Guardian of the Mangroves – Overall Winner. Tanya Houppermans, Cuba. A curious American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) swims right up to Tanya, at Gardens of the Queen (Jardines De La Reina), an archipelago off the coast of Cuba. It has been strictly protected since 1996, and is one of the most untouched marine ecosystems in the world. ‍ “The healthy population of American crocodiles is down to the pristine condition of the mangroves and I wanted to capture close ups of this gentle giant in its natural habitat. I hope this image can illustrate that protecting areas like this is so critical”. (Photo by Tanya Griffin Houppermans/Mangrove Photographer of the Year)

A man wearing a headgear walks along with his child on a street in Banda Aceh on July 25, 2023. (Photo by Chaideer Mahyuddin/AFP Photo)

People wade past stranded trucks on a flooded street in Sunamganj on June 21, 2022. Floods are a regular menace to millions of people in low-lying Bangladesh, but experts say climate change is increasing their frequency, ferocity and unpredictability. (Photo by Mamun Hossain/AFP Photo)

Hindu girls dressed as Radha and Lord Krishna during the Janmashtami festival, pose for a picture as the Hindu community celebrates the birth anniversary of Lord Krishna in Dhaka, Bangladesh on September 6, 2023. (Photo by Mohammad Ponir Hossain/Reuters)

Dancers disguised as forest spirits pose before performing during the Kendalisada Art Festival 2023 in Kaliori, Banyumas, Central Java, on September 9, 2023. (Photo by Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP Photo)

A general view of atmosphere at the annual VOLT Festival in Sopron, 208 kms west of Budapest, Hungary on August 16, 2016. (Photo by Rockstar Photographers)

A man wearing the traditional Carnival Neapolitan mask of Pulcinella performs on Via Caracciolo avenue in Naples, Italy, Saturday, November 14, 2020. The regions of Campania and Tuscany were designated red zone on Friday, signaling the dire condition of a hospitals struggling with a surge of new admissions. (Photo by Gregorio Borgia/AP Photo)

A girl flies a kite in the afternoon in Dhaka, Bangladesh on August 3, 2022. (Photo by Mohammad Ponir Hossain/Reuters)