Nature is nothing short of magical. From glowing blue waves to thunder that rolls like a war drum, every corner of our planet hides something unexpected and spectacular.
That’s exactly why we at Bored Panda put on our explorer hats and dug up some of the most dazzling, dangerous, and bizarre natural phenomena from around the world. Think of this as your all-access pass to Earth’s coolest secrets; no hiking boots are required.
Whether you’re into icy caves that sparkle like a fairytale or beaches with jet-black, there’s something here to make you gasp, smile, or Google, “How do I see this in real life?” Scroll on to explore these marvels, and don’t forget to upvote the ones that made your jaw drop or made you shout “NO WAY” out loud.
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Extremely Rare "White Auroras" Spotted Over Finland Last Night
Seriously- all the things that I do and might like exist there.
Load More Replies...Milky Way With Zodiacal Light, Aurora And A Shooting Star In New Zealand
The zodiacal light (also called false dawn when seen before sunrise) is a faint glow of diffuse sunlight scattered by interplanetary dust. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zodiacal_light I can't be the only one who didn't know that
Yeah, what IS that?? This is New Zealand which is next door to Australia so "giant glow worm" is a plausible explanation. 😉
Load More Replies...This Happens Every Year In Fall As Leaves Begin To Decompose In The Water
The decomposing leaves release tannic acid and when the sunlight hits it you see this gorgeous rainbow effect over the water.
It also stinks to high heaven. The decomposition process creates Methane gas.
It takes only a millisecond for my mind to wander into the realm of fascination over the abilities of Mother Nature and God's Earth. A leaf on a tree is enough to keep me pondering in wonder and appreciation for hours.
As jasper said, it's in cypress groves. And I gave you an up vote to get you back to zero. I can't imagine why you had a down vote in the first place.
Load More Replies...The grandeur of nature is truly beyond words. From snowstorms that blanket mountains in eerie silence to fog domes that roll in like scenes from a fantasy film, the planet never fails to surprise us. But capturing that magic? That’s a whole different challenge. Nature doesn’t perform on command, and it takes a rare blend of timing, patience, and maybe a little luck to click that once-in-a-lifetime shot.
To understand more about what goes into photographing such marvels, we spoke with Lokesh Tardalkar, a wildlife photographer and assistant professor at UPG College of Arts, Science & Commerce. With years of experience both in classrooms and out in the wild, Lokesh offered us a peek behind the lens. His journey is filled with adrenaline, adventure, and admiration for Mother Earth.
Salt Rocks In Iran
One of those must be Lot's wife. She was always kind of a salty b*tch.
Visually, they remind me of the Zhangye Danxia Rainbow Mountains in China, but they're composed of various layers of different colored sandstone and minerals.
Missed The Aurora, But Got To See An Iridescent Cloud
I was driving on a country road the first time I saw an Iridescent Cloud, and nearly drove off the road because it was so surprising. Pulled over and stared at it for the longest time. What a gorgeous sight.
Caño Cristales, Colombia. It's A 5-Color River
I don't know why you got downvoted. It clearly is way oversaturated. You can see it looking at the vegetation, where some of the leafs are basically neon green. Which is not a natural color, obv.
Load More Replies...“Some phenomena,” he told us, “like the Northern Lights or meteor showers, can be predicted to some extent. You can look up the best viewing times, monitor solar activity, and research ideal locations.” He recalled a colleague who, while on a trip to Europe, chanced upon an aurora sighting and ended up capturing it beautifully, purely by being informed and ready.
I Took A Photo Of Rare Bioluminescence In Jervis Bay
Marble Caves In Patagonia, Chile
Been there! To get there, you take the plane from Santiago to Balmaceda (this airport serves the city called Coyahique) From Coyahique it's a two hour bus or car ride south to General Carrera lake. Boats take you on a ride around all the caves. It's better if you visit the caves early in the morning, when the sun shines directly into the caves. The colors will be more intense.
Lava Flow Skylight In Hawaii Looks Like An Entrance To Hell
When my time's coming, Ima just dive right in there. Cut out the middle man.
But, of course, not everything comes with a schedule. “Then there are those unexpected moments,” Lokesh added. “A fogbow forming suddenly, or an animal doing something incredibly rare. You just have to be in the right place at the right time.” These are the stories that become legends among photographers, nature offering a gift to the lucky few.
