For as long as humanity has existed, people have been awed by the incredible power and wonder of nature. The natural world never ceases to amaze us. Just as we think we’ve seen it all, a new surprise is discovered around the next corner.
That’s what these photos prove. From giant vertical rainbows to animals that look like crazy alien creatures, this list includes some of the most fascinating images that we could find. You might not believe your eyes at first, but we assure you… yes, this is real life!
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steal322
1. Storm Damage
Imagine a storm so powerful that it knocks down not one, but three whole trees. That’s what happened here. The trees all tumbled over in a perfect line along the highway.
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Enfantterrible
2. Albino Turtle
Sea turtles are typically a dark black color when they first hatch from the nest. However, one baby sea turtle on this beach came out totally different than the rest. It was born an albino, causing it to look almost rainbow-like.
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to_the_tenth_power
3. Mossy Garden Path
As these bricks slowly separated over time, a bright green moss began to grow in between them. It really highlighted the pattern of the walkway. The cracks were filled with the neon-colored growth.
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im_lonely0
4. Snowed In
The snowstorm in this area was so intense that it literally buried the person’s house. They opened the door, only to find that there was no way out. There was a secondary door of solid snow behind it.
Source:
Xingua92
5. Hedgehog Skeleton
This museum has a display showing what a hedgehog looks like after it passes away. Without all of the flesh, you can see how tiny the underlying bone structure really is. Compared to the spiky exterior, it’s a shocking juxtaposition.
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9w_lf9
6. Single Flower
Natural beauty often arises in the most surprising places. Plants want to survive just as much as all living species. Even if there is only a small crack for them to eke out an existence, they will make it work.
7. Red Skies
Hurricane Ophelia hit land, and that night, an incredible sunset took place. The worst had passed! As the old mariner saying goes, “red sky at night, sailors’ delight, red sky at morning, sailors take warning.”
8. Space Station Flowers
Have you ever wondered what would happen if you tried to grow flowers in space? Well, it turns out, that experiment has already been done. This is the strangely beautiful result!
9. Green House
At first glance, this image could easily be mistaken for an abandoned castle. However, it’s really just someone’s old house. Over the years, nature has completely taken over!
10. Snowy Desert
Many people think of the desert as being extremely hot. However, depending on the region, that’s not always the case. This desert in Algeria is so cold that there is actually snow underneath the sand.
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Ground55
11. Tropical Fungus
Here we have an interesting fungus called Syncephalastrum. When examined under a microscope, the scientist was shocked to find that it looked like a beautiful flower. It was a very pleasant surprise!
12. Strong Roots
Tree roots might grow slowly, but they sure are strong. Over time, they can bend anything out of the way. They even have the strength to bend metal bars.
13. Frozen Waterfall
In the winter, this glacial waterfall turns into one giant pillar of ice. Check out the person standing next to it to get an idea of its scale. It’s definitely not somewhere that you want to be located when it eventually thaws out!
Source:
Palpat1ne
14. Bacteria Palm Print
An eight-year-old played outside for a while, then made a palm print in a nutrient dish. This is what grew in it. It turns out, we are exposed to a lot of bacteria outside. Luckily, most of it is actually very healthy for us.
Source:
NoLongerThatGuy
15. New Life
Plants always find a way to grow, even in the most unusual places. Where there is a will, there is a way. All that’s needed is a speck of soil, a drop of water, and a ray of sunshine.
16. Blonde Beauties
“A native group of people living on the Solomon Islands northeast of Australia called Melanesians is famous for their beautiful dark skin and naturally blonde hair,” explains the photographer. It’s an amazing genetic mix that is really uncommon in the rest of the world.
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HealerMD
17. Heavy Rainstorm
When storms happen, there is always a risk of flooding. However, that doesn’t mean you just have to accept it and move on. With a little bit of prior planning, you can basically make your own little island oasis.
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Palpat1ne
18. Ancient Bonsai
At 400 years old, it is one of the longest living bonsai trees in the world. It even survived the bombing of Hiroshima back in the day. It was two miles away from the blast site when it happened.
