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)

The Rafflesia Arnoldi flower (Amarphophallus titanum) which has been cultivated is seen in Palupuah Village, Agam District, West Sumatra, Indonesia, on April 13, 2022. The West Sumatera Nature Conservation Agency (BKSDA) estimates around seven Rafflesia Arnoldi flowers will bloom in Palupuah Village this year. (Photo by Adi Prima/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

A cow grazes in a field in front of the Nahr Bin Omar oil field and facility near Iraq's southern port city of Basra, on April 4, 2023. (Photo by Hussein Faleh/AFP Photo)

A Tibetan girl is reflected in a mirror, as she gets ready for her performance during an event organised to mark the 88th birthday celebration of their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama in Kathmandu, Nepal on July 6, 2023. (Photo by Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters)

Participants attend the annual May bank holiday “Jack In The Green” parade and festival in Hastings, Britain, May 6, 2019. (Photo by Toby Melville/Reuters)

Servicewomen march in formation during a Victory Day military parade marking the 74th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in the 1941-1945 Great Patriotic War, the Eastern Front of World War II, in Moscow's Red Square, Russia on May 9, 2019. (Photo by Valery Sharifulin/TASS)

A “caixer” (horse rider) rears up on his horse surrounded by a cheering crowd during the traditional “Jaleo” at the Sant Antoni Festival in Es Castell, Balearic Islands, Spain on July 27, 2019. (Photo by Matthias Oesterle/Zuma Press/Picturedesk.com)

A mahout sits between elephants which are participating in festivities marking the annual harvest festival of Onam at a temple on the outskirts of Kochi, India, September 11, 2019. (Photo by Sivaram V/Reuters)