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 person looks at Australian artist Ron Muecks large-scale installation “Mass” which comprises more than 100 hand-cast skulls that collectively weigh approximately 5000 kilograms at an exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) in Melbourne on May 18, 2022. (Photo by William West/AFP Photo)

Re-enactors use flaming torches to write 2023 during the Flamborough Fire Festival, a Viking themed parade in aid of charities and local community groups held on New Year’s Eve on December 31, 2022. (Photo by Danny Lawson/PA Wire via Getty Images)

An adult helps a young girl light a cigarette as a band plays in the background in the village of Vale de Salgueiro, northern Portugal, during the local Kings' Feast Friday, January 5, 2018. The village's Epiphany celebrations, called Kings' Feast, feature a tradition that each year causes an outcry among outsiders: parents encourage their children, some as young as 5, to smoke cigarettes. (Photo by Armando Franca/AP Photo)

Here are the bravest of the brave in 2016. Weve gathered some of the finest images showing daredevils taking their lives into their own hands and going to the very brink this year. Whether they are perched hundreds of feet up on a high wire, courageously clinging to a rockface or taking on a volcano, these adventurers take the breath away. Here: Morgane Choquet and Samuel Cobb relax in a vertical campsite on the slopes of El Capitan, Yosemite National Park. (Photo by Alexandre Eggermont/Caters News)

A supporter dressed as flamingo cheers on the riders during the 12th stage of the 102nd Giro d'Italia – Tour of Italy – cycle race, 158kms from Cuneo to Pinerolo on May 23, 2019. (Photo by Marco Bertorello/AFP Photo)

Firls attend Sunday Mass at Sacre-Coeur church, in Port-au-Prince, Sunday, July 11, 2021, four days after President Jovenel Moise was assassinated in his home. (Photo by Joseph Odelyn/AP Photo)

A model presents a creation for a make-up styling show by Mao Geping at China Fashion Week in Beijing, China March 26, 2018. (Photo by Jason Lee/Reuters)