The Canadian Wildlife Federation is proud to celebrate 22 photographers from coast to coast for their stunning images showcasing the beauty of Canada’s wildlife.
This year, we received more than 10,200 images submitted in total! Year after year, we are stunned and left in awe at the support and generosity of every single photographer participating in the contest. We are grateful to every single person who shared their special wildlife moments with us – thank you.
The winning, runner-up and honourable mentions of this year’s Reflections of Nature Photo Contest highlight the best of Canada’s landscapes, wildlife and flora. They also capture how Canadians connect with nature and how wildlife weaves itself into our urban environments.
From a quiet moment with an Arctic fox, to caribou moving steadily across a wind-scoured lake, this year’s photos capture both patience and presence. There are close-up encounters beneath the surface, wildlife moments unfolding alongside busy urban life, and landscapes that feel vast, moody and humbling. Together, here are the 2025 photos that left us speechless.
GRAND PRIZE
WINNER
Steven Heipel
Far out on the frozen ocean of Baffin Bay, Steven Heipel traveled by snowmobile and qamutiik, hoping to glimpse Polar Bears. During a 10-day Arctic camping trip, Inuit guides paused at the base of this iceberg to harvest ice for fresh water. One guide spotted an Arctic Fox high on the ice and guessed its den was inside the iceberg. While the group congregated at the far end of the iceberg, Heipel waited alone. The fox appeared in a well of sea ice, paused for a breath, then began zigzagging through the maze of fallen ice again. Whispering a plea for her to look back, Heipel got his wish – just once – capturing a glance and a puff of breath in the cold air.
RUNNER-UP
Jean-Christophe Lemay
About 100 kilometres from Radisson in northern Quebec, Jean-Christophe Lemay spent days tracking caribou with little luck. The herd shifted locations nearly daily, and on this afternoon, the caribou had wandered far out onto a frozen lake, too distant for a handheld shot. With a little trepidation, Lemay decided to launch his drone above the caribou to see their reaction. To his surprise, the caribou paid no attention. From above, he captured their silent march across a landscape sculpted by wind and extreme cold, where temperatures often plummeted to -40 Celsius.
FOCUS ON FAUNA
WINNER
Abby Keeler
On her first visit to Stanley Park, Abby Keeler set out at sunrise hoping to photograph otters and beavers. After two hours of walking along the waterway, she spotted this Common Raccoon scavenging along the riverbed and spent the next hour quietly observing and taking photographs. For this shot, she lay down on a trail, hoping no one came along to disturb them. Observing wildlife has always been part of Keeler’s world – hours spent outdoors as a child turned into a daily ritual she eagerly embraced.
RUNNER UP
Mike Jemmely
Mike Jemmely plunged into the clear waters of Forillon National Park in search of seals but instead discovered a North American Lobster peeking out from a tangle of seaweed. With its eyes fixed on the camera, the lobster paused long enough for Jemmely to capture this mesmerizing underwater portrait.
HONOURABLE MENTION
Jodie Gallant
Walking along the Conuma River during the salmon run on a school field trip, Jodie Gallant stumbled upon a Black Bear slumbering on a fallen tree. Perfectly camouflaged in the curve of the trunk, the bear was a reminder of how deeply wildlife belongs to this place. For Gallant, moving to a remote area taught her to slow down and attune to the rhythms of the seasons – a lesson this peaceful moment drove home.
HONOURABLE MENTION
Nancy Ross
Nancy Ross has admired Atlantic Puffins for years and chose Elliston Island – one of North America’s best sites to observe these marine birds – for her dream shot. Positioning herself near the cliff’s edge, she waited four hours for the perfect moment: a puffin landing at sunrise, wings outspread against a glowing sky, carrying nesting materials in its bill.
HONOURABLE MENTION
Kyla Black
On a week-long trip to Churchill, Kyla Black watched as a female Polar Bear and her two cubs trudged across rocky terrain in a swirling snowstorm. Then, a Common Raven swooped in, diving low to tease the bears, only to lift away, just out of reach, at the last second, play a game of cat and mouse.
