Nature Photos Captured More Than Expected
By | May 11, 2021
We often take the power of Mother Nature for granted even though its majesty is all around us. If you look closer you'll see that even your back garden can be full of mystery and unexpected phenomenon. Nature has the ability to give and take, whether it's happening on the ocean, in the sky, or in your garden.
These rare images show the reality of nature in a way that's never been seen. From the chilling power of the Antarctic to the destructive beauty of the ocean these photos will send chills down your spine even as you learn a thing or two.
Everything you're about to see is untouched and real. It happens every day... are you ready to see for yourself?
Bears are like people, they like to have their own space. Once something or someone gets into its space they either run away from whatever the problem is or they attack. Grizzly bears would rather run away from someone in their space than attack but there have been enough reports of grizzly bears mauling someone that should tell you if you see one that you need to get out of the way.
These spooky spiders can live up to seven years, which is a long time in the insect kingdom. Similar to grass spiders, these creatures tend to hang out in their webs and during the mating season in the summer you're likely to find two of these bad boys hanging out together, possibly with web sacks surrounding the area.
A charging Rhino is the most intimidating thing ever
If a rhino is going to charge at you it's going to be the white rhino, not because it's the most aggressive but because there are just so many of them roaming the eastern hemisphere. The black rhino is far more aggressive, but there are less of them in existence.
A massive wave that hit a lighthouse off the coast of France in 1989 - the man in the lighthouse survived. (Photo-Jean Guichard)
When massive waves started smashing against the lighthouse on La Jument off the coastline of Brittany, France, on December 21, 1989, photographer Jean Guichard just happened to be in a helicopter over the premises with his camera at the ready. As the helicopter that carried Guichard hovered overhead, Malgorn mistook it for his rescue helicopter and rushed outside to let to get its attention and was hit with a huge wave of freezing water.
A microscopic look at a bee stinger vs the point of a needle
According to a series of studies released in 2013, getting stung by a bee may help you get over any latent pollen allergies that you have. Just getting a trace of the bee's toxins in your your body will help increase antibodies in your system - or at least that's what happened with a group of mice.
A landslide in Taiwan
This landslide that buried a highway near Taipai in 2010 was the size of two soccer stadiums. To make matters worse, the landslide was followed by multiple days of rain which made the volunteer rescue efforts all that much harder - people dug with bulldozers for days before they actually found any of the doomed motorists.
A plume of smoke rises over the Australian outback
This kind of atmospheric phenomenon known as pyroCbs, or fire storms, can make fires on the ground worse by building up massive winds that carry embers to dry areas and start entirely new blazes. Once a spark is lit and hit with a gust of air the smoke forms a funnel that continues to stack on top of itself until it's a fiery thunderstorm.
When it comes to the Great White shark everyone pretty much knows one thing about these beautiful and terrifying animals, that they're out for blood. Ryan Johnson, Great White expert believes that people focus on the dangerous aspect of the Great White and not the fact that they have an evolutionary history that has nothing to do with violence.
A seriously scary odd couple... how tarantulas and frogs help each other survive
The small frogs don't just eat the sneaky invertebrates that show up once the spider has finished its meal, they also benefit from having a terrifying creature as a best friend. The natural enemy of the michroylids are snakes and large anthropods that are otherwise freaked out by tarantulas.
A stunning 50-ft blue ice monolith in the Antarctic
Frozen waves form when vast amounts of ice are compressed and the air bubbles inside are pushed out as the liquid hardens. The fantastic look of the ice wave, down to the color, comes from the freezing, melting, and re-freezing of the wave which makes it so only blue light passes through the ice while the red light of the spectrum is absorbed by the structure.
A house encased in ice after a blizzard
In 2019, homes on the coast of Lake Ontario in New York froze as spray from the water blasted the houses and encased them in ice. Winds moving at 70 mph kicked up huge waves, crashing them against homes on the shore and coating them in layer after layer of freezing water, ruining most of the houses in the area.
A very wise dog waiting until his buddy finishes eating
How do you make sure your dog stays fresh and clean if its been sprayed by a skunk? Many people say that the best way to rid a dog of such an awful smell is with a tomato soup bath, but a mixture of hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and liquid dishwashing soap is your best bet.
A woman went camping 30 years ago and heard strange noises in the middle of the night so she stuck her camera outside the tent and snapped this photo
As people moved out of the cities and into new suburban areas in the 1950s those housing developments cut into places that were normally reserved for wildlife. While many animals were pushed further away from civilization, raccoons almost seemed to be drawn to the sights and smells of small town life and according to Albrecht Schulte-Hostedde, a professor in evolutionary ecology at Laurentian University, they become so accustomed to eating our food that they've developed the same health problems.
