2024年11月

塔斯曼拱门，塔斯马尼亚州，澳大利亚 Tasmans Arch, Tasmania, Australia (© Gary Bell/Minden Pictures)

令人震撼的拱门 An arch that rocks

塔斯曼拱门，塔斯曼国家公园，塔斯马尼亚州，澳大利亚

准备好进行一次海岸探险了吗？欢迎来到位于塔斯马尼亚州的塔斯曼国家公园！塔斯马尼亚州是澳大利亚的一个岛州，距离大陆东南海岸约150英里。塔斯曼国家公园占地面积超过41平方英里，涵盖森林半岛和塔斯曼半岛的部分地区，包含整个塔斯曼岛。该公园是几种独特的开花植物以及澳大利亚海狗和小蓝企鹅的家园。壮观的悬崖和独特的辉绿岩柱是这一地区的主要特征。今天的图片中的塔斯曼拱门就是一个典型的例子。它曾是一个巨大的海蚀洞的洞顶。海水的压力加上空气、沙子和石头，慢慢撬开了悬崖上的垂直裂缝，使大块的岩石脱落。洞穴不断扩大、加深、加长，直到最后崩塌，留下了这座高耸的天然桥梁。塔斯曼拱门以荷兰探险家阿贝尔·塔斯曼的名字命名，塔斯马尼亚州也以他的名字命名。

Tasmans Arch, Tasmania, Australia

Ready for a coastal adventure? Welcome to Tasman National Park in Tasmania, an island state of Australia about 150 miles off its southeastern coast. Spanning more than 41 square miles, this park features dramatic cliffs and distinctive columns of dolerite rock. Tasmans Arch, seen in today's image, is a standout example. Shaped over time by the Tasman Sea, it was once the roof of a massive sea cave. The sea's pressure, combined with air, sand, and stones, slowly pried open the vertical cracks in the cliff, dislodging chunks of rock. The cave kept growing, deepening, and lengthening, until it eventually gave way, leaving behind this towering natural bridge. Tasmans Arch is named after the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman, who also lends his name to the state of Tasmania.

波斯考尔灯塔，南威尔士，英国 Porthcawl Lighthouse, South Wales (© Leighton Collins/Alamy)

一直指引着方向 Guiding the way since 1860

波斯考尔灯塔，威尔士，英国

狂风暴雨席卷而来，海浪拍打着它坚固的基座，自1860年以来，威尔士波斯考尔的这座灯塔一直屹立不倒。这座灯塔由著名工程师詹姆斯·沃克设计，高30英尺，每当风暴袭击这片海岸时，人们经常会看到它被海浪拍打的画面。小镇的海岸线崎岖不平，暗礁密布，一直是水手们所面临的危险的挑战。波斯考尔灯塔的建造是为了帮助引导布里斯托尔海峡日益增长的海上交通。这座铸铁灯塔是英国最后一座以煤炭和天然气为动力的灯塔。虽然灯塔于1997年改用电力驱动，但仍保持着其历史魅力。

Porthcawl Lighthouse, Wales, UK

With waves crashing against its sturdy base and a stormy sea swirling around, this lighthouse in Porthcawl, on the south coast of Wales, has been standing resilient since 1860. At 30 feet tall, Porthcawl Lighthouse, designed by the eminent engineer James Walker, is often pictured being battered by waves when storms hit. The town's rugged coastline, with its hidden rocky coves, has always posed a perilous challenge to sailors. Porthcawl Lighthouse was built to help guide the increasing maritime traffic along the Bristol Channel. This cast-iron lighthouse was the last one in the UK to be powered by coal and gas. Although it was converted to electric power in 1997, the lighthouse still maintains its historical charm.

