First place, Portrait. Three flat-coated retrievers – Crew, Darcie and Pagan – by Carol Durrant from the UK. (Photo by Carol Durrant/Dog Photographer of the Year 2018)

Tony North; First place, Breathing Spaces; Overall Winner; Blue Tajinaste, La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain. “Echium thyrsiflorum is endemic to the mountains of La Palma island – from high up, there was a magnificent view of both the caldera below, and the stars above. The Unesco La Palma biosphere reserve encompasses the entire island, with the Caldera de Taburiente containing mountains with a highest peak of 2,426 metres – the Roque de los Muchachos”. (Photo by Tony North/IGPOTY)

Champagne Taittinger Food for Celebration – Dinner with the King and Queen of Sweden. “Sverigemiddagen (the Dinner of Sweden), an annual event held at the Royal Castle in Stockholm, celebrates individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to their local communities. Invited guests are honoured for their achievements and are hosted by the King and Queen of Sweden at a grand dinner”. (Photo by Jonas Borg/Pink Lady Food Awards 2023)

Aurora Australis from Beerbarrel Beach, by James Stone. Runner Up: Aurorae. (Photo by James Stone/Astronomy Photographer of the Year)

The Bahamas, the Commonwealth nation of hundreds of islands roughly the size of Connecticut and with population of just a bit over Anaheim, is known for its crystal waters and pristine beaches. This is possibly one of the world’s most beautiful havens of nature, yet people are coming here to see pigs. It is unclear when the pigs first appeared on Exuma Island or where they come from. There’s talk about a daring escape from a shipwreck, or sailors releasing the swine on purpose. In all probability, there were no pigs on this tropical paradise before European settlers came, so their mere presence is the work of human. The intriguing feat of nature, however, is that this population of pigs developed a fine aptitude for swimming. Here: “So you're on a boat in Bahamas and then this pig swims by begging for food”. (Photo and caption by Lisa Larsen/Public Domain)

Chincoteague Ponies swim across Assateague Channel in a heavy downpour on Wednesday, July 24, 2013 during the 88th Annual Chincoteague Pony Swim. A portion of the herd will be auctioned on Thursday. (Photo by Jay Diem/Eastern Shore News)

A child attends a training session in a swimming pool on July 10, 2007 in Wuhan of Hubei Province, China. (Photo by China Photos/Getty Images)

Model, skydiver and wing-suit jumper Roberta Mancino, 33, swims with a whale shark on February 2014 in Isla Mujeres, Mexico. A female skydiver swims with whale sharks, manta rays and sailfish – the fastest fish in the sea. Model, skydiver and wing-suit jumper Roberta Mancino, 33, jumped from a boat into the ocean surrounding Isla Mujeres near the northern Peninsula of Mexico. The incredible project involved two trips to the stormy winter seas – one in February 2013 and one a year later in February 2014. (Photo by Shawn Heinrichs/Barcroft Media)