National Geographic Reveals Its Most Popular Instagram Photos Of 2017

National Geographic is wrapping up the year with 18 of its most popular Instagram photos from 2017.

“From the first view of the eclipse to the effects of climate change, see the photos you liked most on the @natgeo Instagram,” writes the magazine.

The collection includes the winning photo from its ‘Nature Photographer of the Year’ contest, as well as the heart-wrenching image of a starving polar bear that recently went viral.

More info: National Geographic, Instagram

Photo by @chamiltonjames / Charlie Hamilton James – Kauai with his pet monkey. Like many indigenous people in the Amazon, the Awa keep pet wild animals and seem particularly fond of monkeys. The monkeys are usually acquired when the parent monkey is shot for food and the baby is kept as a pet. The monkeys are much loved and often spend much of their day sleeping on people’s heads especially when they are young like this one. The women in the group tend to be more monkey oriented and their monkeys go everywhere with them. Check out our Instagram today for more on the wonderful Awa. Shot on assignment for @natgeo

A post shared by National Geographic (@natgeo) on Nov 22, 2017 at 12:54pm PST

Photograph by @thomaspeschak Galapagos Marine Iguanas live on the edge and the difference between life and death is a few degrees of temperature. The world’s only ocean going lizards graze on cold water seaweeds. Increases in sea temperature due to climate change have detrimental effects on marine iguana populations. No seaweed=No iguanas. If temperatures continue to warm these Galapagos icons could become the first to disappear. The world’s leading scientists have just met at @darwinfound in the Galapagos to discuss how to safeguard and protect the island’s unique fauna and flora from climate change. To find out more follow @darwinfound #climatechangegalapagos

A post shared by National Geographic (@natgeo) on Nov 12, 2017 at 3:31am PST

Photo by @CristinaMittermeier // This is what a starving polar bear looks like. Weak muscles, atrophied by extended starvation could barely hold him up. Our @Sea_Legacy team watched as he painfully staggered towards the abandoned fishing camp from which we were observing and found some trash to eat—a piece of foam from the seat of a snowmobile, as we later found out. People have asked why we couldn’t help it, why we didn’t feed it. In addition to being illegal to feed wildlife, polar bears like this one need several hundred pounds of meat to survive. They primarily eat seals and they struggle when they are stranded for long periods of time on land, without a sea ice platform from which to hunt. We didn’t have a weapon and we didn’t have any food. There literally was nothing we could do for him as we were hundreds of miles from the nearest Inuit community. What could we have done? What we did do was push through our tears knowing that this footage was going to help connect a global audience to the biggest issue facing us as a species today. It is true that we don’t know what caused this animal to starve but we are certain that unless we curb carbon emissions, sea ice will continue to disappear and many more bears will starve. With these images, we want to wake the world up to the imminence of climate change and to how it will affect wildlife and people for decades to come. For solutions on how each and everyone can make a positive impact on this planet #follow me at @CristinaMittermeier or go to @Sea_Legacy. #nature #naturelovers #bethechange #FaceofClimateChange #StopFossilFuels #NoArcticDrilling #TurningtheTide with @SeaLegacy. With @PaulNicklen and our entire team. Thank you @natgeo for helping us try and reach the world.

A post shared by National Geographic (@natgeo) on Dec 9, 2017 at 4:14am PST

Photo by @jimmy_chin Jackson WY 11:38am 8.21.17 What a moment…as the magic of the universe was unveiled, a collective primal howl and cheer could be heard across the valley. I wish I could say I was waiting for exactly the right timing on this one….but I was chasing ten kids around the backyard and running by the camera randomly hitting the shutter button. This was the only frame that looked remotely like this. Just reinforces that serendipity can be your best friend when it comes to photography. @natgeo #eclipse

