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.
FULL OF STUNNING colours and swirling shapes, the furrows on these fields create a mix of mesmerising patterns .
STARING eagerly into the camera, this little toad is full of curiosity .
SQUABBLING over the last piece of grain, these hungry squirrels are determined to stock up on as much food as possible .
SWIMMING next to 40 tonne whales, dare-devil divers take the plunge with these gentle giants of the sea .
SPARKLING bright inside their box, it’s hard to believe these diamonds are made from the cremated remains of the deceased .
BEHIND the doors of this building, with its stacks of mattresses and discarded remains of wheelchairs, lies another victim of austerity cuts .
IN a galaxy not so far away lies a magical display of lights that could be the latest image from NASA .
The claws come out at meal time as a group of white tailed eagles brawl over road-kill .
Raising his arms above his head and lying flat on his back, a polar bear stretches as he sprawls out across the ice .
A TEN-THOUSAND square foot wide Avatar-style grove is such a beauty it will leave you feeling VINE .
SOME OF the sea’s most terrifying creatures show their softer side as they join a group of diners for lunch .
