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.
RACING through the mountain range on horseback, the Kazakh people practice their ancient tradition of hunting with golden eagles .
An intrepid explorer hopes to be reunited with his travel partner, after his cuddly toy companion was stolen .
A trout manages to escape the jaws of a hungry cormorant - only to find itself back inside the bird's long beak .
A kingfisher’s bright blue and orange feathers glisten in the sunlight as the bird dives into a lake .
RAISING his flipper, this two day old seal pup gives a wave to the camera .
A makeup artist from the West Midlands magically transforms herself into famous cartoon characters using body paint .
THESE are the Disney Princesses you wouldn't want to run into in a dark alley .
A diver attempts to control rising numbers of lionfish by feeding the venomous species to Caribbean reef sharks .
Say cheese! This cheeky chappy isn’t in the mood to live up to his scary reputation as he is pictured here cracking a killer smile as he goes about his daily business .
A pair of chicks bravely decided to befriend a python, despite being the snake's favourite choice of food .