19 stunning winners from National Geographic's Nature Photographer of the Year contest

A photo of sardines migrating off the coast of South Africa has beaten off thousands of entries from around the world to become the 2016 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year .

The winning photographer - Greg Lecouer - has won £2,000 ($2,500) in prize money and a 10-day trip for two to the Galapagos Islands with National Geographic Expeditions. A panel of photographers and editors from National Geographic ranked 2016's most powerful photos of natural phenomena. The competition was split into four categories - Landscapes, Action, Animal Portraits and Environmental issues.

The photos offer rare insights into the world around us, from a meteor soaring across India's city skylines to praying mantises dancing on a single vine.