Women and children gathering dung for their cooking fires, near Khimsar, Rajasthan, India

Women and children gathering dung for their cooking fires, near Khimsar, Rajasthan, India

Traditional Kalbalia Dance Troupe, Rajasthan, India

Griots, traditional musicians, Sofara, Mali, Africa

Woman decorating her house with traditional local designs, Tonk region, Rajasthan, India, Asia

People wearing masked carnival costumes, San Giorgio in the background, Venice Carnival, Venice, Veneto, Italy

People wearing masked carnival costumes, Venice Carnival, Venice, Veneto, Italy

Sari garment factory, Rajasthan, India

Tea ceremony, Tafilalt, Morocco, North Africa

Tanna man, Tanna Island, Vanuatu, Melanesia, Pacific Islands

Girl weaving traditional huipil, Santa Caterina Papopo, Guatemala, Central America

Toshogu Shrine, a guard of the Omote gate, Nikko, Honshu, Japan

Portrait of a long necked Padaung tribe woman, Mae Hong Son Province, Thailand, AsiaThe women of the Padaung hill tribe wear heavy brass ornaments around their neck and limbs. These ornaments look like separate rings but are really a continuous coil of brass that can weigh anywhere from five to twenty-two kilograms and measure up to 30 meter in length. The quantity of visual rings (in reality, the length of the brass coil) is increased every year, according to the age of the woman.

Landing stage on Derwentwater, Lake District National Park, Cumbria, England, United Kingdom, Europe

Man with his goshawk, Otoraigur near Balikchi, Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia

Karatsu Okunchi Festival, children in festival robes, Karatsu, Kyushu, Japan

Woman, Tonk, Rajasthan, India,

The male oval squid (Sepioteuthis lessoniana), can reach 14 inches in length, Hawaii, United States of America, Pacific, North America

The male oval squid (Sepioteuthis lessoniana), can reach 14 inches in length, Hawaii, United States of America, Pacific, North America

Cutting tuna fish, morning fish market, Tsukiji, Tokyo, Japan

Researchers measuring a female Leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) at its nest site, Shell Beach, Guyana, South America

Old Sturbridge Village - A living museum recreating life in the 1830's, Massachusetts, USA

Hotel Carlton, La Croisette, Cannes, Cote d'Azur, Provence, France

Woman selling flowers outside the Jain Temple of Chaumukha, Rajasthan, India

Only section that remains of Iron Curtain in Czech Republic, 350m length of barbed wire fence, Cizov, Podyji National Park, Brnensko Region, Czech Republic, Europe

Only section that remains of Iron Curtain in Czech Republic, 350m length of barbed wire fence and guard tower, Cizov, Podyji National Park, Brnensko Region, Czech Republic, Europe

Lavender fields, Furano, Hokkaido, Japan

Assamese tribal village women spinning sari length cotton, Majuli Island, Assam, India, Asia

Sami man in traditional dress, Finland, Europe

Looking over the length of New York City from the One World Observatory with the Hudson River to the West and Long Island City to the north east, New York City, United States of America, North America

Assamese tribal village woman spinning sari length cotton, Majuli Island, Assam, India, Asia

Elephant (Loxodonta africana) eating an acacia tree whose thorns can be over 50 mm in length and very sharp, Zambia, Africa

Assamese tribal village woman spinning sari length cotton, Majuli Island, Assam, India, Asia

Woman weaving a length of Kira fabric on her domestic hand made wooden loom, from hand spun and dyed wool, Ura, Eastern Bhutan, Asia

Village women in village communal area preparing sari length of coloured cotton for weaving, Ganeshpahar village, Assam, India

Furano farmer, Hokkaido, Japan

Old cannon, Skala of the Kasbah a mighty crenellated bastion, 300 metres in length, built on the cliffs to protect the city on its seaward side, Essaouira, historic city of Mogador, Morocco, North Africa, Africa

Old cannons, Skala of the Kasbah a mighty crenellated bastion, 300 metres in length, built on the cliffs to protect the city on its seaward side, Essaouira, historic city of Mogador, Morocco, North Africa, Africa

Shop selling dried fruit and nuts, Tsukiju, Tokyo, Japan

Stretch limousine, Hummer, Luxor hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Cutting live fish, morning fish market, Tsukiji, Tokyo, Japan

The ancient Great Wall of China snaking through mountains at Mutianyu, north of Beijing (formerly Peking)

Quiche girls, Zunil, Quatemala, Central America

GMT clock and standards of length, Flamsteed House, Greenwich, UNESCO World Heritage Site, London, England, United Kingdom, Europe

Some religious people reach Brahmayani temple measuring their body length. To do so, a person prostrates on the ground and extends his clasped hands above his head. An assistant puts a few grains of rice at the end of the clasped hands as a marking point. Then, the man steps to this marking point and then prostrates again. Bhaktapur, Nepal

