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)

Aerial view of people circling around bonfires to celebrate the Torch Festival on Axilixi Prairie on July 20, 2024 in Bijie, Guizhou Province of China. (Photo by Luo Dafu/VCG via Getty Images)

Demonstrators kiss in front of police, during a protest on the day Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was jailed as part of a corruption investigation, in Istanbul, Turkey, on March 23, 2025. (Photo by Umit Bektas/Reuters)

Children play in artificial snow as they visit NightGarden, an annual holiday experience featuring thousands of lights and special effects, at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Friday, November 15, 2024, in Coral Gables, Fla. (Photo by Rebecca Blackwell/AP Photo)

A hummingbird drinks from a flower in a garden on the outfield lawn before a spring training baseball game between the Kansas City Royals and the Athletics, Monday, February 24, 2025, in Surprise, Ariz. (Photo by Lindsey Wasson/AP Photo)

A mahout carrying leaves rides an elephant along a street in Amritsar on February 27, 2024. (Photo by Narinder Nanu/AFP Photo)

Waka Tsukiyama and Sayaka Unagi compete during the Women's Pro-Wrestling “Stardom” at Korakuen Hall on September 06, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)

A Pug sleeps during the American Kennel Club's (AKC) Meet the Breeds event in New York, U.S., January 29, 2023. (Photo by Jeenah Moon/Reuters)