Honorable Mention / 2024 / Nature / Underwater

• Photographer
  João Pompeu, Brazil

A green turtle (Chelonia mydas) after breathing on the surface of the water. In the calm and hot waters of the Brazilian coast, this endangered species finds peace of mind to feed and live before starting their long journey to reproduce elsewhere. Hunting, overfishing, ghost nets and plastic pollution are the main threats to sea turtles, but their protection in São Paulo state´s coast, Brazil, shows that it is possible to ensure a better future for these animals and the ecosystem they rely on and, at the same time, shape.