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)

Twiggy the Water-Skiing Squirrel is an animal novelty act, featuring a squirrel who skis around a heated pool. The act began in 1979 by Chuck and Lou Ann Best and started with an appearance on Real People. It has been featured on numerous television shows, newspaper articles, and websites.

There's something inherently Ghibli-esque about Chong FeiGiap's beautiful paintings, capturing that sense of wonder typically present in the best animes the studio had to offer, as well as a dash of Tekkon Kinkreet's amazingly colorful, complex cities.

There is an endless bounty of eye-catching gemstones throughout the world and this spectacular boulder opal is one unique beauty that looks like a shimmering crystal encased in a tree fossil. Its opalescent sheen seeps through the cracks of the seemingly wooden rings in lustrous hues of emerald green and aqua blue. Like something out of a fairy tale, the triangular piece radiates through an organic pattern mimicking the growth rings of tree.

“In anatomy, heterochromia refers to a difference in coloration, usually of the iris (but also of hair or skin). Although infrequently seen in humans, complete heterochromia is more frequently observed in other species, where it almost always involves one blue eye”. – Wikipedia (Photo by StooMathiesen)