Claudio Contreras / Laysan albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis) calling mate,Guadalupe Island Biosphere Reserve, off the coast of Baja California, Mexico, March

Claudio Contreras / Guadalupe fur seal (Arctocephalus townsendi) male fighting, Guadalupe Island Biosphere Reserve, off the coast of Baja California, Mexico, April

Claudio Contreras / Caribbean flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber) courtship display, Ria Celestun Biosphere Reserve, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, January

Claudio Contreras / Caribbean flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) feeding crop milk to chick, Ria Lagartos Biosphere Reserve, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, June

Claudio Contreras / Caribbean flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) chick stretching wings, watched by adult, at nest in breeding colony, Ria Lagartos Biosphere Reserve, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, June

Claudio Contreras / Caribbean flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) chick stretching wings on nest in breeding colony, Ria Lagartos Biosphere Reserve, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, June

Claudio Contreras / Caribbean flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) standing on nest in breeding colony, Ria Lagartos Biosphere Reserve, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, July

Claudio Contreras / Caribbean flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber) adults and chicks in breeding colony, Ria Lagartos Biosphere Reserve, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, June

Claudio Contreras / Caribbean flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) feeding crop milk to chick, Ria Lagartos Biosphere Reserve, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, June

Claudio Contreras / Caribbean flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) chick peering from under the wing of protective parent, breeding colony, Ria Lagartos Biosphere Reserve, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, June. Bookplate.

Claudio Contreras / Bluehead Wrasse (Thalassoma bifasciatum) juvenile cleaning Smooth Trunkfish (Lactophrys triqueter), Banco Chinchorro Biosphere Reserve, Caribbean region, Mexico, May

Claudio Contreras / Cuban Iguana (Cyclura nubila nubila), Guanahacabibes Peninsula National Park, Pinar del Rio Province, western Cuba.

Claudio Contreras / Cuban green woodpecker (Xiphidiopicus percussus), Guanahacabibes Peninsula National Park, Pinar del Rio Province, western Cuba.

Claudio Contreras / Foureye butterflyfish (Chaetodon capistratus) couple feeding on coral, Guanahacabibes Peninsula National Park, Pinar del Rio Province, western Cuba.

Claudio Contreras / Desmarest's hutia (Capromys pilorides doceleguas), Jardines de la Reina / Gardens of the Queen National Park, Caribbean Sea, Ciego de Avila, Cuba.

Claudio Contreras / Cuban / Clouded rock iguana (Cyclura nubila), Jardines de la Reina / Gardens of the Queen National Park, Caribbean Sea, Ciego de Avila, Cuba.

Claudio Contreras / Silky Shark (Carcharhinus falciformis) with hook, Jardines de la Reina / Gardens of the Queen National Park, Caribbean Sea, Ciego de Avila, Cuba.

Claudio Contreras / Black grouper (Mycteroperca bonaci), and Caribbean Reef Shark (Carcharhinus perezi), Jardines de la Reina / Gardens of the Queen National Park, Caribbean Sea, Ciego de Avila, Cuba.

Claudio Contreras / Black grouper (Mycteroperca bonaci), and Caribbean Reef Shark (Carcharhinus perezi), Jardines de la Reina / Gardens of the Queen National Park, Caribbean Sea, Ciego de Avila, Cuba.

Claudio Contreras / American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus), Jardines de la Reina / Gardens of the Queen National Park, Caribbean Sea, Ciego de Avila, Cuba.

Claudio Contreras / Caribbean Reef Shark (Carcharhinus perezi) group of three, Jardines de la Reina / Gardens of the Queen National Park, Caribbean Sea, Ciego de Avila, Cuba.

Claudio Contreras / Pederson cleaner shrimp (Periclimenes pedersoni), Cienaga de Zapata National Park, Matanzas Province, Cuba.

Claudio Contreras / Flamingo Tongue (Cyphoma gibbosum), on featherstar, Cienaga de Zapata National Park, Matanzas Province, Cuba.

Claudio Contreras / Californian sea lion (Zalophus californianus) swimming in Southern sea palm (Eisenia arborea) and Giant Kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) forest, San Benitos Islands, Baja California Pacific Islands Biosphe...

