FROM ICE bubbles to boiling lava, these photographs highlight the stunning shapes and patterns found in nature. The series of extraordinary images were taken by German software engineer Thorsten Scheuermann after he decided to examine his surroundings. A trip to the city of Kalapana in Hawaii, home to the Kilauea Volcano, provided Thorsten with the setting for his lava picture, while a visit to the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon offered him the opportunity to photograph ice bubbles up-close. The 37-year-old, now of Washington, USA, said: 'These are sights that can gain greater significance and have their beauty exposed when excluding everything else around them.'
SWIMMING slowly towards the shore, a small group of bottlenose dolphins arrive for breakfast at a beach in Western Australia .
An osprey soars through the air at 30 miles per hour before swooping down to catch its prey from a lake .
Raising his arms above his head and lying flat on his back, a polar bear stretches as he sprawls out across the ice .
Splashing around in the water, a mother otter and her son are tangled in a family feud .
A WIMBLEDON-mad couple will be creating a racket this summer - after installing a TENNIS COURT in their living room .
WEARING tiny Christmas accessories, these adorable babies get into the spirit of the season .
Throwing their arms up in the air, these energetic squirrels play a game of ball with a walnut .
THIS is the incredible moment a pelican throws a fish into the air and SLAM DUNKS it into its enormous throat sack .
A mining town in Australia’s outback appears to be completely deserted, but its residents have escaped the scorching heat by living in underground caves .
Going for long rides through vast fields together, this twosome share an unbreakable bond .
These adorable pictures show the moment two cuddly red panda cubs take their first look at the outside world and are weighed for the very first time .
A fox takes a tumble and lands on his head when he tries to fend off a pair of eagles in Japan .