The 10 stunning winners from the 2018 National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year contest

  • National Geographic announced the winners of its 2018 Travel Photographer of the Year contest.

  • The winner was a photo of a humpback whale calf taken off the coast of Japan.

  • Scroll down to see the other winners in the Nature, Cities and People categories.


The winners of the 2018 National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year contest have been announced — and they're as stunning as ever.

13,000 entries were competing for a $10,000 grand prize and international acclaim.

The overall winner was Reiko Takahashi of Japan whose photo subject was a humpback whale calf. Takahashi took her photo, titled "Mermaid," off the coast of Japan’s Kumejima Island.

"It was a special scene for me, to be able to take a photo of the calf, completely relaxed in gentle waters," said Takahashi. "I really cannot believe it. It was my dream to win. I am honored and it will be the driving force for my future shooting."

Entries were split into three categories: Nature, Cities and People.

Scroll down to see the first, second and third place winners in all categories — as well as one honorable mention.

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