Snow Roller Phenomenon At Keystone, Colorado. Also Known As Snownuts
Total Solar Eclipse
I agree... Like the pupil in a grey-colored eyeball.
Load More Replies...Unbelievable Sight At Glowworms In Waitomo Caves, New Zealand
I've been there, and it's really difficult to get a good picture using your phone. It's an amazing experience!
As far as the tiny cameras on cell phones have come, sometimes you just need an actual camera to capture images like this one.
Load More Replies...This and some other pictures have me REALLY wanting to visit NZ!!
It's very high on my list! Wish it wasn't so far away.
Load More Replies...However, I find the Pachyrhamma waitomoensis less appealing weta-68445...d5-png.jpg
Wooo I've been there too! And the Pie Cart in Wellington. Gone now though. *sniff*
What’s the secret sauce, then? “Patience,” Lokesh said. “And a keen eye. You have to observe quietly, respect your surroundings, and wait. Sometimes you might sit for hours and return empty-handed, and sometimes you get gold in 30 seconds.” That’s the unpredictable beauty of it all: nothing is guaranteed, but everything is possible.
The Colorful Hydrothermal Pools And Terraces Of Dallol, Ethiopia
Why edit the color balance on a thing that is naturally so beautiful.
Yeah, take a photo and pull up that saturation and vibrance to the max in PS to get some likes.
The colors of Danakil Depression or Afar Depression remind me of the colors found at Fly Ranch Geyser in Nevada, which was created by engineers seeking geothermal energy.
People who struggle understanding basic image editing are going to have hard time with AI. Good luck!
Wow, go look on google at the other pictures of this place and around it. So beautiful.
It's not real because it's been edited to death and beyond.
Load More Replies...This Beach In Canada Is Filled With Crystal Blue Tide Pools And It's So Magical
But i can't tell how big the human is. I'm lost without a banana for scale
Load More Replies...Mammatus Clouds
Mammatus clouds. Another sign of atmospheric instability. Not really a sign there will be a tornado, but there's a risk.
Indeed, more frequently seen when the storm is departing rather than arriving.
Load More Replies...I feel a bit strange looking at this. Not quite nauseous, but wrong somehow in a way I can't explain.
Yeah no !! if I saw them in uk I think we,d all be like wtf is gonna happen !
He also stressed the importance of research. “You can’t just walk into a forest or a glacier and expect magic. It takes planning, studying wildlife patterns, knowing weather trends, and yes, checking which lens you might need for what.” He smiled as he shared tales of spending days tracking a single rare bird through dense forest.
Fourth Night In A Row, Finally Got My Moonbow! Yosemite Falls, Yosemite National Park, California
Moonbows, like the name implies, are lunar rainbows. When light is reflected off the moon, then refracted through mist from a dissipating rain — much like a regular rainbow — a moonbow is the (very faint) result.
Moonbows are a rare phenomenon, but can best be seen through the spray of a waterfall. There are certain times of year when moonbows can be seen, and Yosemite National Park is entering its moonbow season, which takes place in the spring after the snowmelt.
I would love to go but my parents said "it's just trees. Nothing to see." :( That's what i like about parks!!
Load More Replies...In a really dark place, this may also happen with reflected light from Jupiter.
This Geyser Right Before It Blows
Sometimes Lightning Occurs Out Near Space. One Such Lightning Type Is Red Sprite Lightning
this looks sooo eerie and like it could be a shot from the deep deep ocean, crazy!!
Naturally, the tools of the trade matter, too. “If you’re photographing meteors, you need specific settings, gear, and minimal light pollution. For capturing a kangaroo close-up? Different story, different equipment.” It’s about knowing your subject and having the right tech at hand to do it justice.
Light Pillars
A light pillar or ice pillar is an atmospheric optical phenomenon in which a vertical beam of light appears to extend above and/or below a light source. The effect is created by the reflection of light from tiny ice crystals that are suspended in the atmosphere or that compose high-altitude clouds (e.g. cirrostratus or cirrus clouds). https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_pillar
Ice Caves Of The Argentinean Patagonia
As this happens when a water course, such as a stream, or tidal flow creates this through melting, it is STRONGLY advised for tourists to not enter such ice caves. To put it simply, they are very prone to sudden and unexpected collapses.
You can see it's melting... the sky is falling in and they are stood there....
Load More Replies...This feels like it might be the inside of some enormous alien creature about to swallow you whole.
The Grand Prismatic Spring At Yellowstone National Park
Sometimes, that journey takes you off the beaten path. “There are places we go that most people wouldn’t even think of,” he said. “Steep cliffs, thick jungles, remote deserts because often, that’s where the magic hides. That’s where nature reveals herself without filters or fences.”
The Rainbow Mountains Of China With In The Zhangye Danxia Landform Geological Park Are A Geological Wonder Of The World
Just another edited image, good luck with AI in the future.
Load More Replies...This was the site I referred to under #5 Salt Rocks In Iran. Isn't this gorgeous?
Eternal Flame. This Natural Methane Vent Creates A Flame Under A Waterfall
We used to have a local eternal flame (WA state, US). It didn't look as pretty as ours came out of a small pool of water barely more than a puddle. Basically, there was a natural spring bubbling water out of the ground at about the rate of a slow to medium garden hose. And with that water was also methane gas. Sometimes you find it lit or if not you light it and the flames were maybe a few inches. Fun novelty as a teen.
Ice Eggs, A Rare Phenomenon Occurs When Ice Is Rolled Over By Wind And Water (Northern Finland)
And that's how we all ended up in urgent care.
Load More Replies...Ice Eggs occur on the Great Lakes in the US. Not to be used in a snow ball fight!!!
Capturing the essence of our planet is no easy task. As Lokesh reflected, it’s a lifelong quest filled with missed shots, new learnings, and moments that make every ounce of effort worth it. “We try our best,” he said. “Even if we fail sometimes, we know we’re chasing something meaningful.”
A "Fog Dome" Is A Very Unusual And Rare Weather Phenomenon
The most likely explanation is that it's caused by a source of heat close to the ground, possibly an agricultural building or a relatively warm pool of water.
Aurora Borealis Over The Jökulsárlón Ice Lagoon In Iceland
Underwater Waterfall Illusion In South-West Mauritius
I have stood at the edge of a coral reef in ankle-deep water in Japan and seen this kind of drop into blackness. It absolutely gives me the w*****s!
And honestly? He’s right. Mother Earth is phenomenal. Her beauty, unpredictability, and raw power can leave you breathless and maybe even clicking “save” on a photograph you’ll never forget. So, which of these natural wonders mesmerized you the most? Let us know!
Reynisfjara Black-Sand Beach In Iceland
That whole island smells. Beautiful to look at, but stinky.
It's black because it's volcanic sand. As the others said, sulphur makes the water yellow.
Load More Replies...Sioux Falls, SD Turned Green (No Filter) During A Huge Storm
For those of you who are unfamiliar with this type of weather, you do NOT want to be seeing a green sky.
That's the scariest color for a sky to be! Some sort of horrible weather is coming.
Red sky at morning, cowboy take warning. Green sky any time, start digging!
Spent several years in Wisconsin. Was fortunate enough never to experience a tornado, but I learned living there that green sky means a horrific storm/tornado. Funny thing, but when I was in theater, green lighting was used to emphasize grave sickness or malevolence. I guess this is why I don't like green auroras as much as other colors.
These Altocumulus Clouds At 30,000 Feet During Sunset Over Hawaiian Waters
Horsetail Falls In Yosemite National Park
Red Sand Dunes Hidden In The Tabuk Region Of Northern Saudi Arabia
A Rare Snow Storm In The Sonoran Desert Of Tucson, Az
I grew up in this area of AZ and that is indeed a rare sight! Beautiful ❤️
In 1987 I was in Tuscon when it snowed on Christmas day! It was magical!
Can you imagine being an animal leaving your den or burrow and wondering WTF is this stuff.
I have pictures of when in snowed in central Phoenix (about 90 miles north of Tucson) back in 2013. It’s much rarer for snow to fall in that part of Arizona.
The Fairy Chimneys Of Goreme
If those look like entrances to homes, it's because they are. People have carved the interior of the "hoodoos" to create homes and even churches.
They aren't any more (notwithstanding a few hotel exceptions) but some were still inhabited when I first visited the area in the early 70s.
