COURAGEOUS climbers descend 400 metres as they manoeuvre their way through thick walls of ice. The ice emits a blue glow as the climbers make their way down and move through the glacier. The stunning photographs were captured by American glacier trekking guide Jared Carlson on a trip to the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, Alaska. The 36-year-old was joined by climbing friend Jason Nelson, 37, as the pair explored the moulin, which is a circular, vertical well-like shaft within a glacier.
STARING intently into the camera, a polar bear appears to be lost in thought while relaxing in the snow .
PERCHED on a branch, this Little Owl plays third wheel to two love birds .
With the vivid red smoke billowing into the sky amid the misty sand dunes, these are the blissful views provided at the break of dawn at a volcano .
A trout manages to escape the jaws of a hungry cormorant - only to find itself back inside the bird's long beak .
WITH A STERN look of determination on their faces, these adorable pooches perfect their doggy paddle as they dive head first into a swimming pool .
A BIKINI swim with jellyfish sounds like the most painful past-time on the planet .
A BROWN bear wades through waters in Alaska and waits for his lunch .
WHETHER FLOATING through space or diving underwater, a lucky baby boy enjoys once in a life time experiences - in his DREAMS .
A quiet Himalayan mountain village springs to life for a colourful Buddhist festival designed to expel evil spirits and bring happiness .
BALANCING on top of a tree, this bear cub puts her climbing skills to the test .
A PENSIONER was left with a fractured jaw after being beaten and robbed outside his home in Birmingham last weekend .