Impressive breathtaking natural beauty leaves viewers in awe

Lightning strikes the sea, waterfalls gushing white, giant tree canopies, these are the extremely impressive scenes around the world that leave everyone amazed.

From dramatic lightning strikes to white-waterfalls to incredible animal worlds, all the best photos have won the Nature Conservancy's 2022 nature photo contest.

This year's competition received more than 100,000 entries from photographers in 196 countries around the world. The winning images highlighted the importance of conservation efforts around the world.

The overall winning photo was taken by Chinese photographer Li Ping using a drone on a highway in Tibet. The photo depicts the landscape on both sides of the highway, where the surrounding land has been transformed into a tree with many twisted branches due to erosion. The photographer took the photo in the early morning after spending the night alone in a roadside parking lot.

'These incredible images from talented photographers around the world remind us that the Earth is full of beauty and that we must act to protect our planet so that future generations have the opportunity to enjoy these amazing natural wonders,' said Meg Goldthwaite, communications director for the competition.

Check out the beautiful nature photos that won the contest:

British photographer Effy Varley captured this stunning image in the Landscape category. Effy Varley took the photo while traveling to Norway . "When I think of silence, I think of this place. Except for my breathing, everything was still. Sitting on a bench by the lake, my nose and fingers numb from the cold, I gazed at the view through the mist for hours. The mist slowly thinned, revealing a hazy view of the trees on the other side ," Effy Varley shared.

This photo by American photographer Tom Fenske captures the beautiful scenery at the place known as "The Well of the Thunder God" Thors Well, Oregon, USA. The enchanting scene brings a feeling of eliminating all fatigue to anyone who looks at this photo.

Lightning strikes an active volcano in Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, Indonesia. Described by Indonesian photographer Hendy Wicaksono as 'one of the top 10 tourist attractions in Indonesia,' the mountainous landscape spans some 50,276 hectares. The photo won second place in the Landscape category.

British photographer Anup Shah captured this magical image of a pair of lions in the Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. The lion on the right is Morani, an adult lion who was part of the group of four fierce lions that long ruled the Maasai Mara. The image impressed the judges and won the wildlife category.

This image by Argentinian photographer Fabio Saltarelli won top prize in the wildlife category. It shows an elephant seal protecting her calf from a bird of prey in the Falkland Islands.

A photo of a pair of deer moving through the forest under the 'blue' light of dawn by Hungarian photographer Tibor Litauszki.

Kenyan photographer Marvin Mwarangu captured this photo of an elephant and a veterinarian in the middle of summer at Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Kenya. He said that immediately after sedating the elephant, a veterinarian rushed to diagnose and treat the animal's wound.

This striking image of three jackals snarling at each other during a fight took place at Keoladeo National Park, formerly known as Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, in the city of Bharatpur, India. The striking image won Indian photographer Baiju Patil an award in the wildlife category.

American photographer Rick Dowling was behind the lens to capture this impressive image showing a pair of bald eagles fighting over a piece of salmon in Haines, Alaska. Dowling shared that the large eagle flew over the other eagle's head to try to grab the salmon.

A storm cloud gradually obscures half the sky, accompanied by a bolt of lightning, appearing on the beach of Varadero, Cuba. Brazilian photographer Giovani Cordioli captured the moment the lightning struck the sea.