Category: Nature
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Norway’s stunning obelisk-shaped Stetind mountain
Stetind is a stunning obelisk-shaped mountain in Nordland county, Norway. Author and mountaineer Peter Wessel Zappfe once described its smooth, vertical, and overall distinct shape as “an anvil whereupon the Gods can hammer.” The 4,566-foot wonder became the official mountain of Norway in 2002. Sailors often use the mountain as a landmark because it rises…
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Iran’s mesmerizing rock salt formations
Who knew salt could look like beautiful snow cones? Mountains of rainbow-colored rock salt formations dominate the Zagros mountains of Iran. The Jashak salt dome formed when the Persian Gulf evaporated millions of years ago and left behind massive quantities of salt. Salt and other evaporites have since risen upward through the overlying rock layers.…
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The slender sunfish shaped like a Dorito
One of the more peculiar fish you’ll ever see, the slender sunfish (Ranzania laevis), looks like a mutant fish that’s been cut in half. Yes, this Dorito-shaped fish is in its complete form! Interestingly, they also can’t close their funnel-like jaws, which makes them look like mouth-breathers of the ocean. The Ranzania laevis is a…
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The Picasso bug, where art and nature collide
You can’t beat the brushstrokes of nature. Native to tropical and subtropical Africa, the oval-shaped Picasso Bug or Zulu Hud Bug is truly nature’s work of art. The Picasso Bug (Sphaerocoris annulus) is a shield-backed bug species with a vibrant carapace that does more than illustrate its aesthetic beauty. The mosaic markings serve as a…
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Rare Rainbow Waterfall at Yosemite National Park
Said the “Father of the National Parks“ of America’s national parks John Muir, “Most people are on the world, not in it.” His advocacy helped protect the Yosemite Valley and ultimately led to the establishment of Yosemite National Park. The video of the rainbow waterfall by landscape photographer Greg Harlow at Yosemite (see below) is just one of the many…