Junior Lambrechts has his face painted in preparation for the Cape Minstrel Carnival in Cape Town, South Africa on January 2, 2023. (Photo by Shelley Christians/Reuters)

A reveller from Unidos do Viradouro samba school performs during the first night of the Carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 23, 2022. (Photo by Amanda Perobelli/Reuters)

A performer from the Imperatriz samba school takes part in the first night of Rio's Carnival at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro on March 4, 2019. (Photo by Carl de Souza/AFP Photo)

A child coated in silver body paint, smiles during the “Loucura Suburbana”, or Suburban Madness pre-Carnival parade, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Thursday, February 8, 2024. (Photo by Bruna Prado/AP Photo)

A boy attends the “Bloco da Lama” (Block of Mud) group during the carnival festivities, in Paraty, Brazil on February 11, 2024. (Photo by Pilar Olivares/Reuters)

Raquel Poti poses for photographers during the “Amigos da Onça” street party on the second day of Carnival on February 10, 2024 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Buda Mendes/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 street entertainer waits for tourists in Havana, Cuba on October 2009. (Photo by Desmond Boylan/Reuters)