瓦登海沿岸，莫德加特附近，弗里斯兰，荷兰 Wadden Sea coast, near Moddergat, Friesland, Netherlands (© Ron ter Burg/Minden Pictures)

泥土、大海和天空 Mud, sea, and sky

瓦登海沿岸，弗里斯兰，荷兰

如果你曾经想过在水上漫步，或者在接近水面的地方行走，瓦登海就是你的理想之地。沿着荷兰、德国和丹麦的海岸绵延300多英里，这个联合国教科文组织认定的世界遗产拥有独特的滩涂和湿地景观。事实上，它是世界上最大的完整潮间带（即涨潮时在水下，退潮时露出水面的沙地和泥滩）。该地区既是突唇白鲑、褐鳟和白喙斑纹海豚等水生物种的游乐场，也是涉禽和苍鹭等鸟类的栖息地。

图为荷兰弗里斯兰的瓦登海岸。这片海岸遍布着迷人的渔村和中世纪教堂。在这里，泥滩徒步旅行是一种娱乐消遣，瓦登海是一个很受欢迎的目的地。当潮水退去时，泥滩徒步旅行者可以在海床上行走，踩着泥浆，涉过浅水。无论你是想挑战瓦登海，还是想探寻海豹的踪迹，这里都能为你提供丰富的探险活动。只是别忘记带上一双可以在泥滩中行走的靴子！

Wadden Sea coast, Friesland, Netherlands

If you've ever dreamed of walking on water, or something close to it, the Wadden Sea is the place for you. Tracing over 300 miles along the coast of the Netherlands, Germany, and Denmark, this UNESCO World Heritage Site offers a unique landscape of tidal flats and wetlands. In fact, it is the world's largest unbroken intertidal zone—underwater at high tide and exposed at low tide—of sand and mud flats. The area is also a playground for aquatic species such as houting fish, brown trout, and white-beaked dolphins, and is home to birds like waders and herons.

Pictured here is the Wadden Sea coast in Friesland, Netherlands. This coast is dotted with charming fishing villages and medieval churches. Mudflat hiking is a recreational pastime here—the Dutch call it wadlopen. As the tide recedes, mud-trampers can walk across the seabed, squishing through the mud and wading through shallow waters. Whether you're up for a wadlopen challenge or a seal-spotting safari, there's plenty of adventure to be found here. Just don't forget your boots—things are bound to get a little messy!

义蓬灯节 ，清迈，泰国 Yi Peng lantern festival, Chiang Mai, Thailand (© tampatra/Getty Images)

愿望随灯起飞 Hope takes flight

义蓬灯节 ，清迈，泰国

在今天的夜幕降临时，泰国第二大城市清迈将在数以千计的流光溢彩的灯笼中迎来义蓬灯节。这个庆祝活动在兰纳农历（该历法可追溯到中世纪泰国北部的兰纳王国）第二个月的满月时举行，象征着消除负面情绪和迎接新的开始。节日的高潮是在夜空中放飞名为“ khom loi”或“khom loy”的天灯，也就是能在空中漂浮的纸灯笼。届时，天际弥漫着温暖的金色光海，形成一道美丽的风景线。当地人和游客聚集在寺庙和宫殿周围，向天空许愿，希望来年好运连连。

除了放飞灯笼，城市里还有热闹的游行、传统舞蹈表演和精美的装饰。此外，水灯节与义蓬灯节通常在同一时间举行。在水灯节上，人们会把被香蕉叶、香和蜡烛精心装饰过的小篮子放入河中漂流。这两个节日共同创造了一个奇观，吸引了来自世界各地的游客前来见证清迈的灯火辉煌。

Yi Peng lantern festival, Chiang Mai, Thailand

As twilight descends today, Chiang Mai, Thailand's second-largest city, will come alive with thousands of glowing lanterns for Yi Peng. Held on the full moon of the second month of the Lanna lunar calendar, this celebration is about letting go of negativity and embracing new beginnings. The highlight of the festival is the release of 'khom loi' or 'khom loy'—floating paper lanterns—into the night sky, which becomes a sea of warm, golden lights. People often write their hopes and dreams on the lanterns. They gather around temples and palaces to send their wishes skyward, hoping for good fortune in the year to come.

In addition to the lantern release, the city hosts vibrant parades, traditional dance performances, and stunning decorations. Yi Peng coincides with Loy Krathong, another festival where small, intricately crafted baskets, decorated with banana leaves, incense, and candles, are floated down rivers. Together, these festivals create a spectacle that draws visitors from across the world to witness the illumination of Chiang Mai.

