Oceans: The Bigger Picture in 2025.
Exhibition and Winners Timeline
The overall winners of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026 competition will be announced on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, according to BBC. Following the announcement, an exhibition showcasing the winning and highly commended works will open at the Natural History Museum in London on Friday, October 16, 2026.
Notable Highly Commended Entries
Judges recognized several other striking images across different age brackets and categories in the international competition:
- Jack Crockford (UK): Recognized in the 15-17 Years category for ‘The Art of Flying,’ capturing swifts returning to Bushy Park in London after migrating from Africa.
- Sora Miyazawa (Japan): Recognized in the 11-14 Years category for ‘Urban Wanderer,’ utilizing a slow shutter speed in Tokyo to photograph an Eastern Japanese toad navigating a city street after rainfall.
- Vegard Byrkjeland Aasen (Norway): Honored in the Behaviour: Mammals category for ‘Lifted to the Surface,’ documenting an adult orca carrying a deceased calf through a Norwegian fjord while working with the Norwegian Orca Survey.
- Andrea and Maceo Grammatico (France): Recognized in Animal Portraits for ‘Biting Back,’ capturing a mosquito resting on the head of a venomous fer-de-lance viper in Sierpe, Costa Rica, requiring a demanding focus stack.
- Andy Parkinson (UK): Honored in Animal Portraits for ‘Wings of Darkness,’ capturing a black vulture perched over a dead yacaré caiman in Brazil’s Pantanal wetlands using a telephoto lens from a distance.
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