A post shared by National Geographic (@natgeo) on Aug 21, 2017 at 9:34pm PDT

Photo by @ciriljazbec / Greenlandic dog is not a pet dog but a working dog that Inuit hunters and fishermen use for dog-sledding. They are the least know casualties of climate change. With the disappearance of sea ice, they have become a burden, which is why unfortunately some hunters are forced to shoot them. It is too expensive to sustain and feed them throughout the year when they can only use them for shorter and shorter periods of time. I took this portrait while crossing the frozen sea on my way to Siorapaluk, one of the northernmost settlement on the planet. Follow more from my Arctic journey @ciriljazbec #Greenland #Arctic #greenlandic #dog #climatechange #reality

A post shared by National Geographic (@natgeo) on Nov 17, 2017 at 2:24am PST

Photo by @Jayaprakash_bojan | After over 11,000 photo submissions from around the world, our panel of judges has named the 2017 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year! Jayaprakash Joghee Bojan of Singapore is this year’s grand prize winner for his stunning shot of an enormous male orangutan, waist-deep in a river, shyly peeking from behind a tree. Our judges were impressed by how the poignant image spoke to the impact deforestation is having on the habitat of this critical endangered species. See all of this year’s spectacular award-winning photos at ‪natgeo.com/photocontest‬ (link in profile).

A post shared by National Geographic (@natgeo) on Dec 12, 2017 at 11:32am PST

Photo by @BrianSkerry. Harp Seal Pups Kissing! Two harp seal pups meet each other on the pack ice of Canada’s Gulf of St. Lawrence, touching noses as they sniff one another. Pups are generally born in this region during February, spending about two weeks nursing from their mothers before heading off into the frigid arctic waters on their own. The decline of sea ice over the last decade has created a serious crisis for these animals, as pup mortality rates have increased substantially. If the climate continues to warm and sea ice disappears, the future is uncertain for this species. To see more ocean wildlife, and to learn more about my experiences photographing for National Geographic, follow me, @BrianSkerry, on Instagram. @thephotosociety @natgeocreative #harp #seal #pup #canada #arctic #ice #photooftheday #nationalgeographic #natgeo #harpseal #climatechange #globalwarming #instagood #followme #follow #saveouroceans #ocean #photography #travelphoto #wonderlust #travelphotographer

A post shared by National Geographic (@natgeo) on Nov 6, 2017 at 12:21pm PST

Photo by @FransLanting “Eye to Eye” Inside every animal is an individual with its own emotions and needs. When I photograph animals I try to bring out their personalities just as people photographers do that with their subjects. In Belize I spent several hours with this magnificent male cougar before he relaxed to a dreamy pose that I felt captured his mood. I share this image to recognize World Animal Day, October 4—a day of action for animal rights and welfare. The date coincides with the feast day for Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals. Follow me @FransLanting for more images of the other beings on the great tree of life. @natgeotravel @thephotosociety @natgeocreative #cougar #mountainLion #puma #bigcats #photooftheday #picoftheday #nature #beauty #naturelovers #animal #wildlife #worldanimalday

A post shared by National Geographic (@natgeo) on Oct 4, 2017 at 7:24pm PDT

Photo by @FransLanting Cheetahs are the most vulnerable of the world’s big cats, with cub mortality as high as 95 percent, often due to predation by lions and hyenas. Co-existing with those formidable adversaries is tough for cheetahs who are more timid and risk adverse. Long term studies have revealed that in the entire Serengeti ecosystem fewer than 50 cheetah females successfully raise cubs to independence on a regular basis. Here is one of these remarkable “supermoms” scanning the horizon for trouble with a cub next to her. But even supermoms can’t cope with the human threats they face in addition to their natural hazards. So, I’d like to give a shout out to the organizations who are working to safeguard a future for these amazing cats and hope that you will support them too. Thanks to NatGeo’s Big Cat Initiative, the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF), Cheetah Conservation Botswana(CCB) and Panthera. Follow me @FransLanting for more images of cheetahs and other inhabitants of Wild Africa. @natgeocreative @thephotosociety #Cheetah #BigCats #BigCatsInitiative #CheetahConservationFund #Panthera #Endangered #Serengeti #Motherhood