马纳罗拉，五渔村国家公园，利古里亚，意大利 Manarola, Cinque Terre National Park, Liguria, Italy (© John_Silver/Shutterstock)

悬崖边的故事 A cliffside story

马纳罗拉，五渔村国家公园，利古里亚，意大利

蜡笔画一样的房子层叠而下，延伸至地中海，马纳罗拉因此美景而出名，如同今天的照片一样，这里看起来就像童话故事中的场景。镶嵌在意大利利古里亚海岸崎岖悬崖上，马纳罗拉是组成五渔村国家公园的五个村庄之一，被联合国教科文组织列为世界遗产。而马纳罗拉（Manarola）这个名字可能是从拉丁语“Magna rota”演变而来的，在当地方言中变成了“Magna roea”，意思是“大轮子”，以此向该村历史悠久的水车致敬。马纳罗拉的历史可以追溯到1338年，它被认为是五渔村最古老的村庄，其历史根植于渔业和酿酒业。夏克特拉是这一地区独有的餐后甜酒，在意大利诗人的诗篇中，这种酒早已成为不朽的名酒。沿着这里的“爱之路”漫步，您可以感受到这个地区独有的浪漫和魅力，这条风景优美的滨海小径连接着马纳罗拉和五渔村的另一个村庄里奥马焦雷。在马纳罗拉，时间会变得慢下来，那是海边的魔法开始发挥作用了。

Manarola, Cinque Terre National Park, Liguria, Italy

Known for its rows of pastel houses that stretch down to the Mediterranean Sea, Manarola, seen in today's image, is a picturesque village on the Italian Riviera. Perched on the rugged cliffs of the Ligurian coast, it's one of the five villages that make up Cinque Terre National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The name 'Manarola' might have evolved from the Latin 'Magna rota,' which means 'large wheel,' a nod to the village's historical mill wheel.

Believed to be the oldest village in the Cinque Terre, dating to 1338, Manarola's history is rooted in fishing and winemaking. Sciacchetrà, a dessert wine unique to this area, has long been immortalized in the verses of Italian poets. Take a walk along the Via dell'Amore, or 'Path of Love'—a scenic coastal trail connecting Manarola to its neighboring village, Riomaggiore—and you can sense the romance and charm that defines this region. Legend has it that the footpath became a meeting place for lovers from the two villages. Time slows down when you're in Manarola, and the magic of the country's coastal heritage comes to life.

巨型海藻森林中的加州海狮，下加利福尼亚，墨西哥 California sea lion in a forest of giant kelp, Baja California, Mexico (© Claudio Contreras/Minden Pictures)

海中的“狮子王” The lion king of the sea

海藻森林中的海狮，下加利福尼亚，墨西哥

从哥斯达黎加到阿拉斯加，漫步在这些城市的任何一座码头上，你都可能听到海狮嬉闹的叫声在空气中回荡。加州海狮（如图所示）经常在北美西海岸的岩石海岸边上晒太阳。这些海洋哺乳动物属于鳍足动物，经常被误认为是海豹。有一个简单的方法可以区分这两种动物：看它们的耳朵，海狮有明显的耳朵皮瓣，而海豹没有。

海狮与巨型海藻还有着独特的关系，今天的图片拍摄于墨西哥的下加利福尼亚，图中那些长长的水下植物在理想条件下可以长到175英尺，它们随着水流轻轻摇曳，形成一道美丽的风景。海藻森林是各种海洋生物的家园，如海狮和小型无脊椎动物，海蜗牛、对虾和水母等，还有多种鱼类也生活在其中，如鳕鱼，石斑鱼和濑鱼等。厚厚的海藻在水中摆动，海狮穿梭其间，捕食藏在叶子里的鱼儿。另一方面，海狮也会反过来把海藻当成庇护所，利用海藻来躲避鲨鱼等掠食者。它们藏在褐藻的叶子间，与周围的环境融为一体，迷惑敌人的眼睛。海藻生长迅速，是各种海洋生物繁衍生息的理想栖息地。

Sea lion in a kelp forest, Baja California, Mexico

Take a stroll along almost any marina from Costa Rica to Alaska, and you'll likely hear the playful barks of sea lions echo through the air. California sea lions, like the one pictured, are a common sight basking in the sun along the rocky shores of North America's western coast. These marine mammals, belonging to the pinniped group, are often mistaken for seals. An easy way to distinguish between them is by looking at their ears—sea lions have visible flaps, seals don't.
Sea lions also have a special relationship with giant kelp, seen in today's image from Baja California, Mexico. These towering underwater plants, which can grow up to 175 feet in ideal conditions, sway gently with the currents, creating beautiful scenery. Kelp forests are home to a diverse array of marine life, including sea lions, tiny invertebrates like snails, prawns, and jellyfish, and a wide range of fish, like cod, rockfish, and wrasse. Sea lions twist and turn through the thick kelp strands, hunting fish hiding within the leaves. They also use kelp as refuge from predators like sharks, blending in with the fronds of the brown algae to avoid detection. Kelp's rapid growth makes it an ideal habitat for marine life of all types to thrive.

