Armed with a snorkel, flippers and her skimpy bikini, an intrepid female free diver swims alongside an array of reef sharks. These amazing photographs were captured by American ocean photojournalist Tim Rock, on a trip north of Papua New Guinea to Vertigo Reef in Yap, Micronesia. ‘I had the pleasure and privilege to team up with diver Ai Futaki for two weeks of photography during an event called Manta Fest in Yap, Micronesia,’ says Tim, of Minneapolis, Minnesota. ‘She is a world champion free diver who wanted to try free diving with sharks and asked if I would document her swimming in Yap's waters.
TUGGING at his exhausted mum's ears, a beautiful baby orangutan refuses to settle for a nap as he begins a game of peek-a-boo .
Some parents would gasp at the thought of their children playing with a toy gun, but these Russian children are actually encouraged to take up real arms .
HIDDEN in the middle of the Mojave Desert, a secret oasis awaits intrepid travellers .
BEHIND the doors of this building, with its stacks of mattresses and discarded remains of wheelchairs, lies another victim of austerity cuts .
A kingfisher’s bright blue and orange feathers glisten in the sunlight as the bird dives into a lake .
A woman was diagnosed with cancer after a cyst left her so bloated medics were convinced she was pregnant .
SNUGGLING up against their teddy bears, these baby sloths could easily be mistaken for one of the cuddly toys .
A mum-of-two, who was scarred for life in a brutal attack at the hands of her ex-boyfriend, is now urging others to leave their abusive partners .
A brave leopard kicks back and relaxes in the sunshine - just inches from an enormous crocodile .
GLAMPING is taken to a whole new level in the form of the luxurious Pop-Up Hotel .
Swimming side by side with divers, these manatees will do anything they can to stay warm .