The annual Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year prize has really excelled itself this year. To put the standard of things in perspective, none of the stunning images that I’ve chosen to use here were winners in their respective categories. Seriously, these were not judged to be the best pictures on offer…

This photo from Paul Nicklen, entitled ‘Love of a leopard seal’, is the result of an unlikely infatuation. “From the first time I got in the water with this massive female leopard seal in Antarctica, it seemed to attempt to communicate with me,” says Nicklen. “Every day, it would offer me penguins, dead and alive, like this chinstrap. When I kept refusing to eat the offerings, it looked agitated before going to get me another penguin.”

I’d have eaten the penguin – you don’t want annoy something that size.

© Paul Nicklen / Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2007

Normally fisheye lenses strike me as cheating, but when they produce pictures like this one by Jeff Yonover who can really argue?

© Jeff Yonover / Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2007

Arne Naevra’s ‘polar meltdown’ image is probably destined to illustrate features on climate change for years to come.

© Arne Naevra / Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2007

See all the photos from the competition, run by the Natural History Museum and BBC Wildlife Magazine, at the official gallery website.