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A whale of a hug
A whale of a hug
This time of year, humpback whales make their annual trip to the warm waters of the South Pacific to mate. Today"s image finds us swimming alongside a humpback mother and her young calf near the Polynesian island chain of Tonga. There are six main humpback populations in the southern Pacific, and this pair is part of the one that"s often called the "Tongan Tribe." The humpbacks of the Tongan Tribe return each year from their feeding grounds off Antarctica—a journey of more than 4,000 miles. Through November, the cows will stay in this region while their newborn calves grow strong enough to make the trek back to the cold Antarctic waters where their main food source—the small crustacean called krill—is abundant.Desktop Version
A cliffside harbor in Sardinia
A cliffside harbor in Sardinia
The mining industry in Sardinia, Italy, was booming in the early 20th century, as European nations looked to reconstruct from the damage of World War I. But Sardinians faced myriad logistical issues trying to export the zinc, lead, and other minerals that were in high demand. Miners on the island were using modern techniques to extract more and more ore, but it wasn"t until 1924, when engineer Cesare Vecelli designed and built the mining infrastructure along the cliffs in Porto Flavia, that getting ore off the island matched their ability to extract it.Desktop Version
The Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Italy
The Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Italy
This trio of peaks, known as the Tre Cime di Lavaredo, is located in the Sexten Dolomites of South Tyrol, Italy. The mountain group is one of the best-known in the Dolomites and tourists visit from all over the world to hike its trails. You"ll enjoy a breathtaking view of the peaks from all angles and in the summer, you"ll see a beautiful array of wildflowers. Make sure to plan ahead if you want to hike or camp under the moonlit sky and bring plenty of water and snacks. These peaks are part of the Dolomites World Heritage Site, which was designated in 2009.Desktop Version
A snuggling ball of cute
A snuggling ball of cute
We don"t really need an excuse to feature this adorable photo of twin cubs asleep inside a snow den in Wapusk National Park in Manitoba, Canada. But it just so happens that today is International Polar Bear Day, the perfect day for this shot from the 2007 documentary film "Earth," which focuses on wild habitats and creatures across the planet.Desktop Version
The Unfinished Obelisk near Aswan, Egypt
The Unfinished Obelisk near Aswan, Egypt
This massive carving was to be larger than most other obelisks of Egypt 3,500 years ago. But because the nearly 140-foot creation developed a significant fissure in the stone, it was abandoned, inspiring the current name: The Unfinished Obelisk. The stone quarries here in Aswan, a city in southern Egypt, offer a glimpse of the industry that once fueled the region’s economy.Desktop Version
Caribou on the move
Caribou on the move
Each fall a quarter-million caribou come together to form the Western Arctic Caribou Herd, a group that makes an epic migration through northwest Alaska. The caribou move south from their calving grounds in the Utukok River Uplands to their winter range on the Seward Peninsula. Fall is also the time when scientists attach radio collars to members of the herd, to track their location and health, and to gain information that will help conserve the species. When spring arrives, the caribou will complete the trip again in reverse, covering a total of 2,000 miles each year, give or take.Desktop Version
Singing praises of the oceans
Singing praises of the oceans
In Japan, mid-July brings an excuse to head to the beach. That"s because this time of year marks Marine Day (aka Ocean Day), an observance recognizing the close bond the island nation shares with the seas and ocean that surround it. Because Marine Day roughly coincides with the end of the rainy season, it has, over the years, become a sort of unofficial kickoff to the hot summer season. One place sure to attract visitors is the picturesque Minokake-Iwa rock formation seen here, lying off the island of Honshu and its mountainous 31-mile-long Izu Peninsula.Desktop Version
Oh, to sleep under the northern lights
Oh, to sleep under the northern lights
Perhaps there"s no better place to watch the northern lights dance above you than curled up in bed under the glass dome of a heated igloo here in Lapland, the northernmost region of Finland. There are other glass-domed hotels to choose from in Lapland, but the Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort, shown here, is the most famous. Visitors come to view the aurora borealis, or northern lights, and for various outdoor sports. There"s cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, downhill skiing, dogsledding, and even reindeer-drawn sleigh rides to keep you entertained during the short winter days. Evenings are spent dining (yes, reindeer may be on the menu), warming up in the sauna, and for some, sleeping under the stars and the swirling, hypnotic northern lights.Desktop Version
Seven Magic Mountains art installation, Jean Dry Lake, Nevada
Seven Magic Mountains art installation, Jean Dry Lake, Nevada
