The amazing and cool photo thread

Dun Eochla fort on Inishmore Island, County Galway, Ireland. The fort of Dun Eochla, rising above the close-cropped grass, was built centuries ago on this island some 30 miles off the Irish coast. The Aran Islands contain some of Europe's most magnificent prehistoric remains. This trio of islands - Inishmore, Inishmaan, and Inisheer - with their high rocky cliffs protect the Galway coast from the violent winds and currents of the Atlantic. For centuries, their inhabitants have helped keep the soil fertile by regularly spreading a mixture of sand and seaweed on the rock to produce the thin layer of humus needed for farming. To protect their plots from wind erosion, the islanders have built a vast network of almost 7,500 miles (12,000 km) of low walls, which give the land the appearance of a vast mosaic.

Click to expand...

Tsingy of Bemaraha, Morondava region, Madagascar. A Nature reserve covering 853 square kilometers, it was established as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1990

Click to expand...

Confluence of the Rio Uruguay and a tributary, Misiones province, Argentina. Drastically cleared to make way for farming, the tropical rainforest of Argentina is now in some areas a less effective defense against erosion than it was in the past. The heavy rains in the province of Misiones (79 inches, per year) wash the soil and carry off significant quantities of iron-rich earth into the Rio Uruguay, turning the waters a dark, reddish color. Carried by the river, this sediment is dumped in the estuary of the Rio de la Plata - the largest on Earth - and accumulates in the access channels to the port of Buenos Aires.

Click to expand...

Danachronism

...

...

Click to expand...

Jackington

I had no idea Marlin were so big. I always assumed they were just average-sized fish.

Click to expand...

Village in the Rheris Valley, Er Rachidia region, High Atlas Mountains, Morocco. Fortified villages are frequently seen along the valley of the Rheris, as they are on most rivers of southern Morocco, inspired by the Berber architecture built to protect against invaders. Today, with the threat of raids now gone, the close clustering of dwellings, small windows, and roofs covering houses and narrow streets serve the purpose of protecting occupants from heat and dust. The flat, connecting roofs also provide a place for drying crops

Click to expand...

Road interrupted by a sand dune, Nile Valley, Egypt. Dunes cover nearly one-third of the Sahara, and the highest, in linear form, can attain a height of almost 1,000 feet (300 m). Barchans are mobile, crescent-shaped dunes that move in the direction of the prevailing wind at rates as high as 33 feet (10 m) per year, sometimes even covering infrastructures such as this road in the Nile Valley.

Click to expand...

Town of Koh Pannyi, Phand Nga bay, Thailand. The south-western coast of Thailand offers a series of beautiful bays lined with many islands. Phang-nga Bay's special formations were created after the thawing of ice 15,000 years ago. Rising waters then submerged arid calcareous mountains, leaving only their peaks visible to the eye. The bay was turned into a marine park in 1981. One of its popular attractions is the village of Koh Panyi, which was built on piles two centuries ago by Muslim sailors coming from Malaysia. The inhabitants make a living via traditional fishing and tourism. Preserved by its configuration, the bay floor of Phang-nga Bay suffered much less from the tsunami of December 26, 2004 than nearby sites

Click to expand...

daan

I'd like to see one of those guys go mano a mano with a marlin. Even the odds up a bit...

Click to expand...

exigeracer

The Sun.

Click to expand...

unomoto

those are hot!

Click to expand...

Jedi2016

Reminds me of a story I heard, actually. Guys were out fishing for marlin, and the fish charged the boat. Leapt out of the water, speared one of the guys standing up in the back, then took him with it into the water on the other side. Luckily, it shook him off and his friends were able to get him back into the boat. Amazingly, it managed to miss or just squeeze by all of his major organs, and he was (ironically) perfectly fine except for the big hole through his torso. Made a full recovery, as I recall. Probably doesn't go fishing anymore.

And no, they didn't get the fish.

Click to expand...

UnoMOTO

Click to expand...

UnoMOTO

Click to expand...