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)

In this February 5, 2014 photo, Divaldo Aguiar, who plays the part of Pachencho, is carried in a mock coffin during the Burial of Pachencho celebration, through a cemetery in Santiago de Las Vegas, Cuba. Cuban villagers stage a mock funeral and burial of Pachencho, with a living man playing the part of Pachencho, in a boozy festival that has become an annual tradition in this small town near Havana, held each February 5 for the last 30 years. (Photo by Enric Marti/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)

A cadet from the Interior Ministry with the word Fidel painted on her face attends a rally honoring the late Cuban leader at the Revolution Plaza in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, November 29, 2016. Schools and government offices were closed Tuesday for a second day of homage to Fidel Castro, with the day ending in a rally on the wide plaza where the Cuban leader delivered fiery speeches to mammoth crowds in the years after he seized power.Fidel Castro passed away Friday Nov. 25. He was 90. (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)

Locals watch from the beach as waves hit an Indonesian tanker that ran aground near Narathiwat in southern Thailand December 19, 2014. The tanker loaded with palm oil, previously hijacked by its crew members and then seized by Thai authorities, was anchored some 400 meters from the beach but strong wind and waves broke it free, according to local media. (Photo by Surapan Boonthanom/Reuters)

These surfing penguins are making waves as they glide gracefully across the ocean.They are showcasing their talent as they arrive on the East Coast beach of New Island in the Falklands.The penguins are of the gentoo species, characterised by their bright orange bills and the distinctive white stripes on their heads. The dazzling images were captured by amateur photographer Shanu Subra, during a 26 day ecology expedition. Here: a lone penguin balancing cooly on a single foot as it catches a wave. (Photo by Shanu Subra/Solent News/SIPA Press)

Dramatic aerial image show a Scots vessel slowly sinking beneath the waves after it hit a “black spot” in the North Sea mid-voyage. Ocean Maid BA55 capsizing amidst the waves after it ran aground off the shore of Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, area of Scotland on yesterday morning, October 24, 2022. Fraserburgh Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) rescued the four crew members from the shipwreck at 5:56 am, guiding them into lifeboats as they escaped the keeling ship. (Photo by Deadline News)