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hakunamatataMufasa
19. Snow Day
Believe it or not, there used to be an entrance behind this mountain of snow. The employees showed up for work one day and couldn’t get in. It was the perfect excuse to take the day off.
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Zega
20. Malagasy Grasshopper
Grasshoppers are mostly known for being green and brown. However, this variety is like something out of the movie Avatar. In the insect world, red patterns are often a sign of poison.
21. Spider Feast
Massive rainfall and flooding caused millions of insects in Pakistan to head up into the trees for shelter. However, the spiders also realized what was taking place and jumped on the opportunity. They surrounded the trees in huge webs.
Source:
Department for International Development
22. Fallen Apples
Hurricane Ophelia caused apple season to come early at this orchard in Ireland. All of their apples were launched from the trees in a single storm. The wind was too much for them to handle.
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KRua
23. Sediment Structures
Despite what it may look like, there isn’t a miniature forest in this test tube. It’s actually the result of a chemical reaction. The sediment formed into beautiful tree shapes.
Source:
TheRetardedOnion
24. Hidden Sign
In a war of nature versus the machines, nature always wins. It is way too powerful of a force. In the long run, nothing manmade can really compete.
25. Snow Streak
Snow storms don’t always leave a perfect blanket of snow on the landscape. As this aerial photo of Ohio shows, sometimes it’s just a single cloud or two that snows down. It causes the snow to show up as a tiny white trail across the ground.
Source:
Elementalillness
26. Bacteria Pumpkin
Most people don’t think of science and art as being related. However, this scientist proves that it is actually possible to draw with bacteria. The petri dish was cultured with a Halloween theme.
27. Overgrown Branches
The city tried to keep this tree in check by trimming it. However, in the end, the city workers were no match for it. The tree wanted to grow and there was nothing that they could do to stop it.
28. Monsoon Aftermath
A few minutes after a monsoon hit the Grand Canyon, these incredible rainbows appeared. They filled up the entire sky with their beauty. Moments earlier, the scene looked much different!
Source:
Reddit
29. Ant Face
People don’t give much thought to ants. They are so tiny and insignificant, at least from a distance. If you examine one of them up close and personal with a microscope though, it’s likely that your perspective will be completely changed.
30. Plant Attack
At one point, this tractor dominated the farm. It was in complete control. However, a few seasons of rest was all it took for the plant life to return in force.
31. Wavy Grass
The grass in this photo looks like it was Photoshopped or painted by Van Gogh. After a recent rain, it took on a wavy appearance, reminiscent of a dream. It looked super magical.
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ericb303
32. Strong Incisors
Why do beavers have orange teeth, you might wonder? It’s not because they eat a lot of carrots or drink a lot of tea. Beavers’ teeth contain large amounts of iron. It’s what gives their teeth the strength necessary to chop through wood.
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primal-chaos
33. Tree Problems
Nature can be both awe-inspiring and destructive. The two traits are not mutually exclusive either. Sometimes, they both present themselves at the same time.
34. Underwater Home
Imagine looking out of the window only to see a duck swimming by. That’s what happened in the Czech Republic after a crazy flood occurred. The homeowner couldn’t believe what they were seeing.
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epicmoe
35. Solar-Powered Slug
This sea slug looks exactly like a leaf. Not only is it a clever disguise, but it also serves another important purpose. The fascinating slug can survive for up to nine months just by photosynthesizing energy from the sun.
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UUUU__UUUU
36. Grass Patch
There was a small gap where one of the bricks was missing in this sidewalk. Nature immediately took advantage. The little buds sprang to life, quickly filling in the space.
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duce95
37. Rainbow Bubble
We’ve all seen rainbows before. However, this one is incredibly unique. It was so perfect that it caused pink light to radiate downward, creating the illusion of a pink dome in the sky.
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khemfrov
38. Unseen Danger
The most poisonous frog in the world is only about 10 millimeters long. It is so tiny that it fits on the edge of a pencil. However, the poison it secrets is 100 times more powerful than morphine.
