2024 Environmental Photography Prize photos on display at Larvotto

The poignant photographs showcase nature and its vulnerability, with the aim of protecting it.

On Tuesday evening, the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation awarded its 2024 Environmental Photography Prize to photographer Aaron Gekoski for his striking image See No Evil, which highlights the exploitation of orangutans in the tourism industry.

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aaron-gekoski_orangutan-see-no-evil — *Orangutans exploited by the tourism industry, Thailand, 2023 © Aaron Gekoski*

The award-winning photograph shows an orangutan sitting, staring blankly as it is forced to pose for photos with tourists at Safari World in Bangkok, Thailand. The photographer explains that “every day they are forced to perform in front of an audience that pays to see them. The orangutans used in the shows are often stolen from the wild, smuggled across borders and then trained using cruel methods.”

The other 2024 prizewinners

This year’s overall winner, Aaron Gekoski, won in the «Humanity versus Nature» and «Change Makers: Reasons for Hope» categories. He wins a grant totalling €6,500 as well as a trip to Ecuador to visit the SEK International University research base in the Amazon rainforest.

In addition to Aaron Gekoski, five other photographers received awards:

1. Change Makers: Reasons for Hope: Substitute Rhinos by Aaron Gekoski

Aaron-Gekoski-substitute-rhinos — *Cobra Protection Unit Exercises, Zimbabwe, 2022 © Aaron Gekoski*

2. Ocean worlds : Inner Space Hitchhiker by Magnus Lundgren

Magnus-Lundgren-Inner-Space-Hitchhiker — *Argonaut-sailor on board a jellyfish, Philippines, 2019 © Magnus Lundgren*

3. Into the forest : Explosion of Monarchs by Jaime Rojo

Explosion-of-Monarchs-jaime-rojo — *Monarch butterflies in fir forests, Mexico, 2022 © Jaime Rojo*

4. Polar wonders : Shaking off the snow by Daniel Valverde Fernández

Daniel-Valverde-Fernandez_shaking-off-the-snow — *Polar bear in a blizzard, Canada, 2022 © Daniel Valverde Fernandez*

5. Public Award : Rainy Release by Fernando Faciole

Fernando-Faciole-rainy-release — *Release of a giant anteater, Brazil, 2023 © Fernando Faciole*

6. Students Choice: Parenting Goals by Thomas Vijayan

Thomas-Vijayan_Parenting Goals — *Emperor penguin family, Antarctica, 2022 © Thomas Vijayan*

Travelling exhibition

The 36 photographs, including 7 winners in the different categories and 29 runners-up, are on display on the Larvotto beach promenade in Monaco until 30 July 2024. The exhibition will then travel around the world to reach a wide audience and raise awareness of the need to protect our planet.

“It is essential to bring knowledge to the public so that environmental awareness is transformed into action in our daily lives,” explains Olivier Wenden, Vice-President and CEO of the Prince Albert II Foundation