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)

Delta CEO Ed Bastian talks about the century-old airline's past and technology such as generative artificial intelligence that he sees shaping its future during a Consumer Electronics Show (CES) presentation at The Sphere concert venue in Las Vegas on January 7, 2025. Delta on January 7 marked a century of flying with visions of a future in which artificial intelligence and internet age partnerships make air travel fun and seamless. (Photo by Glenn Chapman/AFP Photo)

American actress Alison Brie is seen exiting “Watch What Happens Live” studio on February 08, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by MediaPunch/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

A traditional Russian nesting doll painted with the likeness of President of Donald Trump and his family is displayed for sale at a Moscow store on March 5, 2017 in Moscow, Russia. Relations between the United States and Russia are at their lowest point in years as evidence mounts about the complex relationship between President Donald Trump's administration and the Russian government. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Almost two years old male baby orang-utan Dalai looks on in the zoo in Dresden, Germany, 30 March 2017. Dalai was born to mother Daisy in June 2016. (Photo by Filip Singer/EPA)

An Iranian man sells colorful ropes at the Tehrans old Bazaar, the place where the main economy trades take place, in Tehran, Iran, 25 January 2016. Reports state that Iranian officials expected the Iranian economy to grow on an average of eight percent over the coming five years following the lifting of sanctions against Iran. (Photo by Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA)

In this Thursday, March 17, 2016 photo, 33-year-old Palestinian clown doctor Alaa Miqdad, left, entertains 3-year-old patient Yaqin Shawaf, who suffers from dialysis, in the department of kidney diseases at Al-Rantisi children's hospital in Gaza City. (Photo by Adel Hana/AP Photo)

Second place, Nature: double trapping. Picture taken in the Brazilian Pantanal ... when I downloaded the CF did not want to believe it ... The nature knows we always give magnificent events but sometimes extraordinary. (Photo by Massimiliano Bencivenni/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest)