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.
Armed with a snorkel, flippers and her skimpy bikini, an intrepid female free diver swims alongside an array of reef sharks .
While often referred to as the kings of the jungle, gorillas - for all their might - are notorious hydrophobes .
BLOWING bubbles underwater, this adorable polar bear slides into his tank for a playful dip .
A quiet Himalayan mountain village springs to life for a colourful Buddhist festival designed to expel evil spirits and bring happiness .
CLIMBING, falling and tugging on his weary mum, this little orangutan is up to all kinds of trouble .
A carefree bear cub reclines in the water with his feet raised in the air .
WITH a paw in the air and his tongue hanging from his mouth, it is clear to see that this little groundhog is struggling to wake up and leave behind the comfort of his burrow .
A terrified moose, trapped in a frozen lake, bobs her head above the icey water and awaits her rescue .
Exploding out of the water, a great white shark performs a backflip during a hunt for seals .
THIS may look like a dolphin through jumping hoops, but it is in fact nothing more than a clever 3D pencil drawing .
NEVER mind being careful not to choke on your food, this mother bird has a bigger challenge on her hands, as her ravenous offspring impatiently launches its head down into her stomach .