Claudio Contreras / Catalina Desert Iguana (Dipsosaurus catalinensis), Catalina (Santa Catalina) Island, Loreto Bay National Park, Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez), Baja California, Mexico, May, Second place in Visions...

Claudio Contreras / California condor (Gymnogyps californianus), portrait. California condor recovery program, Sierra de San Pedro Martir National Park, Baja California Peninsula, Mexico.

Claudio Contreras / California condor (Gymnogyps californianus), two peched in tree, adult and juvenile. California condor recovery program, Sierra de San Pedro Martir National Park, Baja California Peninsula, Mexico.

Claudio Contreras / Devil's hand Tree (Chiranthodendron pentadactylon) flower, Filo de Caballos, Sierra Madre del Sur, southern Mexico, March

Claudio Contreras / Mantled howler monkey (Alouatta pigra), Yaxchilan Natural Monument, Lacandon Rainforest, southern Mexico, July

Claudio Contreras / Central American spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi) juveniles hanging by tails and playing, Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, August

Claudio Contreras / Puente de Dios cascades, Tamasopo, Huasteca Region, Mexico, August

Claudio Contreras / Broadfoot mushroomtongue salamander (Bolitoglossa platydactyla), Catemaco Lake, Los Tuxtlas Rainforest, Mexico, July

Claudio Contreras / Grey whale (Eschrichtius robustus) eye, Magdalena Bay, Baja California, Mexico, February. Winner in the Ocean Views category of the 2018 Nature's Best Winland Smith Rice Awards.

Claudio Contreras / Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) swimming, Guerrero Negro, El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve, Baja California, Mexico, March

Claudio Contreras / Grey whale (Eschrichtius robustus) calf, San Ignacio Lagoon, El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve, Baja California, Mexico, February

Claudio Contreras / Grey whale (Eschrichtius robustus) calf, San Ignacio Lagoon, El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve, Baja California, Mexico, March

Claudio Contreras / Grey whale (Eschrichtius robustus) breaching, San Ignacio Lagoon, El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve, Baja California, Mexico, March

Claudio Contreras / Grey whale (Eschrichtius robustus) tail, San Ignacio Lagoon, El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve, Baja California, Mexico, March

Claudio Contreras / Olive Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) nesting, Arribada (mass nesting event), Playa Morro Ayuta, Oaxaca state, southern Mexico. Vulnerable species.

Claudio Contreras / Black grouper (Mycteroperca bonaci) and Caribbean Reef Shark (Carcharhinus perezi), Jardines de la Reina / Gardens of the Queen National Park, Caribbean Sea, Ciego de Avila, Cuba, January

Claudio Contreras / American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus), underwater, Jardines de la Reina / Gardens of the Queen National Park, Caribbean Sea, Ciego de Avila, Cuba, January. Vulnerable species.

Claudio Contreras / Silky shark (Carcharhinus falciformis) two swimming together, Jardines de la Reina / Gardens of the Queen National Park, Caribbean Sea, Ciego de Avila, Cuba, January. Vulnerable species.

Claudio Contreras / Prickly pear (Opuntia sp.) growing on coastline, Socorro Island, Revillagigedo Archipelago National Park (Socorro Islands), Pacific Ocean, Western Mexico, November, Honorary Mention in the third natio...

Claudio Contreras / Caribbean Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) building up mud whilst brooding egg, breeding colony, Ria Lagartos Biosphere Reserve, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, June, Finalist in the Portfolio Category of...

Claudio Contreras / Caribbean Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) feeding three day old chick at breeding colony, Ria Lagartos Biosphere Reserve, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, June, June, Finalist in the Portfolio Category of t...

Claudio Contreras / Caribbean Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) rolling egg to side in the nest, Ria Lagartos Biosphere Reserve, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, June, June, Finalist in the Portfolio Category of the Terre Sauvag...

Claudio Contreras / Caribbean Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) breeding colony, Ria Lagartos Biosphere Reserve, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, June. Finalist in the Portfolio Category of the Terre Sauvage Nature Images Awards...

Claudio Contreras / Young girl face to face with Peninsular Pronghorn Antelope (Antilocapra americana peninsularis) fawn at Peninsular Pronghorn recovery project, El Vizcaino Desert Biosphere Reserve, Baja California Pen...