A post shared by National Geographic (@natgeo) on Dec 9, 2017 at 3:36pm PST

Photo by Corey Arnold @arni_coraldo Every night in Unalaska, I’d spot this red fox near the side of the road, charming drivers with its irresistible cuteness into throwing it snacks out the window. On this evening, I spent a few hours watching this fox at work, using my headlights to light the scene. —————————– This print will be on display in my new exhibition “Aleutian Dreams” opening Thursday, 4/6 5-8pm thru May 27 at @hartmanfineart in Portland, Oregon (come say hello!) and also in LA at @richardhellergallery now through May 6th. Click on my profile link @arni_coraldo for a preview. Aleutian Dreams was also featured in the natgeo.com story entitled: “The Bering Sea: Where Humans and Nature Collide” #fox #redfox #alaska #aleutiandreams #unalaska #dutchharbor #laart #portlandart #pdxart #photooftheday #night #humananimals #wildlife #animal #foxy #hungry

A post shared by National Geographic (@natgeo) on Apr 6, 2017 at 6:18am PDT

Photo by @DavidDoubilet Celebrating World Oceans Day. A clownfish peers from the tentacles of its host anemone in Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea. The clownfish and the anemone are partners in the sea: the clownfish keeps predators from the anemone and the anemone provides valuable cover to an entire family of clownfish also called anemonefish. Papua New Guinea is a cornerstone of the Coral Triangle, a region in the Pacific Ocean known for its extreme marine biodiversity. It is critical for all us to recognize the role of oceans in our lives. We are inseparable from the sea, the ocean produces more than half of our oxygen and absorbs carbon dioxide. As the oceans go, so do we. Photographed for @NatGeo // @thephotosociety // #Ocean #Nemo #Clownfish #life #partners #beauty #WorldOceansDay For #MoreOcean follow @DavidDoubilet

A post shared by National Geographic (@natgeo) on Jun 8, 2017 at 4:00am PDT

Photograph by @babaktafreshi | This photo is one of the first glimpses of #eclipse2017 captured by National Geographic photographer Babak Tafreshi in a jet above the Pacific at the moment the eclipse began. Babak is aboard the flight along with two @Airbnb guests who won the chance to be among the first to witness the solar eclipse before it crosses the US. – We are high above the clouds with @airbnb bringing you some of the first glimpses of the Solar Eclipse. Follow us all day as we bring you incredible moments and stories from our experts #livefrom the air

A post shared by National Geographic (@natgeo) on Aug 21, 2017 at 10:40am PDT

photo by @chamiltonjames / Charlie Hamilton James – a young mule deer inspects a camera trap near Jackson Hole, Wyoming. I collected the camera today and found this little Bambi along with several other shots of mule deer. Camera traps are a great way to monitor movement and get interesting images without disturbing the subject. Shot on assignment for @natgeo with the help of @framiltonjames

A post shared by National Geographic (@natgeo) on Jul 27, 2017 at 7:41pm PDT

Photo by @jenniferhayesig A heart breaking find. We arrived at a remote small island in Busuanga Philippines to dive and to scout for plastic debris. Two dogs appeared on the beach and began to swim to our boat. The heavy surf turned them back. I could see they were thin. I abandoned my dive and swam ashore with rice. The dogs had been left behind and and were extremely emaciated and weak. They were slowly starving to death on an island without any source of food. I fed them and swam back to our boat and asked our crew to kayak in freshwater and more rice. We spent a few hours on shore with these wonderful creatures. They were gentle, friendly and in good spirits despite their desperate situation. Ironically I found the debris our team was looking for on shore when I found the dogs. They were pawing through the debris seeking anything to eat. We are working with locals to keep them fed by boat until we can get them off the island. We are in the process of determining the best rescue for them, either a safe place in the Philippines or @daviddoubilet and I will adopt them, get them to a vet for treatment and vaccinations and fly them back to New York. We are calling these two, a male and female, the “dugong dogs” because we were working with dugongs in the area. Stay tuned for the rest of their story. // with @natgeo in Philippines// #ocean #abandoned #dog #rescuedog #dugongdog #AChristmasStory #merrychristmas #hope #respect #RescueMe #trust #kindness #DoTheRightThing #compassion for a video of the #dugongdogs follow @jenniferhayesig