CANADIAN LANDSCAPES
WINNER
John Meragias
After a grueling week-long trek through Tombstone Territorial Park with a 70 lb backpack, John Meragias camped for two nights in the pouring rain, hoping to capture the moody beauty of this rugged wilderness. His persistence paid off at sunrise when he discovered clusters of Cottongrass along the lake’s edge, framed by the jagged mountain peaks. Though modest compared to more colourful blooms, Cottongrass are compelling – especially when juxtaposed by dramatic skies and the untamed terrain of northern Yukon.
RUNNER UP
Mike Douthwright
Mike Douthwright made the trip from St. John’s to Tickle Cove, Newfoundland, after hearing about the breathtaking view through its sea arch at sunset—and it didn’t disappoint. For over an hour, he waited patiently for the clouds to part, framing the scene for that fleeting moment of light.
CANADIAN LANDSCAPES
HONOURABLE MENTION
Edward Savage
In the aftermath of a brutal blizzard, Edward Savage endured -40 °C temperatures for over three hours, waiting for the northern skies to light up with aurora borealis. With the moon at his back casting light across jagged snowdrifts, the scene unfolded: wind-carved ridges leading to a stand of spruce trees overlooking the vast, frozen expanse of Hudson Bay.
CONNECTING WITH NATURE
WINNER
Kayley Amo
An early morning trip to Cache Lake in Algonquin Park gave Kayley Amo a chance to slow down and appreciate life’s small wonders: a sunrise, trees cloaked in mist and still waters reflecting the soft morning light.
RUNNER UP
Ray Cislo
While backcountry skiing in the Rocky Mountains, Ray Cislo captured a striking scene of skiers climbing the slopes. Their tiny silhouettes against the vast expanse of the mountain range highlight nature’s immense scale and the privilege of exploring its wonders. Cislo timed the shot perfectly, waiting until the skiers aligned with the sweeping ridges to evoke that sense of grandeur, all while balancing the demands of skiing and photographing at once.
URBAN INTERACTION
WINNER
Glen Strickey
Glen Strickey first headed to this fishing wharf after hearing reports of a Short-eared Owl in the area. Over the next 10 days, he made the 60-minute drive after work, logging more than 1,000 kilometres in search of the elusive raptor. He spotted the owl several times, and on the day, he captured this photo, it was hunting in a field near the wharf – its long wings sweeping through the air as a fishing boat framed the scene.
RUNNER UP
Jillian Brown
With her husband in surgery, Jillian Brown turned to her camera for solace. Under the Granville Island Street Bridge, she discovered a colony of Cormorants nesting among the steel beams. The birds leapt from the metal structure, soaring toward the ocean, on the hunt for food. The graceful contrast between the birds and the harsh lines of the bridge brought Brown back to the bridge time and time again. Look closely, and you’ll spot a nest tucked behind the highlighted Cormorant, with its partner nestled upon it.
HONOURABLE MENTION
Ronia Nash
On her way to the 2025 Invictus Games at the Vancouver Convention Centre, Ronia Nash spotted a family of Canada Geese waddled down the busy street. She had only a few minutes to capture the moment – first as they crossed the road, then as they walked away in the neat line. With a school bus in the background, the scene almost looks as though the parents are escorting their goslings to school.
FINDING FLORA
WINNER
Milena Esser
In the remote Experimental Lakes Area, conditions are perfect for pitcher plants to flourish. While documenting the region as an environmental researcher, Milena Esser turned her lens toward a Purple Pitcher Plant. Its bulbous shape and rich colour catch the eye but look closer and you’ll find tiny inward-pointing hairs, guiding unsuspecting prey towards the plant’s ingenious trap.
RUNNER UP
Sarah Neufeld
On a quiet nature walk near Dawson City, Sarah Neufeld noticed a cluster of delicate Psathyrellaceae mushrooms rising from the forest floor. Drawn by their contrast and colours, their earthy tones framed by a wash of soft green, she captured this incredible shot.
HONOURABLE MENTION
Kyla Black
Kyla Black returned to Waterton Lakes National Park five times to find the right conditions to capture this shot. On a late-spring evening, a hillside was covered in balsamroot as the sun set behind the mountain peak – a fleeting moment that made the effort worthwhile.
Learn more about the Reflections of Nature Annual Photo Contest or other ways the Canadian Wildlife Federation helps promote our connection with nature >
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