A close-up portrait of an American crocodile surrounded by luscious mangroves has won this year’s Mangrove Photographer of the Year Awards, run by the Mangrove Action Project. The image was captured by Tanya Houppermans in Cuba. The competition is now in its 8th year, and over 2,000 images were submitted from 68 countries. The images reveal “fascinating insights into the world of mangroves, while challenging us to consider both our place in the natural world and our responsibility to protect it.” Check out the winning images below.
Mangrove Photographer of the Year
Guardian of the Mangroves – Overall Winner – Tanya Houppermans, Cuba
‘‘Guardian of the Mangroves’ captures an intimate moment when a curious American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) swam right up to Tanya Houppermans, and allowed her into its world of luscious mangroves at Gardens of the Queen (Jardines De La Reina). Gardens of the Queen is an archipelago off the coast of Cuba 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,” says Tanya.
Mangroves & Humans
Honey Hunters – Winner – Muhammad Mostafigur Rahman, Bangladesh
Mangroves & Landscape
Walakiri Dancing Trees – Winner – Loïc Dupuis, Indonesia
Mangroves & Wildlife
Take Off – Winner – Jayakumar MN, UAE
Mangroves & Underwater
Blue Crab – Winner– Martin Broen, Mexico
Mangroves & Conservation
New Normal – Winner– Kei Miyamoto, Indonesia
Young Mangrove Photographer of the Year
Healthy Ecosystem – Winner– Fakhrizal Setiawan, Indonesia
Mangroves & Stories
Mangrove Restoration Project in Bonaire – Winner – Lorenzo Mittiga, Netherlands Antilles See all the entries over in the full mangrove gallery here.
