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)

This shot, which was announced the winner by the on December 2, 2022 came top in the People and Nature category of the British Ecological Society’s Capturing Ecology photography competition. (Photo by British Ecological Society)

Pic shows two males tigers sparring for dominance over a female in the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve in Chandrapur district of Maharashtra state in India on Monday, January 16, 2023. The spectacular images of the big cats were taken by Narayan Malu who was just 150 yards from the action. (Photo by Narayan Malu/Magnus News)

Naruemol Thonglek, right, with her daughter, waits for news of her partner, who is missing after the collapse of an under-construction high-rise building after an earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, Monday, March, 31, 2025. (Photo by Manish Swarup/AP Photo)

Farmers feed crabs under Metasequoia at the Sihong County Ecological Breeding Base in Suqian City, Jiangsu Province, China, on November 19, 2025. (Photo by Costfoto/NurPhoto/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

Figurative lanterns for Lunar New Year hang over a road to mark the upcoming Year of the Ox in Singapore on January 19, 2021. (Photo by Roslan Rahman/AFP Photo)

In this Thursday, November 1, 2018, photo, a girl uses a hammer to crack open shells for edible seeds to sell as snacks in Yangon, Myanmar. A United Nations report says some 486 million people are malnourished in Asia and the Pacific, and progress in alleviating hunger is stalling. (Photo by Thein Zaw/AP Photo)

Students participate in a yoga practice session ahead of International Yoga Day, at a school in Ahmedabad on June 17, 2022. (Photo by Sam Panthaky/AFP Photo)