Load More Replies...Cappadocia, Turkey. They call these protrusions "fairy chimneys" and they are everywhere. Also very famous for the balloon flights in the morning. Unfortunately, high winds kept us from going up. But still a very wonderful place to visit. And most of the hotels there are also carved right into the mountains.
Wave Rock In Western Australia
hard to drop in mate, you'll end up down under... (i'll leave)
Load More Replies...I Took A Picture While Ice Climbing. It Is Off To The Side Of A Frozen Waterfall Near Colorado Springs
The ice blocks off the river in places so it just flows all over the place and accumulates ice.
Milky Way Core Rising Above A Sailing Stone In Death Valley National Park
A geological phenomenon moved this rock and inscribed the tracks you can see ahead of it on the dried lake bed. For years scientist have been unable to explain what force could have moved it across the valley, until in 2014 a pair of scientists was able to record a timelapse of the rocks moving.
It turns that the rocks drift when thin ice panels that formed underneath them during a cold winter night, started melting during windy conditions. There are many such stones and tracks in this part of Death Valley National Park, which is why it's called Racetrack Playa.
When I was a kid we were always told spooky stories about those stones. Went out a couple times to try and see them move but never did
The video of the discovery of the reason for this phenomenon is really interesting. People thought the wind blew the rocks across ice or slick mud or something but rather large, ice sheets push the rocks via wind, IIRC. Really cool.
Totally thought this was two pictures for a minute. So tired my brain would not compute it correctly. Amazing photo.
Darvaza Gas Crater Or Also Known The Door To Hell. It´s Actually Bigger Than It Looks
Is this the place where they tried to set the gas on fire to burn it out and it's been burning eternally since?
I think so. There's an equivalent in the US but that fire was started accidentally. Just burns under ground.
Load More Replies...If it's bigger than it looks, then it's absolutely terrifying in its scale!
The Blood Coloured Water Of The Devil's Pulpit, Scotland
Mix of iron and tannins from plant matter, if memory serves.
Load More Replies...Mammoth Cave National Park
Today we had a large and unexpected storm come through the park which caused a quick drop in the temperature. This pressure change caused the airflow to reverse, pulling into the cave, resulting in a dense fog filling the Rotunda room!
Meteor Falls On The Peak Of Mount Merapi, Kali Adem, Cangkringan, Yogyakarta
That's looks like where the Satori lives and a shooting star is falling on it! Better go get it, those are worth 300 rupees!
*throws on Sheikah set for boosted night speed*
Load More Replies...Insanely Well-Timed Picture Of Volcanic Lightning
Imagine ruining a picture with such a legendary background by having your eyes closed
Lucky photoshop is around a closed eyes can magically become open eyes 😊
Load More Replies...What a great picture! They are both so cute and they look so proud of themselves like they are responsible for the action behind them LOL 😂 Ma look what we did!!
I love how the guy in the orange beanie is absolutely GRIPPING the other guy's coat, like he does NOT want to be there... xD
Brinicle (Ice Finger Of Death)
Careful the "It's so salty it kills living organisms" comment can be misunderstood! It's indeed a mix of water and salt but what make it deadly is that it's much colder than the ocean water (because the saltier the water, the more it can go below 0 degrees Celcius without freezing). When that sub-zero degrees C cold salty water comes into contact with the less salty (and not as cold) ocean water, it freezes the ocean water and the poor sea urchins that were on its path get frozen too.
Load More Replies...Took me a minute to realize that it is an underwater picture and starfish weren't lounging on the beach.
Saw a YouTube video where a Brinicle had been captured on film. Y'all will find this hard to believe (lol), but most of the commenters refused to believe these brinicles exist and said it was fake. I assume these are the same people who think the moon landing was fake and the Earth is flat.
I'm 99% certain that this shot is from a David Attenborough doc...maybe Blue Planet
Is that a starfish migration? That's an awful lot of starfish for one area, isn't it?
I Left My Camera Running For An Entire Night And Captured Hundreds Of Meteors
These are metors burning up in our atmospherea. Rotating looking stars generally depend on the direction of the camera. If this is facing west or east the stars would be similar to this... however, In this picture there is enough light the distant stars dont really appear at all, even the red dot in the milkyway arm shows in diffrent spots and has been streched like a band across the sky instead of its usual shape. The few distant stars at the top that are barely visible dont appear to move because the glow is light changing over time and kept them from being captured. Its complicated, but the science is there and makes sense.
