Sand dunes, Nagliai Nature Reserve, Curonian Spit, Lithuania, Baltic States, North Europe

Macaroni penguins (Eudyptes chrysolophus) scrambling up steep cliffs at Hercules Bay on South Georgia Island, Polar Regions

Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), surfacing off Half Moon Island in the South Shetland Island Group, Antarctica, Polar Regions

Adult black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) resting on ice in the Svalbard Archipelago, Barents Sea, Norway, Arctic, Europe

Tourists in zodiac, Belcher glacier, Devon island, Nunavut, Canadian Arctic, Canada, North America

Elephants (Loxodonta africana) crossing river, Chobe National Park, Botswana, Africa

Palm trees on Yacumama Lake, Puerto Maldonado, Tambopata Province, Madre de Dios, Peru, South America

Adult cactus finch (Geospiza scandens), one of the 15 species of Darwin's finches, on Isla Santa Cruz, Galapagos Island Archipelago, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ecuador, South America

Southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) mating behavior on South Georgia Island, Southern Ocean

Adult Imperial Shag (Phalacrocorax (atriceps) atriceps) exhibiting intense breeding plumage, New Island, Falkland Islands

Falkland Steamerduck (Tachyeres brachypterus) pair on New Island in the Falkland Islands

Capped Heron (Pilherodius pileatus) perching on branch by Lake Sandoval, Tambopata National Reserve, Puerto Maldonado, Madre de Dios, Peru, South America

Common ivy fruit umbels (Hedera helix), France, Europe

Adult female polar bear (Ursus maritimus) rolling in snow to clean its fur on multi-year ice floes in Franz Josef Land, Russia, Arctic Ocean, Eurasia

Chinstrap penguins (Pygoscelis antarctica), ecstatic display at breeding colony at Half Moon Island, Antarctica, Polar Regions

Northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis glacialis) on the wing over calm seas in the Svalbard Archipelago, Norway, Arctic, Europe

Greater flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber) foraging for small pink shrimp in saltwater lagoon in the Galapagos Islands, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ecuador, South America

Southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) mating behavior on South Georgia Island, Southern Ocean

Sangha River in the Trinational Lobeke National Park, Republic of Congo

Adult king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) returning from sea to the nesting colony at Salisbury Plain, South Georgia, Polar Regions

Migrating Pink-Footed geese over-wintering at Holkham, North Norfolk coast, East Anglia, Eastern England

Migrating Pink-Footed geese over-wintering on marshland at Holkham, North Norfolk coast, East Anglia, Eastern England

Migrating Pink-Footed geese over-wintering at Holkham, North Norfolk coast, East Anglia, Eastern England

Migrating Pink-Footed geese over-wintering on marshland at Holkham, North Norfolk coast, East Anglia, Eastern England

Migrating Pink-Footed geese over-wintering at Holkham, North Norfolk coast, East Anglia, Eastern England

Migrating Pink-Footed geese over-wintering at Holkham, North Norfolk coast, East Anglia, Eastern England

Migrating Pink-Footed geese over-wintering near Holkham, North Norfolk coast, East Anglia, Eastern England

Migrating Pink-Footed geese over-wintering at Holkham, North Norfolk coast, East Anglia, Eastern England

California Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus) in San Ignacio Lagoon on the Pacific side of the Baja Peninsula, Baja California Sur, Mexico

Lindblad Expeditions Guests doing fun and exciting things in the Galapagos Island Archipeligo, Ecuador. Model release number SMB0509.

Lindblad Expeditions Guests doing fun and exciting things in the Galapagos Island Archipeligo, Ecuador. Model release number SMB0509.

California Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus) underwater in San Ignacio Lagoon on the Pacific side of the Baja Peninsula, Baja California Sur, Mexico

Lindblad Expeditions Guests doing fun and exciting things in the Galapagos Island Archipeligo, Ecuador. No model releases.

Lindblad Expeditions Guests doing fun and exciting things in the Galapagos Island Archipeligo, Ecuador. Model release number SMB0509.

Guests from the Lindblad Expedition ship National Geographic Sea Lion doing various things in and around the Baja Peninsula

Captive Galapagos giant tortoise (Geochelone elephantopus) being fed at the Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos Island Archipelago, Ecuador

Lindblad Expeditions Guests doing fun and exciting things in the Galapagos Island Archipeligo, Ecuador. No model releases.

