Cotopaxi,
meaning "Throne of the moon" is the name for the sacred mountain of the
Incas. With its altitude of 5.897m it is the second highest mountain in
Ecuador and one of the highest active volcanoes of the Andes. Last
erupting in 1904, he has since been sleeping again; however, smaller
earth quakes and smoke expulsions indicate he is not in a deep sleep. |
In
their search for food, the elephants have moved back and forth across
the bed of the Sands River in the Kruger National Park. On one of these
crossings, two members of different troupes meet on the riverbank. The
caressing welcome they share emphasizes the empathy between animals of
different herds. |
Thundering
water pours out over the cliffs of the Iguazú, which has been steadily
digging in the floor of the rainforest for millions of years. The
forces that have shaped this landscape are still going strong. Every
year the falls move 3mm upstream. In another million years there will
be only a wide valley that the Iguazu flows through. |
On
a beach in North Queensland, high and low tides buried a germ bud of
the coastal mangrove in the intertidal zone several years ago. The
pioneer germinated and its roots, which were slowly growing into the
ground, prevented it from being washed out by the ocean again. Today, a
lone Mangrove tree stands at this point, and is the bridgehead for the
new pioneers. It will probably no longer be lonely. |
In
the morning the leopard has moved back on a branch of the Acacia where
it uses the coverage of the branches to observe the bushland under it.
Its attention is on a group of Springbok antelopes, that are grazing
between the bushes nearby. Yet, they are too far away to be worth the
effort for the leopard. But it has time and can wait until the herd moves in its direction and the leopard gets its opportunity. |
Seemingly
endless, the Savannah Way cuts through the tropical North of Australia
on its 3500 km long journey from Broome to Cairns. Countless eucalyptus
forests, scrubland and slow drying billabongs, filled with water from
the rainy season, dot the landscape along the way. The open and wide
sky and the straight red strip of road, which extends over the horizon,
lets you feel the seclusion of the Australian North. |
Towards
evening a strong western wind has moved another front across the coast
line at Greymouth. It has pushed the clouds against the New Zealand
Alps where they release their humidity by heavy rainfall. The beach,
which is lying now tranquil in the evening sunlight, has been cleared
out by the rain and the surfs of the sea. But the rising clouds on the horizon herald the approach of another front which will bring more rain. |
Slowly but unstoppable move the ice masses of the Perito Moreno towards the banks of the Brazo Rico, a branch of the Largo Argentino, and block the outlet of this part of the lake. While on the eastern side the water can still drain through the Largo Argentino, the precipitation of the surrounding mountains swell on the opposite side. If the water masses don‘t find a way through the blockage in the following months, the pressure on this wall of ice becomes too much and it will burst in a thundering roar. Then the water pours out in a mighty flood into the Largo Argentino. |
The
name ‚Silvered Lutung‘ doesn‘t seem to apply to the baby of this monkey
family. After birth, it wears a shining orange fur and it is
light-skinned in its face and on its hands. But within a few days the
skin will turn dark. And in 3 to 5 months also the shiny orange fur
will vanish. Then it will look like its parents. |
Over
a distance of about eight kilometers extend 16 lakes of various sizes
and deepness, connected through clear cascades and churning waterfalls.
They all form the core of the Plitvice National Park. The most eye
catching is the intensive turquoise coloring of the lakes. The striking
colors are caused by the lacustrine chalk on the ground of the lakes. It breaks the sunlight and makes the water sparkle in the most beautiful and clearest colors. |
Sandwich
Harbour is the name of a fresh water lagoon along the Namibian Atlantic
coast which is about 40km south of Walvis Bay. Its wetlands, which are
protected by the extends of the Namib Dunes, are supplied by springs of
brackish water at the foot of those dunes. The reed grown areas around
the lagoon is inhabited by large colonies of seabirds like Flamingos,
Sea Swallows, Pelicans and Cormorants. Since 1979 the lagoon is part of
the Namib-Naukluft National Park. |
In
the shadow of the dense scrub of the thorn savanna the lion has taken
shelter from the merciless heat of the midday sun. Here he will wait
for the cooler hours of the night. Cause with the setting of the sun
for the lion starts the hour of his hunt. Nevertheless the lion
attentively watches his surrounding and listens into the scrubland. Eventually
he may be able to overcome an incautious zebra or a lost gazelle in the
bush land. Such an easy prey would a perfect meal for this opportunist. |
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