透过海湾拱门看到双拱门，拱门国家公园，犹他州，美国 Double Arch seen through Cove Arch, Arches National Park, Utah (© Jeff Foott/Minden Pictures)

拱门之下 Underneath the arches

拱门国家公园周年纪念日

头顶一片蓝，脚踩一片红，在这里，目之所及处尽是红色。欢迎来到犹他州拱门国家公园！这片超凡景观的故事开始于6500万年前，当时这里是一片干涸的海床。随着时间的推移，地质力量扭曲和挤压着这片土地，将砂岩扭曲成隆起和凸起状态。再后来，风和水雕刻出了拱门，尖峰，鳍状岩和平衡石，也就是现在矗立在这片区域的这些岩石。公园里有2000多座天然石拱，是地球上此类地质结构最集中的地方。在今天的照片中，我们可以看到其中两座石拱：透过海湾拱门看到双拱门，双拱门中较大的那座拱门跨度为144英尺，高112英尺，是公园内最高、第二长的拱门。

大约在1万年前，人类踏足了这片区域。弗里蒙特人和古普韦布洛人一直在这里生活到14世纪。后来，犹他人和派尤特部落在该地区建立了家园。1929年，它被指定为国家历史遗迹。然而，直到1971年11月12日，它才成为一个国家公园。如今，每年有超180万游客来到拱门国家公园游玩。

Arches National Park marks 53 years

Red as far as the eye can see and clear blue skies overhead: Welcome to Arches National Park in Utah. The story of this otherworldly landscape started 65 million years ago when a dry seabed stood here. Over time, geological forces warped and squeezed the land, twisting the sandstone into lumps and bumps. Later, wind and water carved out the arches, pinnacles, fins, and balanced rocks that now stand in this area. The park has more than 2,000 natural stone arches, the highest concentration of these structures anywhere on Earth. In today's image, we can see two of them: Double Arch, as seen through Cove Arch. The larger arch of Double Arch spans 144 feet and is 112 feet tall, the tallest and second longest of the park's arches.

Humans arrived in the area around 10,000 years ago. Fremont and Ancestral Pueblo people lived here until the 14th century. Later, the Ute and Paiute tribes made their homes in the area. In 1929, Arches was declared a national monument. However, it wasn't until November 12, 1971, that it became a national park. Today, more than 1.8 million visitors come to Arches National Park every year.

班夫国家公园的日落，阿尔伯塔省，加拿大 Sunset at Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada (© fywPhoto 云卷云舒/Getty Images)

旷野里的第一片雪花 First flakes in the wilderness

班夫国家公园，阿尔伯塔省，加拿大

今天的这张照片展示的是加拿大阿尔伯塔省的冬季仙境，对于那些寻求清新之美的游客来说，班夫国家公园是一个理想的去处。该公园建于1885年，在硫磺山附近的温泉被发现后，它成为了加拿大的第一个国家公园。随着时间的推移，班夫的边界不断扩大，它成为了加拿大落基山脉公园群世界自然遗产的一部分。这个国家公园占地超6600平方公里，在冬季会变成白雪皑皑的游乐场，吸引着游客们纷纷前来滑雪、穿着雪鞋在雪地徒步、玩冰壶、被动物拉着在冰面上滑行以及观赏野生动物。总之，这里为游客们提供了丰富的探索活动。尽管天气寒冷，但是公园里却生机勃勃！这里是各种野生动物的家园，包括麋鹿、灰熊、山羊和狼。扭叶松和恩氏云杉也在严酷的天气下顽强生长。为确保这种生态平衡可以维持下去，班夫国家公园的动植物群受到了人类的密切监测。

加勒比火烈鸟，尤卡坦半岛，墨西哥 Caribbean flamingos, Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico (© Claudio Contreras/NPL/Minden Pictures)