Lindblad Expeditions Guests doing fun and exciting things in the Galapagos Island Archipeligo, Ecuador. Model release number SMB0509.

Lindblad Expeditions Guests doing fun and exciting things in the Galapagos Island Archipeligo, Ecuador. Model release number SMB0509.

Lindblad Expeditions Guests doing fun and exciting things in the Galapagos Island Archipeligo, Ecuador. No model releases.

Lindblad Expeditions Guests doing fun and exciting things in the Galapagos Island Archipeligo, Ecuador. No model releases.

Lindblad Expeditions Guests doing fun and exciting things in the Galapagos Island Archipeligo, Ecuador. No model releases.

Captive Galapagos giant tortoise (Geochelone elephantopus) being fed at the Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos Island Archipelago, Ecuador

Lindblad Expeditions Guests exploring a sea grotto by Zodiac in the Galapagos Island Archipeligo, Ecuador. No model or property release are available for this image.

Lamplugh Glacier in Glacier Bay National Park, southeast Alaska, USA

Lindblad Expeditions Guests doing fun and exciting things in the Galapagos Island Archipeligo, Ecuador. No model releases.

Lindblad Expeditions Guests doing fun and exciting things in the Galapagos Island Archipeligo, Ecuador. No model releases.

Lindblad Expeditions Guests doing fun and exciting things in the Galapagos Island Archipeligo, Ecuador. Model release number SMB0509.

Lindblad Expeditions Guests doing fun and exciting things in the Galapagos Island Archipeligo, Ecuador. No model releases.

Lindblad Expeditions Guests preparing to snorkel in the Galapagos Island Archipeligo, Ecuador. No model or property releases available for tis image.

Lindblad Expeditions Guest taking photos inside sea grotto in the Galapagos Island Archipeligo, Ecuador. No model or property release are available for this image.

Lindblad Expeditions Guests doing fun and exciting things in the Galapagos Island Archipeligo, Ecuador. Model release number SMB0509.

Adult Galapagos penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus) split view underwater in the Galapagos Island Group, Ecuador

Captive Galapagos giant tortoise (Geochelone elephantopus) being fed at the Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos Island Archipelago, Ecuador

Lindblad Expeditions Guests doing fun and exciting things in the Galapagos Island Archipeligo, Ecuador. No model releases.

Guests from the Lindblad Expedition ship National Geographic Sea Lion doing various things in and around the Baja Peninsula

Lindblad Expeditions Guests doing fun and exciting things in the Galapagos Island Archipeligo, Ecuador. Model release number SMB0509.

Long-beaked Common Dolphin pod (Delphinus capensis) encountered in Zodiac off Isla Danzante in the southern Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez), Baja California Sur, Mexico

Wild Galapagos giant tortoise (Geochelone elephantopus) feeding on fallen passion fruit on the upslope grasslands of Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos Island Archipelago, Ecuador

California Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus) in San Ignacio Lagoon on the Pacific side of the Baja Peninsula, Baja California Sur, Mexico

California Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus) in San Ignacio Lagoon on the Pacific side of the Baja Peninsula, Baja California Sur, Mexico

California Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus) in San Ignacio Lagoon on the Pacific side of the Baja Peninsula, Baja California Sur, Mexico

Guests from the Lindblad Expedition ship National Geographic Sea Lion doing various things in and around the Baja Peninsula

Lindblad Expeditions Guests doing fun and exciting things in the Galapagos Island Archipeligo, Ecuador. No model releases.

California Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus) with excited whale watchers in San Ignacio Lagoon, Baja Peninsula, Baja California Sur, Mexico

California Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus) with excited whale watchers in San Ignacio Lagoon, Baja Peninsula, Baja California Sur, Mexico

California Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus) underwater in San Ignacio Lagoon on the Pacific side of the Baja Peninsula, Baja California Sur, Mexico

Lindblad Expeditions Guests doing fun and exciting things in the Galapagos Island Archipeligo, Ecuador. No model releases.

Lindblad Expeditions Guests doing fun and exciting things in the Galapagos Island Archipeligo, Ecuador. No model releases.

Pre-dawn landing on Isla Magdalena on the Baja Peninsula, Baja California Sur, Mexico.

Lindblad Expeditions Guests doing fun and exciting things in the Galapagos Island Archipeligo, Ecuador. No model releases.

California Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus) underwater in San Ignacio Lagoon on the Pacific side of the Baja Peninsula, Baja California Sur, Mexico

Pre-dawn landing on Isla Magdalena on the Baja Peninsula, Baja California Sur, Mexico.

California Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus) underwater in San Ignacio Lagoon on the Pacific side of the Baja Peninsula, Baja California Sur, Mexico

Wild Galapagos giant tortoise (Geochelone elephantopus) feeding on fallen passion fruit on the upslope grasslands of Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos Island Archipelago, Ecuador

Pre-dawn landing on Isla Magdalena on the Baja Peninsula, Baja California Sur, Mexico.

California Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus) with excited whale watchers in San Ignacio Lagoon, Baja Peninsula, Baja California Sur, Mexico

Pre-dawn landing on Isla Magdalena on the Baja Peninsula, Baja California Sur, Mexico.

Lindblad Expeditions Guests photographing exciting things in the Galapagos Island Archipeligo, Ecuador. No model or property release are available for this image.

Lindblad Expeditions Guests working as a team to take phoptographs in the Galapagos Island Archipeligo, Ecuador. No model release available for this image.

California Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus) underwater in San Ignacio Lagoon, Baja California Sur, Mexico

California Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus) with excited whale watchers in San Ignacio Lagoon on the Pacific side of the Baja Peninsula, Baja California Sur, Mexico

Pre-dawn landing on Isla Magdalena on the Baja Peninsula, Baja California Sur, Mexico.

California Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus) underwater in San Ignacio Lagoon on the Pacific side of the Baja Peninsula, Baja California Sur, Mexico

California Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus) underwater in San Ignacio Lagoon on the Pacific side of the Baja Peninsula, Baja California Sur, Mexico

California Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus) underwater in San Ignacio Lagoon on the Pacific side of the Baja Peninsula, Baja California Sur, Mexico

California Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus) with excited whale watchers in San Ignacio Lagoon on the Pacific side of the Baja Peninsula, Baja California Sur, Mexico

California Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus) underwater in San Ignacio Lagoon on the Pacific side of the Baja Peninsula, Baja California Sur, Mexico

Lindblad Expeditions Guests doing fun and exciting things in the Galapagos Island Archipeligo, Ecuador. No model releases.

Guests from the Lindblad Expedition ship National Geographic Sea Lion doing various things in and around the Baja Peninsula

Long-beaked Common Dolphin pod (Delphinus capensis) encountered off Isla Danzante in the southern Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez), Baja California Sur, Mexico.

California Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus) with excited whale watchers in San Ignacio Lagoon, Baja Peninsula, Baja California Sur, Mexico

California Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus) with excited whale watchers in San Ignacio Lagoon, Baja Peninsula, Baja California Sur, Mexico

Pre-dawn landing on Isla Magdalena on the Baja Peninsula, Baja California Sur, Mexico.

Lindblad Expeditions Guests exploring a sea grotto in the Galapagos Island Archipeligo, Ecuador. No model or property release are available for this image.

Lindblad Expeditions Guests doing fun and exciting things in the Galapagos Island Archipeligo, Ecuador. No model releases.

Pre-dawn landing on Isla Magdalena on the Baja Peninsula, Baja California Sur, Mexico.

Lindblad Expeditions Guests doing fun and exciting things in the Galapagos Island Archipeligo, Ecuador. No model releases.

California Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus) underwater in San Ignacio Lagoon on the Pacific side of the Baja Peninsula, Baja California Sur, Mexico

Aerial view of Punta Allen Sian Ka'an Reserve, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. Red lagoon near Boca Paila Bridge. In the language of the Mayan peoples who once inhabited this region, Sian Ka'an means Origin of the Sky. Located on the east coast of the Yucatán peninsula, this biosphere reserve contains tropical forests, mangroves and marshes, as well as a large marine section intersected by a barrier reef. It provides a habitat for a remarkably rich flora and a fauna comprising more than 300 species of birds, as well as a large number of the region's characteristic terrestrial vertebrates, which cohabit in the diverse environment formed by its complex hydrological system. Along its roughly 120 kilometres of coastline, the property covers over 400,000 hectares of land ranging from sea level to only ten m.a.s.l. The property boasts diverse tropical forests, palm savannah, one of the most pristine wetlands in the region, lagoons, extensive mangrove stands, as well as sandy beaches and dunes. The 120,000 hectares of marine area protect a valuable part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef and seagrass beds in the shallow bays. The lush green of the forests and the many shades of blue of the lagoons and the Caribbean Sea under a wide sky offer fascinating visual impressions.