It’s easy to see how this brightly colored art installation near Jean Dry Lake caught the eye of photographer Renz Alfonso Dela Pena, the winner of the Bing #Amplifyingenuity photo contest. The installation, created by artist Ugo Rondinone, includes seven towers of boulders that reach up to 30 feet high. Its bold colors are meant to contrast with the stark landscape here in the Mojave Desert, where the piece will remain on display at least through 2018.Desktop Version
Travel Sunday: Liverpool
Travel Sunday: Liverpool
We approach Liverpool, our Travel Sunday destination, by the River Mersey. And to hear natives of Liverpool tell it, the Mersey is the only river that matters. The Mersey helped build Liverpool into a powerful port city during the 19th century as industrialization really took hold. Today, you may know Liverpool by some of the famous musicians—Beatles, cough—that got their start in a city once called ‘the New York of Europe.’Desktop Version
Longtailed widowbird at Rietvlei Nature Reserve, South Africa
Longtailed widowbird at Rietvlei Nature Reserve, South Africa
With a name like ‘widowbird,’ you’d expect this dusky male to have a low-key love life. But those 20-inch-long tail feathers are highly favored by females, even though they can make it difficult for the males to fly on windy days. The display has been the subject of much study regarding sexually selected traits and the tradeoffs between physical constraint and attracting a mate, since the tail feathers don’t seem to aid in flight and may even cause a hinderance. Ah, the things we do for love.Desktop Version
A gentle wind fills this sail
A gentle wind fills this sail
To mark International Day of Peace, we invite you to look closely at the colorful sail in today"s homepage photo. It"s a composite of 120 small panels painted by children from different ethnic and social backgrounds—each panel offers a message of hope for a better world. The Ship of Tolerance is part of an international outreach program created by the Kabakov Foundation that aims "to promote art as a medium for communication and cooperation between diverse cultures while nurturing the growth and development of young artists in all disciplines." Children are taught the importance of understanding others and making friends with those outside their own cultural experiences. You"re looking at an installation that was moored in Lake Zug, Switzerland.Desktop Version
A misty morning in Brazil
A misty morning in Brazil
The Amazon rainforest is big. Almost unimaginably big. To begin to grasp its immensity, consider these numbers: The Amazon rainforest covers about 2% of the world"s surface area, nearly 2.1 million square miles across South America, mostly (nearly 60%) in the country you see here, Brazil. It"s an area that accounts for over half the Earth"s remaining rainforests. The breadth of biodiversity is incomparable—nearly 16,000 different tree species, 40,000 species of other plants, 2.5 million insect species, and over 2,000 different types of birds and mammals. Incredibly, perhaps a tenth of the planet"s known species call the Amazon home, many of which have not even been identified.Desktop Version
Giants of the avian world
Giants of the avian world
The three shaggy-coiffed birds you see here are Dalmatian pelicans, posing on chilly Lake Kerkini in Greece. These waterfowl are among the largest freshwater bird species in the world, with wingspans stretching as wide as 11 feet. Dalmatian pelicans generally breed during the first four months of the year, building their nests on or near the ground, and sometimes upon vegetation floating in water. While breeding, they form monogamous pairs, though they generally don"t pair up for life.Desktop Version
A hint of spring
A hint of spring
Native to Western Europe, and especially popular in Great Britain, snowdrops are the bulb you"ll want to plant if the cold, drab landscape of winter gets you down. These small bulbs bloom very early—sometimes as soon as January—and are commonly associated with the promise of spring. But plant enough of them, or come across a naturally occurring patch, and it can look like a light dusting of winter snow has coated the ground. Need a little hope to get you through this last stretch of winter? Look no further than the lovely snowdrop.Desktop Version
We stand with Ukraine
We stand with Ukraine
Ukraine grows so many sunflowers they"ve become regarded as the country"s national flower—and recently, as a symbol of resistance. Just like sunflowers standing tall against a blue sky, the people of Ukraine are holding strong while an unlawful invasion threatens their democracy. As Ukrainians battle for their nation"s existence, millions of people have been forced to flee their homes to an uncertain future.Desktop Version
Red skies at Ruby Beach
Red skies at Ruby Beach
Our National Park Week virtual tour comes to a close at sunset on Ruby Beach, one of the many stunning corners of Olympic National Park in Washington state. A few miles from the shore is Destruction Island, where birds such as rhinoceros auklets may stop and rest after a day of gobbling up krill and squid in the cold Pacific waters. While the park includes miles of colorful Pacific coastline, it"s also famous for the Hoh Rainforest, an inland temperate forest notable for its towering old-growth hemlock and spruce trees.Desktop Version
Marine Day in Japan
Marine Day in Japan
