2025 Winter
Photo Contest
Entries Are Now Closed
Grand Prize Winners
Our judges have sorted through more than 1,000 photos from over 130 participants, but in the end, could not narrow it down to a single Grand Prize Winner. As a result, we decided to have 2 Grand Prize Winners! Congratulations to Alex Johnson-Jiménez and Michael Kavanaugh, who both win a 3-night stay at Hamanasi for their wonderful submissions. Our judges thought both photos were equally phenomenal. Not only did each of these excellent photographers have incredible winning photos, both had several photos named as honorable mentions, as well.
Don’t forget, our Ocean’s Month Photo Contest begins June 1st! We greatly appreciate every person who takes the time to share photos of their experiences exploring Belize and at Hamanasi.
Grand Prize Winner:
Title: Tropical Reverie
Date: Feb 22, 2025
Location: Hamanasi Birding Tour with Bern
Photographer: Alex Johnson-Jiménez
Here are some judges comments about Alex’s photo:
“This is a perfectly framed photo with beautiful lines.”
“The contrast of the toucan’s colorful plumage and beak against the blue sky and white clouds has a magical quality.”
“This is an iconic Belize photo.”
Photographer Alex Johnson-Jiménez
A native of Albuquerque, NM, he is a camper, hiker, and nature lover who’s always chasing the beauty of the outdoors. As an elementary and middle school teacher, he loves sharing his adventures with his students to help them see the world beyond the classroom. One of his biggest goals is to connect kids from different parts of the world through photography, building a sense of global community and a broader view of the world.
Grand Prize Winner:
Title: The Watchful King
Date: Nov 26, 2024
Location: Sittee River Village
Photographer: Michael Kavanaugh
Here are some judges comments about Michael’s photo:
“There is a powerful intensity to this photo.”
“Everything draws your eyes to the iguana’s eye, which appears to be looking right at you – the viewer being viewed.”
“The details captured of the iguana are exquisite. Its scaly skin, the distinct markings, the frilly spines – incredible.”
Photographer Michael Kavanaugh
Mike is from San Francisco, California and loves to spend his free time roaming the outdoors with his partner Jen in search of beauty and adventure. The son of a biologist and an engineer by trade, he enjoys skiing in the Sierra Nevada, rock/ice/alpine climbing, roaming the California coastline, birdwatching, traveling whenever possible, and raising two great boys. Photography started as a way to record his children's early years and grew into a passion that envelops his many activities and allows him to share the joy that he finds in this life.
Category Winners
Congratulations to the category winners in our 4 categories!
The Underworld, — Carolyn Moutinho,
Architecture — Nika Stone
In The Trees — Co-winners Michael Kavanaugh and Alex Johnson-Jiménez
Life at Hamanasi — Alex Johnson-Jiménez
The Underworld
Architecture
In The Trees
In The Trees
Life at Hamanasi
Category Finalists
Carolyn Moutinho
The Underworld
Michelle Van Stam
The Underworld
Jim Burks
The Underworld
Nika Stone
Architecture
Halle Renn
Architecture
Roxann Hanson
Architecture
Michael Kavanaugh
In the Trees
Alex Alex Johnson-Jiménez
In the Trees
Samantha Holcombe
In the Trees
Jahaira Esquivel
In the Trees
Petula Foley
In the Trees
Amy Irish
Life at Hamanasi
Teagan Alberts
Life at Hamanasi
Alex Alex Johnson-Jiménez
Life at Hamanasi
Honorable Mentions
Joe Sanchez
Architecture
Carolyn Moutinho
The Underworld
Richard Ladd
In the Trees
Michael Kavanaugh
In the Trees
Paige Leban
In the Trees
Loreny Altamirano
In the Trees
Matthew Pennington
Life at Hamanasi
Jennifer Werner
The Underworld
Michelle Van Stam
The Underworld
Michael Kavanaugh
In the Trees
Robert Lax
Architecture
Michael Kavanaugh
In the Trees
Paige Leban
In the Trees
Tami Vinson
Life at Hamanasi
Alex Alex Johnson-Jiménez
In the Trees
Chelsea Leachman
The Underworld
Cuneyt Erbatur
Life at Hamanasi
Marina Shevtsova
In the Trees
Alexis Ruffner
Architecture
Donna Merriam
Architecture
Michael Kavanaugh
In the Trees
Shannon Allerston
Life at Hamanasi
Jim Burks
The Underworld
David Moskowitz
In the Trees
Paige Leban
In the Trees
Lauren Hasan
Life at Hamanasi
Lavetra Morgan
Architecture
Phil Summerfield
The Underworld
Michael Kavanaugh
In the Trees
Phil Summerfield
The Underworld
Keshri Mahadeo
Life at Hamanasi
Samantha Klopp
Life at Hamanasi
Alex Alex Johnson-Jiménez
Architecture
Amanda Mutuwa
Architecture
Cuneyt Erbatur
Architecture
Catherine Farmer
In the Trees
Cristina Marshall
In the Trees
Matthew Pennington
In the Trees
Chelsea Leachman
Architecture
Kevin Browning
Life at Hamanasi
Jim Burks
The Underworld
Brooke DeStazio
Life at Hamanasi
Chelsea Leachman
Architecture
Amanda Mutuwa
The Underworld
Samantha Klopp
Architecture
Carolyn Moutinho
The Underworld
Tony Promiscuo
Life at Hamanasi
Petula Foley
In the Trees
Lavetra Morgan
Architecture
Categories
The Underworld
Anything related to a cave or cave system in Belize.
Architecture
Anything architectural one might see in Belize, from a village home to a Maya pyramid, or architectural shots taken at Hamanasi.
In the Trees
An insect, bird, flower, leaf, animal, person or something else – as long as it is in a tree.
Life at Hamanasi
Your favorite shot of yourself on vacation, or perhaps it was our employees, food, pool, room, or something else that inspired your lens.
Prizes
The Grand Prize winner will receive a 3-night stay at Hamanasi for up to two people in a run of house room, including breakfast and one scheduled rainforest adventure (Mayflower Jungle & Waterfall Hike, Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary & Jaguar Preserve, Cave & Jungle Adventure, Tropical Birding, Red Bank Birding (seasonal), Jungle River Canoeing, Magical Maya History Tour or Jaguar Preserve Night Hike). Each category winner will receive a Hamanasi gift pack. The winning photos will be printed and displayed in a gallery at Hamanasi.
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Our next photo contest is our 2025 Oceans Month Photo Contest. Submissions will be accepted June 1 – July 31, 2025. All photos must be taken within Belize. Categories include:
- Spectacular seascape — a broad composition coral reef, sunrise over the water, island with sea, etc. May include a diver or snorkeler.
- Compact Encounter — An up close, detailed shot capturing a fish portrait, a nudibranch, a seahorse, turtle’s shell, etc.
- Blackwater — an underwater image taken at night, may include a diver or snorkeler.
- Marine life behavior — showing the species doing something other than just swimming, e.g., eating, spawning, mating, etc. May include a diver or snorkeler.
Start collecting your photos now!