Abandoned by his mother in a Chinese forest, Qizai is the only known Brown Panda in the world
Abandoned by his mother when he was only two months old, the world's only brown panda could have become truly devastating story. When he was discovered in the Qingling Mountains in Central China he was weak and malnourished - researchers believe that his mother left him because of his unique color and they saved him from the brink of destruction.
An apocalyptic sunset over Moscow
To achieve the end of days look that's going on in this photo the graphic designer combined the two shots and did a lot of color correction. It's honestly really cool looking, and it's awesome what someone can do with photo editing software these days.
B-25 bombers fly over Mount Vesuvius in Italy while it erupts in March 1944 during the Italian Campaign of World War II
On March 21, 1944, Mount Vesuvius started to rumble and gurgle, the GIs on the ground knew that something was up. By dawn the next morning the area was encased in a "black snow storm" of ash that claimed the lives of 28 people.
Bald eagles are the masters of the sky and an apex predator
The one type of hunting that you're most likely to see a bald eagle performing is on the water. Typically, they'll slowly fly over the surface of the father and snatch a fish in mid swim, unlike falcons who dive into the water for their catch, the eagle just grabs what it wants and goes.
Catatumbo lightning only happens over the Catatumbo River, Venezuela
Awe inspiring and beautiful, Catabumbo lightning is something that has to be seen to be believed while on the mouth of the Catatumbo River in Venezuela. Also known of the "Maracaibo Beacon," this special lighting happens when humid air collides with ice crystals in the air and produces a highly concentrated static charge build up.
Cell tower after snowstorm
Rime ice forms when water droplets in a mist, fog, or snow freeze around the outer surface of a physical item. More often than not rime ice is found on top of trees and mountains in traditionally cold climates, but in this case it formed around a man made object which is absolutely fascinating.
Coyote pups learning to howl
Crazy bird tornado
In instances like the one in the picture, starlings will move together at once in a giant flock called a murmuration. This collection of small birds may look creepy but it's just their way of staying safe while moving from place to place.
Do you see it Look closer the Gray Owl is hiding in plain sight
Snapped by 59 year old photographer Alan Murphy, this photo shows the Gray Owl in all its glory in British Columbia. Murphy took a series of photos and in many of them the owl is all but invisible.
Geese have multiple rows of teeth like appendages made of cartilage
While the teeth-like appendages that we can see aren't actually teeth they do function similarly. Known as "tomia," they aren't made as bone and don't have enamel on them but they help geese cut and tear their food just like humans.
Incredible supercell storm near Howard, Kansas
The storms brought on by supercells can last for hours, but these don't just come on out of nowhere. These special storms need strong wind speed and a directional sheer that blows between 20,000 feet with a significant updraft and downdraft is required to make the storm go on and on.
Lens shaped clouds that can be seen 60 miles away
These clouds are often found downwind of a mountain range. They're formed after stable, moist air moves over the mountain in a series of waves and if the temperature of the air is the same as the dew point temperature then you get a lens shaped wave.
Look closer...in the darkness stands this baby polar bears' mother and she will not hesitate to attack
There are really only about three polar bear attacks on a human per year and those usually occur at night when a polar bear moves to investigate a camping site and gets frightened by a person. It's rare that anyone would think to snatch a polar bear cub from its mother, but if that happens it's going to be lights out for whoever makes that grave mistake.
The Argania tree climbing goats of Morocco aren't just a little kooky, they're a major tourist attraction and they're just doing what comes natural to them. Farmers love that the goats eat their fruit, not only because of the tourism money that they bring in but the goats help propagate the tree through their waste.
Photo of a Morning Glory cloud formation taken from a plane near Burketown in QLD, Australia
As beautiful as this amazing cloud formation is you'll have to go to Australia to find it. There are still questions surrounding these clouds, but it's believed that they're caused by humid air moving from the east Coral Sea smashing into the warm air of the Gulf of Carpentaria before the cool air over Cape York in the evening moves beneath the combined layers of humid air and creates this one of a kind cloud.
Photographer captures the real-life Jaws image
In 2019, British filmmaker/cage diver Euan Rannachan traveled to Mexico where he snapped this unbelievable photo of a shark swimming straight up toward the surface of the water. He was able to snap it through teamwork, perfect timing, and nerves of steel.
