National Geographic releases its ‘Pictures of the Year’: See 12 of the jaw-dropping shots

The year 2023 was full of colorful advenures and moments all around the globe.

National Geographic’s photographers captured many of them on camera, submitting their best photos for consideration in NatGeo's "Pictures of the Year."

Of the more than two million photos submitted by 165 photographers on assignment across the world, 29 shots were chosen as the most captivating images.

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Here are 12 outstanding selections from NatGeo’s annual roundup.

Kiwi examination: Wellington, New Zealand

Field specialists examine a North Island brown kiwi two months after 11 of the birds were released outside New Zealand’s capital. A national symbol, kiwis have been decimated by predators, especially stoats, introduced in the 1800s. (Photo by Robin Hammond)

Pig brain: Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut

To better study how cells from one region of the brain connect with cells in others, Yale researchers looked for a way to reanimate recently dead brain tissue. The team succeeded with a pig’s brain by combining a custom drug cocktail (blue) with an oxygen carrier (dark red).  (Photo by Max Aguilera-Hellweg)

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Aquatic expedition: Mount Michael, South Atlantic Ocean

Volcanologists and mountaineers return after a weeks-long expedition to Mount Michael, a remote volcano in the South Sandwich Islands. The team made a successful first ascent and study of the peak, which holds one of Earth’s few lava lakes. (Photo by Renan Ozturk)

Butterfly-drenched trees: Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, Mexico

Streaked with sunlight and crowded together for warmth in winter, monarch butterflies blanket fir trees in El Rosario Sanctuary. Photographer Rojo received special permits to work outside the sanctuary’s operating hours. He took this photograph shortly before sunset.  (Photo by Jaime Rojo)

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Nigerian nightclub: Lagos, Nigeria

Ashley Okoli dances at a Lagos nightclub, which offers a rare welcoming space for people of all sexual orientations. Same-sex relationships are illegal in Nigeria, yet in the past four years, LGBTQ activists have celebrated Pride month with performances and protests in some parts of the country. (Photo by Yagazie Emezi)

Hyena pack at dawn: Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

Soon after dawn at Lemek Conservancy, spotted hyenas arrive at a pond to drink. Widely misunderstood, hyenas are fierce, intelligent and social, living and hunting as members of matriarchal clans. Photographer Jen Guyton captured this closeup with an armored, remote-controlled robot designed by National Geographic photo engineers. (Photo by Jen Guyton)

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Lab-grown diamond: New York, New York

Climate-tech startup Aether transforms carbon dioxide captured from the air into lab-grown diamonds such as this two-carat princess cut. Aether’s process uses clean energy sources, and the company pledges to remove an extra 20 metric tons of CO2 for every carat of diamond it creates — more CO2 than the average American produces in a year. (Photo by Davide Monteleone)

Finnish and U.S. soldiers in training: Sodankyla, Finland

At a military facility north of the Arctic Circle, Finnish and U.S. soldiers train for winter warfare by navigating an obstacle course while on skis. The exercise took place two months before Finland — which shares an 800-mile border with Russia — joined NATO. The training was arranged in response to the war in Ukraine. (Photo by Louie Palu)

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Wandering elephants: Valparai, India

Elephants wander a tea estate that was once part of their forest habitat before being converted to crop production in the late 1800s. Today, about 70,000 people live and work in the region among 120 elephants. (Photo by Brent Stirton)

NASA technician at work: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California

A technician studies the "brains" of NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft, which will launch next year. As it flies by Europa — one of the largest of Jupiter’s moons — the craft will study its ice shell and characterize the salty sea below.  (Photo by Chris Gunn)

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Diving in toxic Lago Verde: Frasassi Caves, Italy

Caver Valentina Mariani (above), National Geographic Explorer Kenny Broad (center), and Nadir Quarta prepare for a dive into the dark, toxic waters of Lago Verde. Such sunlight-starved ecosystems could offer a glimpse into the chemistry of life in alien seas. (Photo by Carsten Peter)

Lion's mane jellyfish: White Sea, Russia

Marine biologist Alexander Semenov calls the lion’s mane jellyfish the queen of the Arctic seas. He photographed this regal specimen in its final stage of life. Having reproduced, it has shrunk in size, digested or shed its hundreds of long tentacles, and become, in Semenov’s words, an "alien flower." (Photo by Alexander Semenov)

More of this year's "Pictures of the Year" can be found on National Geographic's website.

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Angelica Stabile is a lifestyle writer for Fox News Digital.