High up in the mountains and thousands of feet off the ground, a party of climbers were in for a shock as they came face to face with this frightening leap of faith. These daunting photographs were captured by Italian photographer Nicola Bombassei, 38, after he unexpectedly stumbled across the 3,000 meter high drop, at Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Italy. 'The drop should have been fitted with a big wooden board over it, so that climbers can pass the cleft easily,' said Nicola. 'But when we arrived we couldn't find the board anywhere, and it was never an option not to complete the climb, so we had no choice but to take on the jump.
A grey whale and her calf greet an audience of awestruck admirers on the Pacific coast of Baja California Sur, Mexico .
SURROUNDED by divers, a hungry green sea turtle enjoys being the centre of attention .
RACING down the slopes in her tiny ski gear, this TWO-YEAR-OLD girl has already mastered the art of skiing .
BURSTING colours of reds, pinks and purples give the illusion of a collection of stunning flowers .
The beds are consumed by moss instead of customers at this abandoned hotel .
PERCHING on the edge of a flower, these loved-up caterpillars can't resist each other as they enjoy a romantic moment together .
A SPECTACULAR array of stars fills the night sky as they soar over this active volcano .
A brave leopard kicks back and relaxes in the sunshine - just inches from an enormous crocodile .
AN American accountant has grown the world's biggest MELON and smashed his way into the record books with his mammoth 350 .
A PENSIONER was left with a fractured jaw after being beaten and robbed outside his home in Birmingham last weekend .
WITH their robotic movements and pristine uniforms, these are the sexy traffic girls of North Korea that are becoming iconic figures in the secretive state .
Primed and ready for action, this collection of striking images from the battlefield could be mistaken for authentic photos taking during World War II .