Great Photography

[Mac 5]

The space shuttle Endeavour is seen on launch pad 39a as a storm passes at Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral, Florida

Photographer Katrina Bridgeford took this amazing photograph of Brutus, a 5.5m saltwater crocodile, giving a boatload of tourists a moment they'll never forget on the Adelaide River, just over 100km south of Darwin, last week. Ms Bridgeford was on the cruise with sons Jordan, 14, and Dylan Woodward, 11 as well as four-year-old niece Skye Bridgeford and boyfriend Daniel Wilson. Dylan had only two words when the massive man-eater rose out of the water in front of the group: "Holy crap!" The huge saltwater crocodile, which is missing its right front leg, is a favourite with tourists on the Adelaide River Cruises, because he loves his meal of buffalo meat and always puts on a good show for it.

[Mac 5]

Vietnam caves: inside the giant jungle cavern of the Hang Son Doong

These breathtaking images capture the hidden depths of the world's biggest cave passage - so large the end is yet to be found. Hidden in the depths of the Vietnamese jungle lies The Hang Son Doong, part of a network of over 150 caves. Surrounded by jungle and used in the Vietnam war as a hideout from American bombardments, the cave passage is so large that it could hold a block of 40-storey skyscrapers. Its entrance was only rediscovered by British cavers in 2009.

[Mac 5]

Look closely at this photo, and you should be able to make out two young owls waiting for their mother to bring them food. She sails through the night sky ferrying tasty treats such as bugs, worms and even a mouse to her owlets. The stunning picture was taken by patient photographer Horst Jegen, who spent hours waiting in the darkness near Bitburg, Germany for the perfect moment to take his pictures.

[Carol Nistri]

oh my those are just to beautiful for words,for some reason I found myself staring at this one.

[Mac 5]

This picture released by the European Southern Observatory and taken from ESO’s Very Large Telescope shows NGC 3521, a spiral galaxy located about 35 million light years away in the constellation of Leo. Spanning about 50,000 light-years, this galaxy has a bright and compact nucleus, surrounded by richly detailed spiral structure. The most distinctive features of the bright galaxy NGC 3521 are its long spiral arms that are dotted with star-forming regions and interspersed with veins of dust. The arms are irregular and patchy, making NGC 3521 a typical example of a flocculent spiral galaxy. These galaxies have “fluffy� spiral arms that contrast with the sweeping arms of grand-design spirals such as the famous Whirlpool galaxy or M 51, discovered by Charles Messier.

An owl turned violent when a stray duck wandered into its flight path - and chased it aggressively back to its pond. A falconer released the African Owl during a training session but it encountered the duck during its flight. Photographer Devid Camerlynck was shocked to see the owl chase the duck back to a nearby pond in Ypres, Belgium.

People stand beside St. Michaels Tower on Glastonbury Tor hill in Somerset watching the moon as it progresses across the sky, at its closest point to the Earth for almost two decades. March 19th 2011.

[Skeptical]

Originally Posted by Mac 5

Vietnam caves: inside the giant jungle cavern of the Hang Son Doong

Glad to see we managed to not destroy this while we were there. Wonder if the Viet Cong knew about this place? Looks like you could have hidden an entire army in there.

S

[Mac 5]

Originally Posted by Skeptical

Glad to see we managed to not destroy this while we were there. Wonder if the Viet Cong knew about this place? Looks like you could have hidden an entire army in there.

S

Here you go:

These breathtaking images capture the hidden depths of the world's biggest cave passage - so large the end is yet to be found. Hidden in the depths of the Vietnamese jungle lies The Hang Son Doong, part of a network of over 150 caves. Surrounded by jungle and used in the Vietnam war as a hideout from American bombardments, the cave passage is so large that it could hold a block of 40-storey skyscrapers. Its entrance was only rediscovered by British cavers in 2009.

[Mac 5]

Florida's friendly manatees photographed by Alexander Mustard

Snorkellers approach an adult manatee at Three Sisters Spring, Crystal River, Florida. You might imagine that coming face to face with one of these enormous underwater mammals would cause some concern. However, the likelihood is that the rotund creature just wants you to scratch its belly while it floats around happily, as world-renowned underwater photographer Alex Mustard discovered.

