Meet the real beach babes: the herd of pigs that live a life of luxury paddling in the crystal clear waters of the Bahamas, on August 28, 2013. (Photo by Caters News)

Prepare yourself for some rib-tickling laughter because the Comedy Wildlife Awards has announced its finalists. Founded by Tanzania-based photographers Paul Joynson-Hicks MBE and Tom Sullam, the aim of the awards is to put a spotlight on wildlife conservation efforts while simultaneously injecting some humour into the world of wildlife photography. Here: Mountains Gorilla is making grimaces, as he came out of the bush after the rain, in Virunga National Park, Rwanda. (Photo by Josef Friedhuber/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards/Barcroft Media)

Medical staff react outside Queen Elizabeth Hospital during the Clap for our Carers campaign in support of the NHS, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, in Birmingham, Britain, April 23, 2020. (Photo by Carl Recine/Reuters)

An Orthodox believer kisses an icon during a pilgrimage celebrating the icon of St. Nicholas in the village of Velikoretskoye in Kirov Region, Russia on June 6, 2021. At least 17 thousand pilgrims, loaded with backpacks and some of them barefoot, took part in a five-day and 150-kilometer-long journey from Kirov to the village of Velikoretskoye, according to the local media. (Photo by Alexey Malgavko/Reuters)

Italian singer Elodie performs on stage at the Ariston theatre during the 71st Sanremo Italian Song Festival, in Sanremo, Italy, 03 March 2021. The festival runs from 02 to 06 March. (Photo by Ettore Ferrari/EPA/EFE)

With its huge eyes, comical name and diminutive size, Mark R. Smith’s image of a baby Hawaiian bobtail squid can’t help but raise a smile. A curiously endearing creature, the cephalopod is just 1.5cm across, its mantle cavity bearing more than a passing resemblance to a rather natty shower cap. But it is also a beautiful example of symbiosis – nature’s version of “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine” – for on the underside of the squid is a light organ which houses bioluminescent bacteria. The squid offers the bacteria protection and food, while the bacteria emit a glow – a handy trait that the squid uses to offset its silhouette, helping it to evade predators in the depths below. Mark R. Smith’s entry combines several images of a Hawaiian bobtail squid with different focus lengths to create a final picture with greater depth of field than normal. (Photo by Mark R. Smith/Wellcome Images/Macroscopic Solutions)

Mini-pigs perform during the presentation in Balashikha, Russia on December 19, 2018. (Photo by Maxim Shemetov/Reuters)

A farmer harvests broccoli in the town of al-Ansariyeh south of Sidon, Lebanon March 15, 2016. (Photo by Ali Hashisho/Reuters)