Sleeping bears and diving whales: The world looks beautiful from the top
The winners of the very first International Aerial Photographer of the Year are declared, and the images are simply fabulous. Don’t believe us? Check out some of our favourites from the winning photos here
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Diving: A humpback whale diving back under the surface of the Atlantic Ocean after taking a breath of air. Image Courtesy: Joanna Steidle/The Inaugural International Aerial Photographer of the Year
Smoking Skull: Iceland's Fagradalsfjall volcano as it cooled. The cracking pattern of the lava formed a skull, creating an eerie natural illusion for a few moments. Image Courtesy: Daniel Viñé Garcia/The Inaugural International Aerial Photographer of the Year
Threads of Tradition: A Vietnamese artisan weaves a fishing net by hand, surrounded by flowing green threads, a tradition passed down through generations. Image Courtesy: Chris Ha/The Inaugural International Aerial Photographer of the Year
Relax after the meal: A polar bear on Svalbard after eating on a walrus carcass. Thanks to the drone with a telephoto lens, this rare scene could be captured without any disturbance. Svalbard, Norway. Image Courtesy: Pål Hermansen/The Inaugural International Aerial Photographer of the Year
The Gateway: An aerial drone photo of a spinner shark creating a gateway into a school of menhaden fish. Image Courtesy: Joanna Steidle/The Inaugural International Aerial Photographer of the Year
Travellers Crossing: A busy waterway is filled with boats in the morning commute as they try to pass on a river in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Image Courtesy: Azim Khan Ronnie/The Inaugural International Aerial Photographer of the Year
Flamingos and pelicans. Image Courtesy: David Swindler/The Inaugural International Aerial Photographer of the Year
Late Autumn Colours: An aerial view of a football field in fall forest in Moscow. Image Courtesy: Vitaly Golovatyuk/The Inaugural International Aerial Photographer of the Year
Drifting in Space: Swimmers in the frozen Baltic Sea. After a short trip, the icebreaker stopped and passengers were given the opportunity to go into the freezing cold water. Image Courtesy: Gilad Topaz/The Inaugural International Aerial Photographer of the Year
Curon Venosta: A 14th-century church tower in Italy stands submerged in an artificial lake near Curon Venosta, due to dam construction in 1950. Image Courtesy: Pawel Jagietto/The Inaugural International Aerial Photographer of the Year