A post shared by National Geographic (@natgeo) on Dec 8, 2017 at 2:14am PST

Photograph by Stefano Unterthiner @stefanounterthiner. In cold weather, a normally reddish brown ermine changes into its white winter coat: a perfect camouflage adaptation for this small and fast predator. Unpublished photograph from my @natgeo magazine story ‘Paradise Found’. Follow me @stefanounterthiner to see more images from my personal projects and my work with @natgeo. #white #winter #snow #cold #perfect

A post shared by National Geographic (@natgeo) on Feb 7, 2017 at 3:20am PST

@stevewinterphoto @natgeo Today is International Snow Leopard Day!!! Photo by @stevewinterphoto for @natgeo Snow leopards are the ghosts of the high mountain areas of central Asia in which they live. The areas in which SL’s live are vitally important as they provide water for 100’s of millions of people. But the glaciers that provide the water are rapidly disappearing, which begs the question – what will the future bring for people and animals? Local people need to benefit from living with predators – snow leopards are persecuted by revenge killings – when they kill someone’s livestock a herder will then kill them. There are great community conservation projects where local herders can protect their flocks, making more money and saving snow leopards at the same time! Turning and economic negative into an economic positive – and saving snow leopards at the same time! Please visit National Geographic’s Big Cat Initiative @ CauseAnUproar.org, to find out ways to become involved – to save big cats! Check out – Panthera, Snow Leopard Trust, WCS, UNDP, WildAid – Environmental Investigation Agency – Wildlife Protection Society of India, @stevewinterphoto @natgeo @natgeocreative @thephotosociety #leopards #tigers #lions #snowleopard #jaguars @bigcatsforever #undp #gef @africanparksnetwork @leonardodicapriofdn

A post shared by National Geographic (@natgeo) on Oct 23, 2017 at 2:45pm PDT

Photo by @FransLanting Adorable, but vulnerable, three cheetah cubs watch their mother hunt in the Serengeti Plains, a few weeks after they first emerged from a den inside the rocks where they spent their first month hiding from predators like lions, hyenas, and leopards. More than half of all cheetah cubs do not survive the first four weeks of life and most of the rest do not make it beyond their first year. Cheetahs can’t climb trees like leopards, they can’t dig burrows like hyenas, and they’re not social like lions, so they are vulnerable no matter where they are. I photographed these cubs on assignment for @NatGeo and we cheered on their mother as she was facing the difficult challenges of motherhood alone. I’m posting this image in recognition of International Cheetah Day and I’d like to salute the individuals and organizations who are in the forefront of safeguarding a future for these endangered cats and hope that you will support them too. Thanks to Luke Dollar and NatGeo’s Big Cat Initiative, Laurie Marker and her Namibia-based Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF), Rebecca Klein and the Cheetah Conservation Botswana project (CCB) and Luke Hunter and his colleagues at Panthera. Follow me @FransLanting for more images of cheetahs and other inhabitants of Wild Africa. @natgeocreative @thephotosociety #Cheetah #BigCats #BigCatsInitiative #CheetahConservationFund #Panthera #Endangered

A post shared by National Geographic (@natgeo) on Dec 4, 2017 at 8:46pm PST

Photo: @andy_mann // While out searching for new dive sites off Selvagem Pequena Island, a remote archipelago 200 miles off the coast of Western Sahara, we observed this seemingly random wave rise from the depths and take the form of a snow-capped peak. A true sea monster which never formed the same way twice. We decided to have a look under it and quickly found an amazing sea-mount full of life. Always expect the unexpected at sea. Photographed on expedition with @natgeopristineseas, whose efforts have officially helped to protect this special place. // #followme @andy_mann to learn more about the “Savage Islands.”

A post shared by National Geographic (@natgeo) on Jun 2, 2017 at 11:29am PDT