飞行中的火烈鸟 Flamboyance in flight

加勒比火烈鸟，尤卡坦半岛，墨西哥

你见过一群火烈鸟飞上天空吗？如果你见过，它们很有可能就是加勒比火烈鸟，也叫美洲火烈鸟，就像今天图片中在墨西哥尤卡坦半岛看到的那样。火烈鸟成群出没时被称为“火烈鸟群”，但它们也可以被称为“站群”或“群落”。加勒比火烈鸟是美洲最大的火烈鸟物种，也是唯一原产于北美的物种。这些充满活力的鸟类通常栖息在咸淡水和海水地区，如沼泽、河口和海岸线一带。由于其通体粉红色，它们经常被误认作粉红琵鹭。不过，长长的脖子和弯曲的喙将它们与大蓝鹭和木鹳等涉水鸟类区分开来。

加勒比火烈鸟分布在美国东南部、南美洲北部、加拉帕戈斯群岛和墨西哥尤卡坦半岛等地区，非常适合短途迁徙觅食。它们用长腿和有蹼的脚在浅水区捕食虾、甲壳类动物、软体动物、鱼类和藻类。它们的栖息地日益受到沿海开发、污染和海平面上升的威胁，使得种群处于危险之中。然而，当加勒比火烈鸟在天空中优雅地翱翔时，仍会让世人惊叹不已。

Caribbean flamingos, Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico

Ever seen a group of flamingos take to the skies? If you have, there's a good chance they were Caribbean flamingos, also known as American flamingos, as seen in Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico, in today's image. Flamingos are referred to as a flamboyance when in a group, but they can also be called a stand, colony, or pat. The Caribbean flamingo is the largest flamingo species in the Americas and the only one native to North America. These vibrant pink birds are typically found around brackish and saltwater areas, like marshes, estuaries, and along coastlines.

Found across regions like the southeastern United States, northern South America, the Galápagos Islands, and Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, Caribbean flamingos are well adapted for short migrations in search of food. Using long legs and webbed feet, they hunt shallow waters for shrimp, crustaceans, mollusks, fish, and algae. Their habitats are increasingly threatened by coastal development, pollution, and rising sea levels, putting their population at risk. Yet, Caribbean flamingos still amaze us when they soar gracefully through the skies.

银河，阿伊特本哈杜杜，摩洛哥 Milky Way, Aït Benhaddou, Morocco (© Cavan Images/Getty Images)

红尘中的宇宙美景 Cosmic views over earthly hues

阿伊特本哈杜杜，摩洛哥

准备好迎接摩洛哥的星空之夜吧！在这里观星真的很神奇，广阔的天空和极少的光污染让每个夜晚都变得璀璨夺目。你看到的每一颗星星都是银河系的一部分，银河系得名于它在最黑暗的天空中呈现出的乳白色光带。在今天的图片中，你可以看到这种宇宙之美在阿伊特本哈杜杜的上空闪耀，这是摩洛哥瓦尔扎扎特省一个历史悠久的筑有防御工事的村庄。该遗址最早建于11世纪，它是古代连接撒哈拉沙漠和马拉喀什贸易路线上的重要一站。村庄坐落在乌尼拉河边的山坡上，是一个由保护墙、塔楼和大门包围起来的建筑群。这里的粘土建筑由夯土、土坯和木材建成，展现了传统的手工艺。这一联合国教科文组织世界遗产因其原汁原味的历史风貌而闻名，还因为致力于保护传统建筑技术和避免使用现代混凝土而得到认可。

Aït Benhaddou, Morocco

Get ready for a starry Moroccan night! Stargazing here is truly magical, as the vast skies and minimal light pollution transform each evening into a dazzling display. Every star you see is part of our galaxy, the Milky Way, which appears as a creamy band of light in the darkest skies. In today's image, you can see this cosmic beauty glowing over Aït Benhaddou, a historic fortified village known as a ksar, in the Ouarzazate province of Morocco. This site was first fortified in the 11th century. It was a key stop on the ancient caravan trade route connecting the Sahara and the city of Marrakesh. Perched on a hillside by the Ounila River, this village is a cluster of buildings encircled by a protective wall, complete with towers and a gate.

The earthen clay architecture here, built from rammed earth, adobe, and wood, showcases traditional craftsmanship. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is celebrated for its authenticity and is known for preserving conventional building techniques and avoiding modern concrete.