A pilgrim holds up the cross after it was thrown by an Orthodox priest into the water, during an epiphany ceremony to bless the sea, on the southeast resort of Ayia Napa, Cyprus, Friday, January 6, 2023. By tradition, a crucifix is cast into the waters of a lake or river, and it is believed that the person who retrieves it will be freed from evil spirits and will be healthy through the year. (Photo by Petros Karadjias/AP Photo)

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)

A pet dog reacts while wearing a “Voltes V” themed costume during a “Pawshion Show” to mark World Animal Day in Marikina City, Metro Manila, Philippines 04 October 2023. A village in Marikina enjoined owners and animal lovers to play dress-up with their pets and participate in a fashion-show themed activity to entertain the community on World Animal Day and mark the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals in the Roman Catholic religion. (Photo by Rolex Dela Pena/EPA)

People clean up debris at a traditional market damaged by flood after torrential rain on August 09, 2022 in Seoul, South Korea. The heaviest rainfall in 80 years has pounded Seoul and surrounding regions, leaving seven people dead and six others missing, as well as flooding homes, vehicles, buildings and subway stations, government officials said. (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)

Members of a newly-formed “Siberian Battalion” within the Ukrainian Armed Forces take part in a military training exercise outside Kyiv on October 24, 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. A newly formed “Siberian Battalion” as part of the International Legion within the Ukrainian Armed Forces is made up of Russians who have come to fight against their fellow citizens. They were a varied group-both ethnic Russians with long-standing opposition views and members of minority ethnic groups. (Photo by Genya Savilov/AFP Photo)

A Christmas Tree goes up in flames in a controlled-setting demonstration by the Glendale Fire Department on December 13, 2023, in Glendale, California. Firefighters showed how quickly a dried-out tree can ignite. According to the National Fire Protection Administration, Christmas trees account for hundreds of fires each year, often ignited by shorts in electrical lights or open flames from candles, lighters or matches. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown/AFP Photo)

A bully greenfinch (left) got its comeuppance when a small but fiery dunnock (right) defended itself with its talons in Suffolk, United Kingdom on April 18, 2022. The smaller bird was perched peacefully before the finch burst onto the scene and aggressively squared up to the dunnock. But as the finch tried to peck at the dunnock, the small brown bird expertly used its foot to slam its mouth shut. (Photo by Paul Sawer/Solent News & Photo Agency)

A male green anole lizard flares his throat fan in a backyard in Cary, North Carolina on April 27, 2021. This pink section is actually a thin flap of skin that hangs down below the green anole's throat. Anoles are renowned for their displays in which they do pushups, bob their heads up and down, and unfurl their colorful dewlaps. The male anole uses it for two primary purposes: to protect his territory and attract a mate. (Photo by Bob Karp/ZUMA Press Wire/Alamy Live News)