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go_commit_die-_-
39. Lone Tree
There is a single tree taking over this historic alleyway in Toledo, Spain. Pretty soon, you won’t even be able to navigate around it. At least, not without some serious climbing skills…
40. Alien Clouds
It looks like aliens landed in this photo. The clouds took on the craziest spiral shapes. Despite the fact that they look like flying saucers, they are actually naturally formed. They are called lenticular clouds.
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Hellholder
41. Spider Camouflage
It’s known as the wrap-around spider for its ability to stretch its body across the tree branches. It’s part of its camouflage strategy. When it lays flat in this manner, it blends right in.
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tinygraycells
42. Tree Meets Fence
The tree is not about to move for the fence, that’s for sure. It is the other way around. The tree demands respect and no fence is ever going to stop it from growing.
43. Wild Hurricane
This was the result of Hurricane Matthew in Florida. The trees were literally ripped out of the ground, roots and all. A trail of devastation was left in the hurricane’s wake.
Source:
thisisnotmyfault
44. Majestic Coral
This species of stony coral is known as Cynarina. Up close, it looks like a beautiful cat’s eye. We can see deep into the coral’s soul.
45. Street Daisy
Daisies are one of the most popular types of flowers. The common European species has flourished for generations. Even in the middle of the city, daisies still find a way to sprout.
46. Wet Office
The skylights might have seemed like a good idea during normal weather circumstances. However, they were no match for this amount of rain. Eventually, it began pouring right into the middle of the office.
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age104
47. Ancient Gecko
Just like in the movie Jurassic Park, the gecko was trapped in a piece of amber. This one happens to be about 54 million years old. It dates back to prehistoric times.
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Batsssindisguise
48. Abandoned Bottle
It’s never good when trash ends up in nature. However, even amongst the litter, the plants and animals still manage to thrive. Eventually, nature will reclaim everything. It’s only a matter of time.
49. Disappearing Sign
It looks like the tree didn’t read the sign. It says “do not eat”, yet, the hungry tree consumed it anyway. It didn’t think twice about it.
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holykash
50. Miniature Snake
We had no idea that snakes could be this small. However, in Brazil, anything is possible. There are so many incredible species living in that part of the world.
51. Natural Bonsai
Limited by the amount of dirt in the crack of the sidewalk, the tree naturally remained tiny. It grew out as normal and became mature and leafy. However, it remained the size of just a couple of twigs.
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Yummydain
52. Apple Core
When this tree was cut down, the core revealed something very surprising — an Apple logo. What are the odds? It formed a perfectly shaped outline.
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gnom22
53. Tiger Skin
If you shave a tiger’s fur, you might be surprised to learn that their skin is covered with the same black stripes underneath. However, the orange pigment isn’t present. Tigers are basically the same colors as zebras.
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tyracampbellcharles
54. Growing Roots
The cement was not able to withstand the force of the tree roots. They exploded up out of the ground. It just goes to show, in the fight between nature and man, nature always prevails.
55. Firefly Glow
Kids all across the world catch fireflies for fun. The glowing species are so fascinating to inspect up close. No matter how old you get, they remain just as cool.
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Mymbaka
56. Palm Tree Victory
Which came first, the trees or the deck? That is the question. We already know which one is going to be there in the end though.
57. Raining Down
There are so many neat aspects to this photo. For starters, the rain can be seen pouring out of the sky like a giant waterfall. However, another really interesting part is the grid-like patterns of the farms in the surrounding area.
Source:
Mymbaka
58. Nature’s Paintbrush
The colors of nature are more wondrous than anything we can imagine. They spread themselves across the city, adding their own touch to the architecture. It’s a beautiful combination of artificial and natural.
59. Living Chip
This potato chip came out of the bag growing a root. Somehow, even after being sliced up and fried in oil, it still survived. It’s one powerful chip!
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Plantsplantsplants2
60. Tree Grave
Believe it or not, there used to be a gravestone here. The tree didn’t care, however. It decided to replace the old stone with a living monument of life.
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Arco_Sonata
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