A manatee makes the most of his underwater guests by rolling onto his back for a belly rub. The manatee appears apprehensive at first, but he soon cosies up to the divers. The photographs were taken by marine biologist Andrew Pearson in Crystal River, Florida at the Crystal River Wildlife Refuge. The 32 year old photographer, of Southampton, says: ‘We spent several days snorkelling with wild manatees.
An elegant snowy owl spreads her wings and glides effortlessly above the snow covered field .
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 .
THE CRAZE for mimicking the video game Streetfighter has spread to the streets of London .
With the full moon looming behind him, this polar bear nestles down for the night .
DIVING boffins fired harpoons into 30-foot-long whale sharks in a bid to put the sea-beasts on Google Maps .
A proud gorilla mum welcomes her newborn baby western lowland gorilla, a critically endangered species .
GLIDING through the water, these delightful frogs show off their vibrant colours as they practice their FROG crawl .
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 .
TUGGING on the wing of his sibling, this needy owl is after some attention .
SITTING quietly at the edge of the lake, these two baby bears watch and learn as the adults hunt for fish .