National Geographic has released the winners of its Travel Photographer of the Year competition, which consists of some stunning photos taken around the world.

Every year, the competition is open to photographers and amateur photographers, who have to submit what they think is the best travel photograph of the year. For 2017, the categories were wildlife, landscapes, aerials, and underwater. The grand-prize is $7,500, with the winning image being published in an upcoming issue of National Geographic magazine and featured on the magazine's Instagram account. While the photographers are published on the company's website and magazine, some people have been sharing them on social media. The winning photo came from photographer Sergio Tapiro Velasco who captured a volcano erupting in Mexico.

This pic just won the Nat Geo's Travel Photographer Contest 2017 (by Sergio Tapiro Velasco) pic.twitter.com/UZBfkvCsV4

— Travell Vibes✈ (@TheTravllvibes) January 31, 2018

Speaking about his photo, he said: "A powerful eruption illuminates the slopes of Mexico’s Colima Volcano on December 13, 2015. I was in the town of Comala when I suddenly saw incandescence above the volcano's crater and started shooting. Seconds later, a powerful volcanic explosion expelled a cloud of ash particles and a massive lightning bolt illuminated most of the dark scene. It was one of the most exciting moments of my life." Amongst the real photos being shared was one of a shark which people actually believe was the winner. The photo has been shared on Twitter and it has garnered more than 14,000 retweets and 38,000 likes.

National Geographic’s Photo of the year! ??Simply amazing! pic.twitter.com/V4iiHuVGqy

— Carlos de la Cruz (@cachondouk) February 19, 2018