Portrait of an American Buffalo
The biggest of these amazing creatures are the males, standing nearly six foot tall and covered in thick layers of fur they can travel at speeds of up to 30 miles an hour. The Buffalo tend to be docile creatures for most of the year, but come mating season they turn into raving bullies who fight over the females of their pack until they get their way.
President Theodore Roosevelt riding a moose across a river in 1912
Created by the photo firm Underwood and Underwood, the shot is a composite of Roosevelt riding a horse which was pasted over the swimming moose. The ad is nearly perfect, but if you want to find fault in this early 20th century Photoshop just look at the spot below Roosevelt's knee - as cool as this ad is it's just not the real thing.
Roger the buff kangaroo was clearly the alpha in his pack
Roger may have achieved fame due to his jacked physique, but long before he was the most ripped marsupial on the internet he was an orphaned joey. Discovered by Chris Barns, the founder of an Australian animal sanctuary, Roger was trapped in his dead mother's pouch.
Sadly, this Tasmanian Tiger family at the Beaumaris Zoo in Hobart in 1910, is extinct
These large striped carnivores have been believed to be extinct for more than 80 years. This photo shows some of the last in existence, or at the very least the last that we thought were in existence.
Soviet soldiers feeding polar bears in the 1950s ♥♥♥
Taken in Chukchi Peninsula, Soviet Union, an area that's known for its negative 40 degree temperatures that can take down a polar bear and its children, starving and freezing them if they don't get enough to eat. At the time soldiers had an abundance of tin cans of condensed milk, so much so that the soldiers had no problem with just giving the stuff away.
Starlings obscure the sky over Rome in dystopia viral photo
Romans have attempted to quell the rise of the starlings through a series of different means. They introduced falcons to the area to frighten away the small birds to no avail and they've also tried to prune their trees to keep the birds from landing in their area.
Terri and Steve Irwin with a croc at their Australia Zoo in 1996
During his lifetime, Steve Irwin was one of the few people who was able to bring some of the most frightening apex predators into the homes of his viewers. Irwin thought it was important to show people what these animals were really like, he wanted people to know that they aren't monsters, they're just doing what they were made to do.
Texas State Capitol Austin tornado May 4, 1922
On May 4, 1922, two tornadoes formed within minutes of one another a few miles apart both moving south-southwest. During this horrifying natural phenomenon 12 people lost their lives and 50 were injured in the "eastern storm" that ripped through the city.
The Arctic hare, also known as the polar rabbit
While these rabbits are a rare sight in populated areas of North America, there's a large amount of these cuties in the Arctic. Regardless of their numbers, they have to regularly deal with wolves, foxes, and owls that routinely search for these animals over the ice.
The bearded vulture the most metal bird of prey
These vultures have no natural predators so the bright color that their feathers take on after a blood feast is something of a mark of pride for these animals. Researchers believe that the more intense and soiled a bearded vulture is, the higher their status is in their feathered hierarchy.
The breathtaking phenomenon of volcanic lightning
It's believed that volcanic lightning that occurs near the ground comes from individual ash particles rubbing together light flint. As for the volcanic lightning that happens in the sky it's most likely that it's caused by ice; researchers believe that when ash and water vapor spew into the sky ice forms in the lower atmosphere and the collision of the ice crystals create an electric charge, creating lightning.
The craziest thunderstorm photo ever
If anything is more terrifying than a heavy duty, real deal tornado, it's a tornado that's blasting lightning across the sky. Tornados rarely look as aesthetically pleasing as this, but it's possible that the pops and explosions of lightning could turn the powerful funnel clouds that tear across the ground could be turned even more deadly with the addition of electrical currents.
The evolution of a tornado
It's rare that we actually get to see what a tornado looks like from birth to its most deadly; while we often see a tornado in one of these stages, seeing each stage of the tornado laid out so evenly in a montage is absolutely breathtaking. Taken by photographer Jason Weingart, this photo shows a supercell that produced 12 tornadoes with at least three on the ground at once.
The eye of a tokay gecko
This startlingly beautiful eye belongs to a tokay gecko, a seriously beautiful lizard that not as readily available as geckos that many people usually buy as pets. These nearly foot long creatures like to croak and groan, making a sound that earned them the name tokay.
The juvenile form of the yellow boxfish is a dazzling bright yellow, but this color fades away into adulthood
This bright yellow, box-shaped fish covered in polka dots can be found in the tropical waters of the Pacific Ocean near Indonesia. They live near coral reefs about 40 meters below the surface, making them one of the most gorgeous animals to be seen by a underwater diver.
