The winners of the prestigious National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest were announced this week, with images depicting incredible wildlife, exotic beaches, vibrant deserts and more.

Winner of the grand prize this year, Anuar Patjane Floriuk, took his photo while diving with humpback whales around Roca Partida in the Revillagigedo Islands in Mexico.

The awe-inspiring image captures the sheer size of the ocean and the whale, one of its most beautiful creatures.

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Surrounding it, tiny divers pale in comparison and help put our place on earth in perspective.

“This is an outstanding and unique place full of pelagic life,” said the winner.

“So we need to accelerate the incorporation of the islands into UNESCO as [a] natural heritage site in order to increase the protection of the islands against the prevailing illegal fishing corporations and big-game fishing.”

Floriuk won an eight-day National Geographic photo expedition to Costa Rica and the Panama Canal to help fulfil his potential.

Second place went to Faisal Azim for his photo Gravel Workmen.

“[This] gravel-crush working place remains full of dust and sand,” said Azim of his hyper-colourful close-up of three Bangladeshi men.

“Three gravel workmen are looking through the window glass at their working place.”

A special mention went to the dream-like Romania, Land of Fairytales by Eduard Getescu, whose take on the frost-covered Pestera village was reminiscent of the crystal gardens you may have grown up with as a child.

More than 17,000 pictures were entered in the competition, the best of which are posted below.

Winning image Whale Whispers. Photo: Anuar Patjane – National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

Romania, Land of Fairy Tales: “White frost over Pestera village. Photo: Eduard Gutescu – National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

White Rhinos: “In the morning, I woke to find three rhinos grazing in front of me.” Photo: Stefane Berube – National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

Camel Ardah: “The main purpose of Ardah is to show the beauty and strength of Arabian camels. Photo: Ahmed Al Toqi – National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

Kushti, Indian Wrestling: “At the end of a workout, wrestlers rest with their heads against the arena. Photo: Alain Schroeder – National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

Highlanders: “Traditional haymaking in Poland. Many people continue to use the scythe and pitchfork to sort the hay. Photo: Bart Omiej Jurecki – National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

A night at Deadvlei: The night before returning to Windhoek, we spent several hours at Deadveli in Namibia. The moon was bright enough to illuminate the sand dunes in the distance, but the skies were still dark enough to clearly see the milky way and magellanic clouds. Deadveli means “dead marsh”. The camelthorn trees are believed to be about 900 years old, but have not decomposed because the environment is so dry. Photo: Beth McCarley – National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest