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 street entertainer waits for tourists in Havana, Cuba on October 2009. (Photo by Desmond Boylan/Reuters)

The photography duo of Floto+Warner created the series, “Colorant”, from an idea that stemmed out of a previous series and the fascination of landscapes, with results that leave one in awe. Creating shapes, not experienced in nature, they tossed colored water in the air to capture “a momentary graffiti of air and space”. Using a high shutter speed to capture these fleeting moments, Floto/Warner has produced a multi-medium series with jaw-dropping results. Photo: “Orange Salt Flats”. (Photo by Floto/Warner)

With their affinity for hunting, sneaking, and hidden blade-like retractable claw, cats are really the assassins of the animal world. They're not as intimidating when they're kittens dressed up as assassins from the upcoming Assassin's Creed Unity, but what they lack in deadliness they more than make up for in cuteness. YouTube user Mr.TVCow posted the video, in which four hooded kittens hunt down a french soldier, much like like in a number of trailers for Assassin's Creed Unity. They use their eagle vision ability, parkour after their target, and perform lethal aerial assassinations, and yes, it's as unbearably adorable as it sounds.

In this November 17, 2014 photo, Pancho, a domesticated huitia, confronts a camera, in Bainoa, Cuba. With their rope-like, dark tails, long front teeth, and whiskers that appear to be vibrating, huitias look like giant rats. They measure nearly a foot long (about 30 centimeters), with the largest ones weighing in bigger than a small dog. (Photo by Ramon Espinosa/AP Photo)

A street in the Cuban capital, Havana, is home to 12 sets of twins, ranging from toddlers to senior citizens. Some say it could be something in the water. Others point to a tree with mystical significance for locals. And maybe it's just chance. Photo: In this September 29, 2013 photo, nine-year-old twin sisters Camila, left, and Carla Rodriguez pose for a portrait along their street in Havana, Cuba. 12 sets of twins live along two consecutive blocks in western Havana, ranging in age from newborns to senior citizens. “We love living on this block because we have twin friends”, said Carla. (Photo by Ramon Espinosa/AP Photo)

Supporters of former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide dance and drum as they wait near the airport for his expected arrival from Cuba, where he underwent medical treatment, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, July 16, 2021. Aristide's return adds a potentially volatile element to an already tense situation in a country facing a power vacuum following the July 7 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. (Photo by Fernando Llano/AP Photo)

Cuban girls dressed as nurses and a lizard wait for their turn to dance during a visit by the Gay Men's Chorus of Washington in Havana July 13, 2015. The choir made its first appearance on July 12, 2015 in Cuba as part of a tour that will include a dozen concerts in the context of the restoration of relations between the island and the United States. (Photo by Enrique de la Osa/Reuters)