'Cheeky seal' wins river photo competition

Oliver Crockett won the seal of approval from Lord Montagu of Beaulieu for this snap

A picture of a seal reclining on a buoy has won a photography competition run by the river's owners.

Oliver Crockett's photo of the seal in the Beaulieu River, that was described by judges as "cheeky", was chosen for the £200 prize by Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, whose family are the private owners of the tidal waterway.

The competition is run every year with the winning image being featured on an information booklet about the river.

Runners-up included Robert Abbott's photo of a swan family in the mist, along with Jane Willoughby's atmospheric shot of the the river's skyline.

Robert Abbott's snap of a swan family on the Beaulieu River was a runner-up

The Beaulieu River, in the New Forest National Park, is a popular place for wildlife spotters.

In March 2024, a grey seal pup believed to be the first of its kind was born on the river.

Two months later, an oyster catcher bird nested on a tour boat and laid two eggs on the boat's canopy.

The photographs will be displayed at a free-to-attend exhibition to be held at Buckler's Hard Village on 15 February.

Jane Willoughby's shot of an atmospheric skyline on the banks of the River Beaulieu was another runner-up