A girl watches as a man jumps to cool off at a swimming pool in the village of Zllakuqan near the town of Klina on July 9, 2024. (Photo by Armend Nimani/AFP Photo)
Big wave surfers on their jet skis in front of a surf of a huge wave on the rock of Sao Miguel Arcanjo fort and Nazare lighthouse during a surfing session at Praia do Norte on January 27, 2025 in Nazare, Portugal. (Photo by Stefan Matzke - sampics/Corbis via Getty Images)
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 star-spangled spectator takes in a perfect Sunday afternoon, November 3, 2024 for stock-car racing. About 50,000 fans turned up for Sunday afternoon’s Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia. (Photo by Lauren Caulk/The Guardian)
A curious grey seal investigates photographer Brian Matthews at Lundy Island off the north Devon coast, July 2024. *Photo by Brian Matthews/Solent News)
Costumed revellers walk in the streets of Lucerne during the annual carnival parade on Rose Monday March 3, 2014. (Photo by Sigi Tischler/AP Photo/Keystone)
Dancers audition for a post as cheerleaders of the Miami Dolphins, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Thursday, March 3, 2016. Brazilian dancers audition in the first international cheerleader recruitment for the Miami Dolphins in Rio de Janeiro. The Dolphins will also hold auditions in Colombia, Argentina, Mexico and South of Florida. (Photo by Felipe Dana/AP Photo)
The “EMIEW3” robot (R) demonstrates communicating with a visitor during a press preview in Tokyo on April 8, 2016. Japanese electronics giant Hitachi unveiled its humanoid customer service and guidance robot “EMIEW3” and “remote brain” robotics IT platform. (Photo by Toshifumi Kitamura/AFP Photo)