A ghost-like photograph of a critically endangered green sawfish swimming alongside a green turtle has taken out Australia’s most prestigious nature photography prize. Broome-based drone photographer Matt Deakin captured Ethereal Encounter in waters off the Pilbara in Western Australia’s far north, and the image has earned him the title of 2026 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year.
The competition, now in its 23rd year, is owned and produced by the South Australian Museum. This year it attracted 2,129 entries from 501 photographers across 17 countries. For Deakin, remarkably, it was his first entry.
“My drone was about 2.5km away, the light was fading and the battery alert was beeping, and then this sawfish came out of deep water and I just said ‘wow’,” Deakin said. “It swam directly through four or five turtles. Most quickly swam away but one stayed. I pushed the drone as long as I could to get the pictures.”
“People keep asking me if it’s AI. That’s not an insult though, because it just doesn’t seem real.”
Deakin received $10,000 and a cruise with Coral Expeditions for his win. Category winners each received $1,500, while Victorian junior winner Aaryan Dhakal, who captured a moody pelican image at Adelaide’s West Lakes, received $500.
The category winners
- Animals in Nature: Colin Chan, NSW (Just in Time)
- Animal Behaviour: Nathan Watson, WA (Worm Wars)
- Botanical: Ben Alldridge, Tas (Alchemy)
- Threatened Species: Matt Cornish, Qld (Resilience – A fight for survival)
- Our Impact: Dave Sanderson, SA (Neglect)
- Landscape: Wayne Sorensen, Qld (Flicker)
- Macro: Georgina Steytler, WA (Insect Trails)
- Monochrome: Natalie Murray, Qld (Flight of Fancy)
- Portfolio: Lewis Burnett, WA (Our Island Ark)
- Junior: Aaryan Dhakal, Vic (Silent Grace)
South Australian Museum Director Samantha Hamilton praised the calibre of work. “Matt Deakin’s winning image is both beautiful and haunting. The picture is serene and the colours beautiful, but both animals are at risk of extinction,” she said. “Last year’s exhibition attracted nearly 25,000 visitors to the Museum and this year’s collection is just as impressive.”
See the exhibition
An exhibition featuring the 100 shortlisted images opens at the South Australian Museum on Saturday 29 August and runs until Sunday 14 February 2027. The museum is open seven days, 10am to 5pm.
Adult entry is $16, with concession, seniors and student tickets at $14. Children under 12 enter free when accompanied by a paying adult. Book online to save. Entry to special exhibitions is cashless, with tickets available online or at the door by card only.
A People’s Choice award will be announced in early January. The exhibition will also travel to the Australian Museum in Sydney, Pine Rivers Heritage Museum in Brisbane, and the Museum of the Goldfields in Kalgoorlie.
For more information, visit the South Australian Museum website.
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