Formal Standard of Length from 1878, the Guildhall, London EC2, England, United Kingdom, Europe

Some religious people reach Brahmayani temple measuring their body length. To do so, a person prostrates on the ground and extends his clasped hands above his head. An assistant puts a few grains of rice at the end of the clasped hands as a marking point. Then, the man steps to this marking point and then prostrates again. Bhaktapur, Nepal

Some religious people reach Brahmayani temple measuring their body length. To do so, a person prostrates on the ground and extends his clasped hands above his head. An assistant puts a few grains of rice at the end of the clasped hands as a marking point. Then, the man steps to this marking point and then prostrates again. Bhaktapur, Nepal

Some religious people reach Brahmayani temple measuring their body length. To do so, a person prostrates on the ground and extends his clasped hands above his head. An assistant puts a few grains of rice at the end of the clasped hands as a marking point. Then, the man steps to this marking point and then prostrates again. Bhaktapur, Nepal

View down the length of Loop street in the city of Cape Town.

View down the length of Long street in the city of Cape Town.

Old cannons, Skala of the Kasbah a mighty crenellated bastion, 300 metres in length, built on the cliffs to protect the city on its seaward side, Essaouira, historic city of Mogador, Morocco, North Africa, Africa

Skala of the Kasbah, a crenellated bastion 300 metres in length, built on the cliffs to protect the city on its seaward side, Essaouira, historic city of Mogador, Morocco, North Africa, Africa

Palmate Newt (Triturus helvetica) full length shot, Newt perched on rock in rain Argyll Scotland, UK

Whale shark. Growing over 17m in length, despite it is th largest fish of the world, scientists still do not know a lot about the Whale Shark, such as where they migrate to, why divers don't see the free swimming babies, etc. Here, a bunch of divers may be a bit too close to the 8m long shark. By regulations in Ningaloo, swimmers have to be 3 meter from the whale shark. Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia

Orca (Orcinus orca) from above, showing whole body length. Akaroa, New Zealand.

A rare, aerial view of Blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) surfacing near whale-watching boat in the fjords, near Husavik, on the north coast of Iceland.

western king wrasse (coris auricularis), male, dark pink colour with reddish-brown band running around boby and blue-green colouration over the head, wild, day, marine protected area, diving off Rottnest Island, reef edges, sand, seagrass, Western Australia, Indian Ocean. MORE INFO: social structure where dominant male, usually the biggest in the area, will have a harem of females. When the male dies or is absent for any length of time the largest female will change sex and dominate the group.

Orkney Islands Sept 2011 Wave and Tidal Power shoot - The Pelamis Wave Power machine in Orkney - alongside in Lyness - the machine is the P2 . The Pelamis absorbs the energy of ocean waves and converts it into electricity. The machine floats semi-submerged on the surface of the water and is made up of a number of cylindrical sections joined together by hinged joints. As waves pass down the length of the machine these sections flex relative to one another. The motion at each hinged joint is resisted by hydraulic cylinders which pump fluid into high pressure accumulators allowing electrical generation to be smooth and continuous. Control of the resistance applied by the hydraulic cylinders allows generation to be maximised when waves are small, and the machine response to be minimised in storms. All generation systems are sealed and dry inside the machines and power is transmitted to shore using standard subsea cables and equipment.

Orkney Islands Sept 2011 Wave and Tidal Power shoot - The Pelamis Wave Power machine in Orkney - alongside in Lyness - the machine is the P2 . The Pelamis absorbs the energy of ocean waves and converts it into electricity. The machine floats semi-submerged on the surface of the water and is made up of a number of cylindrical sections joined together by hinged joints. As waves pass down the length of the machine these sections flex relative to one another. The motion at each hinged joint is resisted by hydraulic cylinders which pump fluid into high pressure accumulators allowing electrical generation to be smooth and continuous. Control of the resistance applied by the hydraulic cylinders allows generation to be maximised when waves are small, and the machine response to be minimised in storms. All generation systems are sealed and dry inside the machines and power is transmitted to shore using standard subsea cables and equipment.

Orkney Islands Sept 2011 Wave and Tidal Power shoot - The Pelamis Wave Power machine in Orkney - alongside in Lyness - the machine is the P2 . The Pelamis absorbs the energy of ocean waves and converts it into electricity. The machine floats semi-submerged on the surface of the water and is made up of a number of cylindrical sections joined together by hinged joints. As waves pass down the length of the machine these sections flex relative to one another. The motion at each hinged joint is resisted by hydraulic cylinders which pump fluid into high pressure accumulators allowing electrical generation to be smooth and continuous. Control of the resistance applied by the hydraulic cylinders allows generation to be maximised when waves are small, and the machine response to be minimised in storms. All generation systems are sealed and dry inside the machines and power is transmitted to shore using standard subsea cables and equipment.

