Vagaries of Nature - Odd and Interesting Photos

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In the forests of Guangxi China is the sinkhole of Xiaozhai Tiankeng. Known as the Heavenly Pit, it is the largest sinkhole on Earth at 2,054 ft. long and 1,762 ft wide. At its deepest point its plunges 2,172 ft deep. Over 1,200 species of plants and fauna can be found on the floor of the Heavenly Pit as well as numerous animal species that call it home, including the endangered Clouded Leopard. Discovered in 1994, it is believed the Xiaozhai Tiankeng has developed over the last 128,000 years....


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As an old landscape and nature photographer in The West, I've seen many bizarre, strange, and wonderful things. Our planet blue water Earth of DNA life would be considered a rare universe class wonder by advanced extraterrestrial alien civilizations.

The below are a couple tidal zone photos from Point Lobos State Reserve near Monterey. Top shows swirling eroded sandstone layers, downsized for web from 7200x5400 pixel original. Bottom shows incredible colorful dense low tidal zone life, downsized for web from 5800x3800 pixel original.

Note I dislike the way this forum's software severely softens uploaded photos reducing detail that will discourage bothering to share photos with others on this site.
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@David777 - really amazing shots

you read like you'd have some interesting stories to share so, here's hopin' you continue to post and participate. I see you're wearing that 'new member' banner, so welcome aboard...
 
Along the Big Sur coast, Andrew Molera State Park has some small beach areas that contain colorful purple hued manganese garnet sands. There are also sandstone erosion depression structures termed tafoni that are remnants of urchins that secret substances that erode holes into the rock.

This is a 2400x1900 pixel crop from a 5800x3500 pixel full image close-up showing the sand filling the ocean smoothed sandstone base rock of tafoni. Note one's eye may flip the sand losing depth perception to make it appear like it is above the holes. Note shadows from the sun up above frame left.

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A family of emerging red hued snow plants, sarcodes sanguinea, at Lassen Volcanic National Park. A downsized 2000x1944 pixel version of the 3600x3500 pixel full image. Snow plants do not use chlorophyll but rather absorb nutients from decaying plant matter. In a couple weeks would be a bit taller showing small red flowers.
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