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.
STRETCHING his little legs in the air, a smiley leaf-tailed gecko breaks free from his old, scaly skin .
SAILING over crystal clear waters, the Bajau people of Malaysia live their lives almost entirely at SEA .
Tina O’Brien, 54, from East Midlands, met Frederick Allchorne, now 62, when she was 15 .
Exploding out of the water, a great white shark performs a backflip during a hunt for seals .
HUDDLED together on a branch, a pair of adorable Javan scops owls soak up the sun .
A toddler has shrugged off death an incredible 10 times thanks to his parents who revive him with the kiss of life every two weeks .
A baby sperm whale assumed the role of a friendly giant when faced with two awestruck divers .
Fetching a tiny carrot and a head-shaped snowball, a red squirrel builds the perfect snowman .
AN ANOREXIC dental nurse whose weight plummeted to less than four stone has won her NHS fight for more treatment .
A woman was left fighting for her life after an eczema wound became infected and caused a deadly flesh-eating bug to ravish a hole in her arm .
SNUGGLING up against their teddy bears, these baby sloths could easily be mistaken for one of the cuddly toys .
A blanket of fog is lit up by the colourful glowing lights of the city below .