Orkney Islands Sept 2011 Wave and Tidal Power shoot - The Pelamis Wave Power machine in Orkney - alongside in Lyness - the machine is the P2 . The Pelamis absorbs the energy of ocean waves and converts it into electricity. The machine floats semi-submerged on the surface of the water and is made up of a number of cylindrical sections joined together by hinged joints. As waves pass down the length of the machine these sections flex relative to one another. The motion at each hinged joint is resisted by hydraulic cylinders which pump fluid into high pressure accumulators allowing electrical generation to be smooth and continuous. Control of the resistance applied by the hydraulic cylinders allows generation to be maximised when waves are small, and the machine response to be minimised in storms. All generation systems are sealed and dry inside the machines and power is transmitted to shore using standard subsea cables and equipment.

Adult Southern Rockhopper Penguins (Eudyptes chrysocome chrysocome) in the Falkland Islands. This is the smallest yellow-crested, black-and-white penguin in the genus Eudyptes. It reaches a length of 45-58 cm (18-23 in) and typically weighs 2-3.4 kg (4.4-7.5 lb), although there are records of exceptionally large rockhoppers weighing 5 kg (11 lbs). Their common name refers to the fact that unlike many other penguins which negotiate obstacles by sliding on their bellies or by awkward climbing using their flipper-like wings as aid, Rockhoppers will try to jump over boulders and across cracks. This behavior is by no means unique to this species however - at least the other "crested" penguins of the genus Eudyptes hop around rocks too. Southern Rockhopper Penguins have a global population of roughly 1 million pairs, perhaps a bit more. About two-thirds of the global population belongs to E. c. chrysocome which breeds on the Falkland Islands and on islands off Argentina and southern Chile. The Southern Rockhopper Penguin is classified as Vulnerable species by the IUCN.

Spanish Dancer (Hexabranchus sanguineus) Spectacular and largest of the nudibranchs (naked gills) and are reported to reach up to 50 cms in length. Nocturnal. Red Sea.

Blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) Gulf of California.The entire length of a blue whale stretched out ahead of a whale watcing boat.

Adult humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) sub-surface feeding among black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) off the continental shelf west of Spitsbergen in the Barents Sea, Norway. Humpbacks are one of the larger rorqual species, adults range in length from 12?16 metres (40?50 ft) and weigh approximately 36,000 kilograms (79,000 lb). There are at least 80,000 humpback whales worldwide.

Adult humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) sub-surface feeding among black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) off the continental shelf west of Spitsbergen in the Barents Sea, Norway. Humpbacks are one of the larger rorqual species, adults range in length from 12?16 metres (40?50 ft) and weigh approximately 36,000 kilograms (79,000 lb). There are at least 80,000 humpback whales worldwide.

Spanish Dancer (Hexabranchus sanguineus) Spectacular and largest of the nudibranchs (naked gills) and are reported to reach up to 50 cms in length. Nocturnal. Red Sea.

Adult humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) sub-surface feeding among black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) off the continental shelf west of Spitsbergen in the Barents Sea, Norway. Humpbacks are one of the larger rorqual species, adults range in length from 12?16 metres (40?50 ft) and weigh approximately 36,000 kilograms (79,000 lb). There are at least 80,000 humpback whales worldwide.

Spanish Dancer (Hexabranchus sanguineus). Spectacular and largest of the nudibranchs (naked gills) and are reported to reach up to 50 cms in length. Nocturnal. Red Sea.

Palmate Newt (Triturus helvetica) full length shot, Newt perched on rock in rain Argyll Scotland, UK

Strawberry Poison Frog (Dendrobates pumilio), adult, Bastimentos National Park, Bocas del Toro, Panama. The strawberry poison frog or strawberry poison-dart frog (Oophaga pumilio or Dendrobates pumilio) is a species of small amphibian poison dart frog found in Central America. It is common throughout its range, which extends from eastern central Nicaragua through Costa Rica and northwestern Panama. The species is often found in humid lowlands and premontane forest, but large populations are also found in disturbed areas such as plantations. The strawberry poison frog is perhaps most famous for its widespread variation in coloration, comprising approximately 15���30 color morphs, most of which are presumed to be true-breeding. O. pumilio, while not the most poisonous of the dendrobatids, is the most toxic member of its genus. The species is most diverse in Panama with varieties in vivid shades of all red, orange, blue, yellow or green, green and yellow, white with red, orange or black and spotted varieties. The most colorful mix is found in Isla Bastimentos Marine National Park though not all in one place. Colors vary by location. A beach on the north side of the island is named after the species. Two of Southern Explorations' Panama tours visit red frog habitat. Both the eight-day Panama Adventure trip and eleven-day Panama Highlights trip spend time in Isla Bastimentos Marine National Park and the former also goes to Red Frog Beach. The red frog is not as poisonous as some of its cousins and is not a threat to humans. It subsists on a diet of ants that dine on poisonous plants, providing the red frog its protective skin toxin. Males attract females with a loud quick chirp. To hear the distinctive sound before you depart on your Panama tours, go to the University of Michigan Museum's biodiversity website (www.animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu.) After birth, the tadpoles climb aboard the mother who deposits them in different protected areas where she retu

