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)

Italian dancer and choreographer Graziano Di Prima and Russian dancer and choreographer Katya Jones attend the photocall for the Strictly Come Dancing: The Live Tour 2024 at Utilita Arena Birmingham on January 18, 2024 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images)

A policeman stops a cyclist as demonstrators from Extinction Rebellion (XR) protest during the NATO Summit by blocking the A12 highway in The Hague, The Netherlands, 25 June 2025. The Netherlands, for the first time in NATO's history of existence, is hosting a NATO summit. (Photo by Sebastiaan Barel/EPA)

Rapper Destiny Nicole Frasqueri, known professionally as Princess Nokia performs during the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, U.S., April 22, 2022. (Photo by Maria Alejandra Cardona/Reuters)

“Husky is a general term for several breeds of dogs used as sled dogs. Huskies were originally used as sled dogs in northern regions but are now also kept as pets. The word “husky” is a corruption of the derogative term “Eskie”, also given to the Esquimaux tribes that came into contact with Europeans who made early expeditions into their lands. The most common huskies are the Siberian Husky and the Alaskan Husky”. – Wikipedia

Photo: A husky looks out from his pen as competitors and teams prepare for the 27th annual Aviemore Husky Sled Dog Rally beside Loch Morlich on January 21, 2010 Aviemore, Scotland. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Riders of the Peloton approach a cobbled section near the Arenberg forrest at the 117th Paris-Roubaix cycle race in Wallers, France on April 12, 2019. (Photo by Christophe Petit-Tesson/EPA)

A black-winged stilt patrols a reservoir in Jezreel Valley in Israel early April 2023. Their eggs are a golden colour mottled with brown. (Photo by Itamar Procaccia/Solent News)

Sofia Evangelia Malkogeorgou and Evangelia Platanioti of Greece perform in the duet technical routine of the artistic swimming event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Aquatics Centre in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on August 9, 2024. (Photo by Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters)