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)

Youths pose for a photo, while doing their homework in an area once home to chop houses, where gangs dismembered enemies, but is now a “humanitarian space” in Buenaventura, Colombia, Wednesday, August 16, 2023. (Photo by Fernando Vergara/AP Photo)

British singer-songwriter Rita Ora performs during Manchester Pride 2024 on August 24, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Shirlaine Forrest/Getty Images)

A tiger enjoys frozen food at Rome Zoological Garden “Bioparco” during a heat wave in Rome on July 2, 2025. (Photo by Tiziana Fabi/AFP Photo)

Cuban-Spanish actress Ana de Armas, who played Cuban secret agent Paloma in 2021’s “No Time to Die”. (Photo by Sportsphoto Ltd./Allstar)

English media personality and model Katie Price during a photoshoot in Ibiza for upcoming calendar, on Thursday, April 11, 2019. (Photo by GTres/Splash News and Pictures)

An Indian nomadic shepherd from the western Rajasthan state guides his flock of sheep through an access road in Greater Noida, outskirts of New Delhi, India, Tuesday, December 5, 2017. Looking for suitable pasture lands for grazing, shepherds migrate their flocks over extensive areas in the same state or to neighboring states in India. (Photo by R.S. Iyer/AP Photo)

Russian cadet preparing before the International Kremlin Cadet Ball in Moscow, Russia 12 December 2017. More than 1500 students from all Russian cadets school attend in Cadet Ball. (Photo by Yuri Kochetkov/EPA/EFE)