The moment the rising sun made it look like this polar bar was breathing fire
Photographer Josh Anon told Metro that he initially only had a couple of hours with a polar bear in the Antarctic, but thanks to a surprise visit the next morning he was able to get this photo:
We had an unexpected wake up call around 4am that the bears were still outside - over the next three to four hours, we were able to spend more time with the bears and two more even joined in.
The phenomenon of ball lightning
Very few people have actually seen ball lightning, but that hasn't stopped humans from all walks of life searching it out during a thunder storm. It appears usually during thunderstorms, sometimes within a few seconds of lightning but sometimes without apparent connection to a lightning bolt.
The sailfish is considered by scientists to be the fastest swimming marine creature in the world
This fish that's as fast as a car which can be recognized by its large dorsal fin and shimmery blue scales. Not prone to going at it alone, the sailfish usually travels with at least one buddy when going out on a hunt.
The sunset over the Giza Pyramids, as seen from Cairo
The three main pyramids of Giza feature intricate burial staging areas that were constructed between 2550 and 2490 B.C.
The ultimate staring contest with a giant crocodile
In February 2021, human remains were discovered inside the stomach of a giant crocodile off of Queensland, Australia. After a local fisherman went missing some of his remains were discovered near his last known location - investigators located a 14 foot crocodile in the area it was euthanized and the rest of the man's remains were discovered decomposing in the creatures insides.
These goats defy gravity
No, these goats didn't accidentally end up on the side of an incredibly high wall only to wonder how they got there. These are ibex goats, animals who instinctually climb wherever they need to in search of salt; as herbivores they don't get enough calcium salts so they climb until they reach salt deposits in the masonry of the walls that they climb.
This Black timber wolf is ready to attack
It's not easy to lock down exactly when black timber wolves started popping up in North America, but a team of researchers from Sweden, Canada, and the United States has determined that wolves with melanism began appearing sometime around 47,000 years ago. That's just an estimate but it shows that long before America was colonized people were breeding dogs and wolves for domestic purposes and ending up with fascinating canine creatures.
This buff chunky monkey was four times stronger than most humans
The fibers in the muscles of a chimpanzee are distributed in such a way that they're more apt to look shredded, but they also live in heavily wooded areas so they're constantly climbing and working. Over millions of years they've adapted to a lifestyle of physical activity which makes them stronger and more physically fit than the average person.
This Deep Sea Jellyfish Looks Like It Came From Outer Space
Deep sea jellyfish take on a variety of sizes and shapes, confounding researchers. In 2020, an incredibly large "stringy" jellyfish was discovered just over 600 meters below the ocean's surface in its inky deep that, according to researchers at the Schmidt Ocean Institute, is "UFO-like" and one of the largest ever recorded.
This species of a "megabat" is found in the Philippines, and with their wingspan of five and a half feet they can black out the sky when they and they thousands of brethren take to the sky. More often than not these animals just like to chill in the trees and enjoy their vegan diet of figs.
This lava pit looks like it's sucking the souls of the damned into Hell
A lava flow skylight occurs when an opening in the roof of a lava tube collapses, providing a look into the flow of lava below. In many cases the crust laden roof is too thin to support itself and it caves in, exposing the lava under the ground.
Underwater Waterfalls of Mauritius, where the sands from the shores are carried into the depths of the ocean
What viewers are witnessing is sand that's constantly in movement. Mauritius sits on an ocean shelf on top of a gradual slope that ends in a 4,000 meter drop with silt deposits are constantly in motion, which makes it look like the clear blue waters surrounding the island are a part of an underground water fall.
Water density, temperature and salinity of the glacial melt water and the off shore waters of Gulf of Alaska makes them too difficult to mix
This shot shows the Copper River, a fresh water entity that's full of glacial silt crashing into the Gulf of Alaska which is thick with salt water and organic matter. When the two bodies of water meet there's a visible break in the Gulf and River.
In 2009, a guy in Los Angeles found his seat brimming with bees and the surefire way to take care of a problem like this is to call over your local bee keeper who can help move them to somewhere less dangerous. It's nice to know that there is a way to fix this if it ever happens to you.
Where did everybody go?
People living in areas that are close to a bear's natural habitats might be used to seeing something like this but it's never not shocking. Imagine walking into your backyard and seeing a scene like this, even if the bear isn't acting wild it's still hard to know what to do in this situation.
You wouldn't want to get lost on this country road in Northern Ireland
Originally, Stuart planted 150 trees in 1775. About 90 of those trees remain in differing states of health, and the Irish government is doing everything it can to keep them alive for as long as possible.
