A grey whale and her calf greet an audience of awestruck admirers on the Pacific coast of Baja California Sur, Mexico. The magnificent mammals swim up to several boats full of tourists and get so close that the passengers can stroke the mother and baby whale. The special moment was photographed by lawyer Andrea Izzotti, 47, of Genovia, Italy. Andrea says: “The mother was milking her calf in shallow waters, but they are very curious animals and they came up to our boats to see the humans.
Clinging on to their furry backs, mischievous monkeys appeared to enjoy the free transport as they rode around on a perturbed Capybara .
EXPERTLY camouflaged, this clever panther chameleon knows how to catch its prey by surprise .
LOCATIONS bursting with vibrant greens and chestnut browns, these photographs capture the peaceful English countryside in all its glory .
SWIMMING next to 40 tonne whales, dare-devil divers take the plunge with these gentle giants of the sea .
A DETERMINED great blue heron holds on tightly to its prey as the furry gopher attempts to wriggle free .
In the calm waters of Greenland, gigantic icebergs dwarf everything around them .
A trout manages to escape the jaws of a hungry cormorant - only to find itself back inside the bird's long beak .
LUMINOUS green rocks could easily be a beach from Superman's homeland of Krypton .
Jostling their quills into the noses of some unlucky cubs, this is the moment two feisty porcupines ALMOST defeat a pride of seven lions .
THIS is the fascinating abandoned house, complete with mystery portraits and homely items, that has been dubbed - crooked cottage .
DIVING down at a speed of 75mph, this is the moment a hungry osprey caught his prey .
These are the faces of orphans suffering from the horrifying effects of chemical warfare .