With luminous colours and alien- like features, these magical mushrooms look like they belong on another planet. These mesmorising pictures, however, capture the beautiful variety of fungi here on Earth. The incredible images were taken by Australian photographer Stephen Axford, 62, after he became familiar with the importance of fungi in everyday life, and decided to document it twelve years ago..
BALANCING on top of a tree, this bear cub puts her climbing skills to the test .
PICKING up a tiny tea-pot with its paws, a little red squirrel struggles to prepare its morning tea .
DIPPING his head into the vase of water, this little squirrel takes a refreshing break from an afternoon of eating .
A grey whale and her calf greet an audience of awestruck admirers on the Pacific coast of Baja California Sur, Mexico .
ROLLING across a 65-metre-high viaduct in the Alps, the red carriages of the Bernina Express add a splash of colour to the spectacular snow-covered Swiss surroundings .
HOPPING onto the scales, these adorable baby Humboldt penguins are ready for their first weigh-in .
A grand 56-bedroom hotel, once heaving with injured soldiers during the First World War, now lies completely abandoned .
WITHOUT a care in the world, this little chimpanzee shows off her gymnastic skills as she swings around her enclosure .
A diver explores the crystal clear waters of the Silfra canyon in southern Iceland, which is the only place on Earth where you can dive or snorkel between two continental plates .
A baby sperm whale assumed the role of a friendly giant when faced with two awestruck divers .
A SPECTRUM of colours fills the sky during this spectacular and natural display of light .
An American black bear mimics John Travolta’s famous Saturday Night Fever dance move by hurling its arm in the air .