Tahitian man with her daughter carrying baguettes while riding a bicycle on the island of Tahiti, French Polynesia, Tahiti Nui, Society Islands, French Polynesia, South Pacific.

Malted milk woman seller in America Central Park, Quetzaltenango city Guatemala.

Ice cream woman seller in America Central Park, Quetzaltenango city Guatemala.

Statue Commemorating the End of Slavery, Goree Island, near Dakar, Senegal

9-day-old gibbous Moon, taken April 23, 2010, with Astro-Physics 130mm apo refractor, plus 2x Barlow for f/12 and 1600mm focal length. Canon 7D camera at ISO 100. Seeing poor -- this was the sharpest of the lot.

Mayan women baking tortillas in the streets of Antigua, Guatemala, Central America. La Tortolita.

Th Great Wall, Beijing, China

Simatai, Great Wall, Beijing, China

People walking across the Capilano Suspension Bridge, Vancouver, Canada

Badaling Great Wall, Beijing, China

Capilano Suspension Bridge, Vancouver, Canada

Badaling Great Wall, Beijing, China

The East Side Gallery along Muehlenstrasse, the longest preserved piece of Berlin Wall, with 1.3 kilometres length the longest open air gallery of the world, Berlin Wall Trail, Friedrichshain, Berlin, Germay, Europe

Collared Aracari (Pteroglossus torquatus), Costa Rica, Central America

Friendly cook prepares delicious asado meat on charcoal grill in Finca Piedra, San José de Mayo, Colonia Department, Uruguay, South America

The East Side Gallery along Muehlenstrasse, the longest preserved piece of Berlin Wall, with 1.3 kilometres length the longest open air gallery of the world, Berlin Wall Trail, Friedrichshain, Berlin, Germay, Europe

Woman enjoys sunrise in the mountains in Raetikon, Vorarlberg, Austria, Europe

The East Side Gallery along Muehlenstrasse, the longest preserved piece of Berlin Wall, with 1.3 kilometres length the longest open air gallery of the world, Berlin Wall Trail, Friedrichshain, Berlin, Germay, Europe

Woman enjoys sunrise in the mountains in Raetikon, Vorarlberg, Austria, Europe

The East Side Gallery along Muehlenstrasse, the longest preserved piece of Berlin Wall, with 1.3 kilometres length the longest open air gallery of the world, Berlin Wall Trail, Friedrichshain, Berlin, Germay, Europe

Woman stands during twilight at the Totalphütte in the Rätikon above the Lünersee, Vorarlberg, Austria, Europe

The East Side Gallery along Muehlenstrasse, the longest preserved piece of Berlin Wall, with 1.3 kilometres length the longest open air gallery of the world, Berlin Wall Trail, Friedrichshain, Berlin, Germay, Europe

Woman stands at the Totalphütte in the Rätikon above the Lünersee, Vorarlberg, Austria, Europe

The East Side Gallery along Muehlenstrasse, the longest preserved piece of Berlin Wall, with 1.3 kilometres length the longest open air gallery of the world, Berlin Wall Trail, Friedrichshain, Berlin, Germay, Europe

The East Side Gallery along Muehlenstrasse, the longest preserved piece of Berlin Wall, with 1.3 kilometres length the longest open air gallery of the world, Berlin Wall Trail, Friedrichshain, Berlin, Germay, Europe

The East Side Gallery along Muehlenstrasse, the longest preserved piece of Berlin Wall, with 1.3 kilometres length the longest open air gallery of the world, Berlin Wall Trail, Friedrichshain, Berlin, Germay, Europe

The East Side Gallery along Muehlenstrasse, the longest preserved piece of Berlin Wall, with 1.3 kilometres length the longest open air gallery of the world, Berlin Wall Trail, Friedrichshain, Berlin, Germay, Europe

The East Side Gallery along Muehlenstrasse, the longest preserved piece of Berlin Wall, with 1.3 kilometres length the longest open air gallery of the world, Berlin Wall Trail, Friedrichshain, Berlin, Germay, Europe