Secrets of the mangrove forests: the best photographs of the Mangrove Photography Awards 2023 (23 photos)

After weeks of deliberation, the jury announced the winners of the 9th Mangrove Photography Awards. “Year after year, creative people continue to inspire us with stunning images that help raise awareness of the people and wildlife that depend on mangrove forests, the threats facing ecosystems, and why urgent action is needed to protect them,” it says. project website.





1. Main winner: “The most beautiful “flower” of mangrove forests”, Soham Bhattacharya, India



The photo shows a young Bengal tigress making her way through the mangroves.

According to some estimates, only 200 of these magnificent animals live in the Sundarbans. The critically endangered Bengal tigers are the only tigers adapted to life in mangrove habitats.

Unfortunately, the largest mangrove forest in the world is also in danger of extinction: over the past three decades, almost 25% of the area (136.77 sq. km) has been lost due to erosion and human impact.

2. Prize-winner in the category "Mangroves and Landscape": "Pink Mangrove Lagoon", Felipe Santander, Colombia

Unique temperature conditions, minerals and algae turn this lagoon in Colombia pink. Photographer Felipe Santander spent four days and 15 drone charges to capture the perfect shot of birds flying over a pink lake.

3. Winner in the category "Young Photographer of the Year": "Eye Contact", Katanyu Wuttichaitanakorn, Thailand



A mudskipper is pictured on the edge of a mangrove forest in Samut Sakorn province, Thailand. Thanks to their pectoral fins, these amphibious fish are able to move on land.

4. Mangroves and Wildlife Winner: Disguise, Chien Li, Colombia



In the mangrove forest of Colombia's Utria National Park, a giant gray nightjar, sitting motionless on its nest, is almost indistinguishable from the surrounding branches.

5. Winner in the category "Mangroves and underwater life": "The Life of a Lemon Shark", Anita Kainrath, Bahamas



A young lemon shark swims in the mangrove forests of the Bahamas. This shark species is the most studied, thanks to over 30 years of research conducted by the Bimini Shark Lab.

"Lemon sharks spend the first 4-6 years of their lives in shallow waters, where mangrove forests protect them from large predators. They make friends with their relatives and learn to hunt. They are very beautiful, smart, curious and clumsy. Mangrove forests create an ideal ecosystem and are the place for them habitat, as well as many other species."

6. Mangroves and Threats Winner: Plastic Theatre, Emanuel Biggie, Malaysia



"Pom Pom Island is a desecrated paradise, this small island and its coral reef are buried in tons of plastic from Borneo, especially from the town of Semporna."

7. Mangrove and Landscape Winner: Roots, Cristiano Martins Xavier, Brazil



Brazil has extensive mangrove ecosystems along its coast, representing about 7% of the world's mangrove forest area. As in many other parts of the world, mangrove forests are threatened by logging, pollution and the effects of climate change, such as rising sea levels.

8. Winner, Mangroves and People: Sephora, the Shellfish Diver, Chris Pannekoeke, Democratic Republic of the Congo



The mangrove reserve in the province of Bas-Congo is a real labyrinth of islets and channels where turtles and manatees live. Women like Sephora dive here for shellfish to depths of up to four meters. She spends hours on the Congo River until her canoe is filled with catch, then sells the shellfish meat on skewers in the towns of Moanda and Boma.

9. "Mangrove forests and landscape", high praise: "Courtship", Shane Gross, Bahamas



Nurse sharks gather in the quiet Bahamian mangroves to mate. "I was sleeping in my tent on a nearby beach when I heard splashing just before dawn. I grabbed my camera and ran outside to see sharks mating in knee-deep water."

10. Mangrove and Conservation Category Winner: Mangrove Women, Jason Florio, Gambia



The Gambia River mangroves are critical to the ecosystem and benefit local oyster harvesters. The TRY Oyster Women's Association plays an important role in protecting the sites by educating its members about mangrove stewardship and sustainable harvesting, as well as participating in reforestation.

11. Prize-winner in the category “Mangrove Forests and Conservation”: “Women of the Mangrove Forests”, Jason Florio, Gambia



12. Prize-winner in the category “Mangrove forests and people”: “In the forest”, Phan Thi Khanh, Vietnam



Fisherman in winter mangroves in Hue, Vietnam.

Ru Cha is a mangrove forest that is considered the "green lung" of Tam Giang Lagoon. At different times of the year, the landscapes of Ru Cha have their own charm. In winter, the trees shed their leaves, revealing thin white trunks. This sight resembles a giant spider's web.

13. Winner in the Mangroves and Wildlife category: Mating Nurse Sharks, Mark Ian Cook, USA



From a helicopter, Mark captured the rarely seen behavior of two large nurse sharks in the shallow waters of mangrove-covered Shark Point in Everglades National Park, Florida.

14. Winner in the category "Mangrove forests and threats": "Coastline cleanup", Gerdi Hutomo, Indonesia



A worker carries a box of trash from the north coast of Jakarta, Indonesia. “All the garbage comes from the river that flows through the city and flows down to the coastline, accumulating in huge quantities, disrupting the growth of mangrove trees.”

15. "Mangrove Forest and Landscape", Highly Commended: "Ancient and Modern Lights", Aaron Ruy Musa, Philippines



City lights, the Milky Way and the Lyrid meteor shower line up behind the mangrove trees.

16. "Mangroves and Underwater Life", Highly Commended: "Face to Face", Valentina Cucchiara, Mexico



A manatee feeds on the bottom of a shallow lagoon in Mexico. Vessel traffic, deforestation and pollution all threaten manatees and their habitats. Manatees are attracted to mangroves because they provide them with reliable shelter for resting, raising their young, and searching for food.

17. "Mangroves and Threats", Highly Commended: "Wild and Free", Yordanis Mendez Segura, Cuba



A crocodile was spotted in Ana Maria Bay with its mouth wrapped in fishing line.

18. "Mangroves and People", Highly Commended: "Hope", Sergio Izquierdo, Guatemala



After the palm industry's ecocide flooded Central America's largest mangrove reserve, Manchon Guamuchal, with chemicals, charities and environmentalists led Guatemala's largest animal release. More than 300 animals were released into the wild.

19. "Mangroves and the Underwater World", Highly Commended: "Attachment", Puttarat Horwang, Indonesia



Colorful soft corals grow on the roots of mangrove trees in the crystal clear waters off the Raja Ampat islands.

20. Winner in the category "Mangroves and the underwater world": "Forest meets reef", Brook Pike, Indonesia



A lush mangrove forest grows against the backdrop of a vibrant coral reef off the Raja Ampat Islands. A photograph showing two ecosystems, lifevital to the health of our ocean.

21. Mangroves and the Underwater World, Highly Commended: Baby Shark Nursery, Shane Gross, Bahamas



"At high tide, baby lemon sharks hide from larger sharks in the roots of mangrove trees. At low tide, when the water becomes too shallow for large fish, they swim to the shallows to feed."

22. "Mangrove Forests and Threats", Highly Commended: "View from the Window/Coexistence", Srikumar Krishnan, India



A residential complex near Lake Talave, which is part of the mangrove system. Flamingos fly here every year. More and more of these lakes are disappearing due to development.