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)

People make a heart shaped gesture as they look at the first sunrise of the year during New Year's celebrations at a park on January 1, 2023 in Seoul, South Korea. Seoul's New Years celebrations returns this year after it was cancelled during the Covid Pandemic. (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)

A French bulldog wears a costume at the annual Pet Expo 2021 in Bangkok, Thailand on November 25, 2021. (Photo by Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters)

Madonna's daughter, singer Lourdes Leon attends the Mugler H&M global launch event at the Park Avenue Armory on Wednesday, April 19, 2023, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP Photo)

Norway's Casper Ruud jumps in a swimming pool after winning the Barcelona Open in the final match against Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas in Barcelona, Spain, on April 21, 2024. (Photo by Albert Gea/Reuters)

An aerial view of a man standing on Lake Tuz, Turkiye's second largest lake, during sunset in Ankara, Turkiye on April 22, 2024. The lake, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List with its unique natural structure, welcomes many local and foreign tourists every year as it provides 70 per cent of the country's salt needs. (Photo by Hakan Nural/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Brazil's Camila Muller during the Women's 400m – T11 Round 1 at the Stade de France on day two of the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games on Friday, August 30, 2024. (Photo by Adam Davy/PA Wire)

Racegoers shelter from the rain as they attend on the second day of the Grand National Festival horse race meeting at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, north-west England, on April 14, 2023. (Photo by Oli Scarff/AFP Photo)