Load More Replies...For an exposure that long and stars that sharp, how are the trees not blurry?
Trees have been known to be able to remain stationary for prolonged periods of time
Load More Replies...Great Blue Hole, Coast Of Belize
Kummakivi Is A 500,000 Kg Rock In Finland That Has Been Balancing On Another Rock For 11.000 Years
It even comes with its own witch to cast your custom spell. Nice.
Don't let any Boy Scout leaders near it. They will knock it over to "protect" their troops.
Photo Taken Atop Mountain Showing The Phenomenon Known As Brocken Spectre
A Brocken spectre (British English; American spelling: Brocken specter; German: Brockengespenst), also called Brocken bow, mountain spectre, or spectre of the Brocken is the magnified (and apparently enormous) shadow of an observer cast in mid air upon any type of cloud opposite a strong light source. The figure's head can be surrounded by a bright area called Heiligenschein, or halo-like rings of rainbow-coloured light forming a glory, which appear opposite the Sun's direction when uniformly sized water droplets in clouds refract and backscatter sunlight. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brocken_spectre
Also known as a 'Glory'. See James Burke's excellent science documentary, 'Connections'.
Flying Cruise Ships Illusion (Fata Morgana) Spotted On The South East Shores Of Cyprus
I took a pic of my nephew at the beach which came out with the same effect. Looks like he's floating. :) flying-683...7ed369.jpg
I saw three cruise ships flying by, on Christmas Day in the morning!
Fata Morgana, so called because legend has it that Morgan le Faye (yes, that one) settled in Sicily after arranging the demise of her half brother Arthur, and saved the island from invasion by conjuring up the mirror image out at sea. I always preferred the legend 🙂
But how cool is that name? “Fata Morgana” named after the sorceress in King Arthur - Morgan me Fey.
Imagine seeing this after a wild night of heavy drinking. That'd sober you up.
Mountains And Reflections Surrounding The Uyuni Salt Flat During Sunrise
Go check out other pictures on google maps. so beautiful. there is an island in middle of it with a little house on it, so cool.
Load More Replies...A Mysterious Spherical Cloud In The Sky Above Asaka, Koriyama City
Cloud? No. That's either a malfunctioning bat signal, or something generated by the aliens to hide the UFO.
Phenomena Known As Sun Dogs, And A 22° Partial Halo
A sun dog (or sundog) or mock sun, also called a parhelion (plural parhelia) in atmospheric science, is an atmospheric optical phenomenon that consists of a bright spot to one or both sides of the Sun. Two sun dogs often flank the Sun within a 22° halo. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_dog
Painted Dunes And Fantastic Lava Beds, Lassen Volcanic National Park
Noctilucent Clouds Over Warsaw. They Glow In Darkness Of The Night
Moeraki Boulders, New Zealand
We Outran This Massive Dust Storm Over Phoenix In A Helicopter To Get These Photos
This is a haboob. I live here and we have these every summer. It looks worse than it is, but it does turn the atmosphere orange as it's passing over.
only thing that's scary are the houses that look the same/colour
Load More Replies...A few years ago I watched one approaching at dusk toward the back of my house. I had my backyard lights turned on when it hit. The lights showed the dust particles quickly blowing in swirls and eddies around the porch columns, resembling the sky in the Van Gogh's Starry Night painting, but more complex and rapidly varying. Unforgettable, seeing how wind actually moves.
Blood Falls
Blood Falls seeps from the end of the Taylor Glacier into Lake Bonney. The tent at left provides a sense of scale for just how big the phenomenon is. Scientists believe a buried saltwater reservoir is partly responsible for the discoloration, which is a form of reduced iron.
Rare Horseshoe Vortex Cloud Formed Over A Bts Concert. Pretty Awesome That It Was Captured By The Group
Wonderful list! We live on a planet that is truly beautiful, even after everything. More like this please.
So much beauty and amazement on this planet, it's so sad that some people focus on rolling over it in tanks and dropping bombs on it.
Wonderful list! We live on a planet that is truly beautiful, even after everything. More like this please.
So much beauty and amazement on this planet, it's so sad that some people focus on rolling over it in tanks and dropping bombs on it.
