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.'
A hungry hippo is seconds away from catching a bird in its gigantic jaws .
FORGET Thorpe Park this summer as this is a 50 mile-per-hour ride over the Colorado River CANYON .
SLEEPING within touching distance of wild African animals might not be everyone's idea of a relaxing break .
WELCOME to the pretty 122-inch-tall red dwelling that lays claim to the title of the UK's smallest house .
Struggling home entertainment chain Blockbuster has been slammed for advertising its workers' jobs while they are still in them in order to scare them into working harder .
A pair of BEAUTIFUL rescue sea turtles spot their catch in the waters of the Great Barrier Reef .
An adorable little squirrel wakes from a nap and pops out his tongue for the camera .
SAILING over crystal clear waters, the Bajau people of Malaysia live their lives almost entirely at SEA .
SAILING peacefully across a river in the early morning light, a fisherman in China keeps a 1000 year old tradition alive .
While often referred to as the kings of the jungle, gorillas - for all their might - are notorious hydrophobes .
FLYING through the air, these delighted pooches pull their best poses mid-flight .
A cheeky chipmunk offers some of his spare food, before deciding against the idea and shoving the extra peanut into his already crammed mouth .