In Japan, the third Monday in July is Marine Day (also known as Ocean Day), a day to show appreciation for the seas and oceans. Other nationalities have similar observances, but as inhabitants of an island nation, people in Japan can claim a particularly strong connection to the waters that surround them. The modern holiday also serves as an official start of summer in Japan, and many folks hit the beach to celebrate the end of tsuyu, the rainy season. The holiday started as Marine Memorial Day in 1941 to mark the anniversary of the return of the Meji Emperor from a voyage in 1876, but it wasn"t observed as a national holiday until 1996. Some also mark Marine Day with environmentally friendly activities. In Okinawa, people throw EM (effective microorganism) mudballs into the sea—these contain bacteria and yeast targeted at eliminating sludge and slime. Other areas host beach cleanups and aquariums host special Marine Day events.Desktop Version
It s Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
It s Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
With Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month kicking off today, we"re visiting the Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco"s Golden Gate Park. Originally designed as a temporary exhibit in the 1894 World"s Fair, the gardens became a permanent fixture in the park, overseen by landscape designer Makoto Hagiwara.Desktop Version
In the path of the pronghorn
In the path of the pronghorn
As the days lengthen and spring flowers bloom, herds of pronghorns in Wyoming migrate north from their winter grounds in the Upper Green River Basin to Grand Teton National Park. The journey, which biologists have dubbed the "Path of the Pronghorn," covers about 150 miles across government and private lands. Pronghorns have walked this route since prehistoric times, though today, fences, highways, and other unnatural barriers have made the journey more perilous. To mitigate these dangers, wildlife corridors are being constructed over highways and under bridges, offering safer passage for these quintessential symbols of the American West. Conservation efforts like these have helped to make the "Path of the Pronghorn" one of the longest migration corridors remaining for large mammals in North America.Desktop Version
A place fit for the gods
A place fit for the gods
Perhaps it was inevitable that this park on the western edge of Colorado Springs was named Garden of the Gods. One of the surveyors who established the city was so struck by the beauty of the rock formations here that he thought it a suitable setting for the gods to assemble, and so lent the spot its name. But the native Ute people also have divine associations with the area, which their creation myth names as the place where all life began. Today, it’s a popular public park and National Natural Landmark. Because it’s within the city limits, locals and visitors alike can get a heaping dose of nature without having to travel far from civilization. If you stroll by any of the rock formations here, you’re likely to see a climber or two scaling the red and pink sandstone walls—or ‘fins’—that give the park its distinct look.Desktop Version
Hey, you two in the front!
Hey, you two in the front!
For World Teachers" Day, we"re taking you to a class of emperor penguin chicks getting a lesson from a couple of wise adults—at least that"s how it looks to us. All kidding aside, the celebration has a special significance this year. Educators dedicate their lives to engaging the minds of young and old alike, all the while sparking curiosity about the world around us. But with in-person classes widely curtailed due to the coronavirus pandemic, many teachers have had to adapt their instruction methods by shifting to remote learning. More than ever we"re grateful for their efforts, including their support to parents who are contributing at home.Desktop Version
The Crown Jewel of the North Atlantic
The Crown Jewel of the North Atlantic
Welcome to Acadia National Park on Maine"s rocky, scenic coast. The 49,075-acre park covers about half of Mount Desert Island, smaller nearby islands, and a section on the mainland. The oldest national park east of the Mississippi River and the only one in Maine, Acadia packs a lot of geographical variety into its relatively small size. You"ll find miles of craggy coastline like the shore in our homepage image, woodlands, wetlands, and mountains. The park"s Cadillac Mountain is the highest point along the North Atlantic seaboard and a great spot to take in the sunrise.Desktop Version
The Children’s Cultural Festival in Reykjavik begins today
The Children’s Cultural Festival in Reykjavik begins today
Audiences at the Harpa Concert Hall are usually a bit older, but today when the 2018 Children’s Culture Festival launches, there will be another crowd like this one: Children who will not just see performances, but also learn to develop some of those artistic and creative-thinking skills through hands-on workshops and interactive performances. The festival’s been held since 2010, with events in multiple locations around the city.Desktop Version
Wandering Watkins Glen
Wandering Watkins Glen
When we talk about celebrating public lands, the images that pop into our heads are generally icons of the famous national parks out West. Old Faithful, El Capitan, the Arches. Our photo for National Public Lands Day highlights the relatively unsung beauty of the more than 10,000 state parks dotting the nation from coast to coast.Desktop Version