Chinstrap penguins (Pygoscelis antarctica ) ride out high surf on blue-ice icebergs near Candlemas Island in the South Sandwich Islands .
Safe for the moment from predaceous leopard seals, chinstrap penguins are the second most abundant species in Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic.
A deep gorge drops some 650 feet (198 meters) near the abandoned city of Araden , Crete . Visitors can descend into the gorge and walk a little more than 4 miles ( 6.4 kilometers) to the Mediterranean Sea .
In addition to magnificent scenery, the gorge provides a 2,460-foot (750-meter) descent to the sea.
Although the region's name derives from the Oglala Sioux words mako sica or "land bad," the Badlands showcase the powerful effects of wind and water and contain fossil beds dating to 35 million years ago.
The columns formed when cooling lava flows met bedrock and the region's cold weather. The island contains three main caves.
Trees that can handle the wind's effects best will alter their shape to deal with the load of the wind.
The tallest tower rises 2,000 feet (610 meters) from the desert floor. Lore has it that the formations' name stems from the five towers' resemblance to a hand from the sky.
About five million years ago the area was a limestone plateau, but as sea levels rose the effects of surf and rain began to carve out these magnificent cliffs, along with stacks and arches.
Sitting more than 300 feet (90 meters) below sea level, with temperatures reaching 120 degrees Fahrenheit (49 degrees Celsius), local inhabitants prize the Danakil for one thing: its salt deposits.
Some of the formations reach 165 feet (50 meters) near the lake located on the Ethiopia-Djibouti border.