"Manatees live life at a slow pace, so when you swim with them you are forced to chill down to their speed," explained the 36-year-old from Hampshire. "They're just floating about in a sort of zen state. Then, when they come up to you and want you to scratch them, it is so exciting you get a real connection."

Alex travelled to the west coast of Florida, close to Crystal River city, in February, where the animals congregate in the winter. Here, several freshwater springs attract the manatees when their normal ocean habitat becomes too cold.

[Mac 5]

Cave photographer Robert Shone explores the Gouffre Berger Cave in France

Once thought to be the deepest cave in the world, the Gouffre Berger cave system in France is still one of the most popular destinations for cavers who want to test their skills hundreds of metres beneath the earth's surface. Pioneered by French cavers in the 1950s, the Gouffre Berger - named after Joseph Berger who was one of the men to uncover it - was the first cave to be explored at depth of more than 1000 metres
Picture: BARCROFT/Robert Shone

British cave photographer Robbie Shone joined a team to explore the caverns deep below ground. "It's really spectacular and full of formations," explained the 31-year-old. "It's arguably the best sport cave in the world and people come from all over the globe to see it." Above, friends of the British cave explorers watch as they begin the long trip underground where they will stay for four days photographing the cave system
Picture: BARCROFT/Robert Shone

Located in the Vercors region of France, the Gouffre Berger measures 1,122 metres and is in fact the 28th deepest cave in the world. However, that does not stop scores of keen cavers requesting permits from the mayor of nearby Autrans to explore it
Picture: BARCROFT/Robert Shone

The photographer from the Peak District said: "The entrance comprises of about eight vertical shafts that total around 300 metres. The shafts are split up by sections of tight meandering passages, which in places are only about a foot wide"
Picture: BARCROFT/Robert Shone

"Once you get through those shafts at about 300 metres you suddenly burst out into the side of an enormous passage about 30 metres high and 15 metres wide. It's very big but with modern lights you can see a lot of it"
Picture: BARCROFT/Robert Shone

"In the past they wouldn't have been able to see the walls and roof so years ago they would have thought they were in the biggest passage of their lives"
Picture: BARCROFT/Robert Shone

"Back then this was the pinnacle of caving and at the forefront of cave exploration in the world." Above, British cave explorer treks in the narrow stream passage leading to the sump pool
Picture: BARCROFT/Robert Shone

A cave explorer admires an unusual cave formation known as the Enormous Cascade
Picture: BARCROFT/Robert Shone

"Even to this day the Gouffre Berger caves remain a true classic," explains Robert. "In the same way that a mountaineer would want to climb Mount Everest, Gouffre Berger is one of those caves you've got to do in your lifetime to do a complete set of caves"
Picture: BARCROFT/Robert Shone

However, taking pictures in cramped conditions where there is no natural light obviously poses its own problems. "For starters it's very difficult to get your photography equipment down there," said Robbie. "It's pretty cold, all the Alpine caves are around 4 degrees and when you're standing around taking photos it can get very cold"
Picture: BARCROFT/Robert Shone

A cave explorer ascends a rope in the main gallery
Picture: BARCROFT/Robert Shone

A cave explorer tackles a tensioned rope line while climbing a cascade
Picture: BARCROFT/Robert Shone

[Mac 5]

Beautiful and moody photos of a melting glacial lagoon in Iceland at night

These beautiful and moody night-time icescapes show the melting of the largest glacial lagoon in Iceland. The natural wonder is made up of ice formations that change constantly in response to the temperature. From June to September each year the frozen glacier begins to melt - which gives the lagoon and its ice islands a haunting life of its own. French photographer Alexandre Deschaumes has spent three years visiting the lagoon during the melting season.

"My quest was to reveal and show the world that this kind of atmosphere and places exists, and maybe trying to open a 'new door' of imagination and dreams. It is important for me that, through my work, people can realise how amazing nature is - that places like this really exist. As people become inspired by this beauty, maybe they would like to be more careful with the environment."

Thanks to global warming the beautiful nine mile long fresh water lake of Jokulsarlon has nearly doubled in size - in 1975 it used to be only five miles long.
Picture: Alexandre Deschaumes / Barcroft Media