These stunning shots show the beautiful and eerie underwater world of a Swiss ice-filled Alpine lake.

Taken in Lake Sassolo, close to the southern border with Italy, these were taken by diving photographer Franco Banfi.

Although the high altitude region is known for its sunny weather, the lake was formed by the run-off of the Alps surrounding it.

The giant ice structures dwarf the tiny divers as they explore the nooks and crannies of the icebergs.

The Cave of Swallows, also called Cave of the Swallows (Spanish: Sotano de las Golondrinas), is a pit cave situated in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. The entrance lies along a sloped section of karst, is elliptical in shape, and measures approximately 160 by 205 feet (49 by 62 m). The entrance is undercut around its entire perimeter, and the pit opens up to a room that measures approximately 995 by 440 feet (303 by 134 m). The low point of the entrance provides a 1094 feet (333 m) freefall drop to the bottom of the cave while the high point provides a 1220 feet (372 m) freefall drop. These measures make it the largest cave shaft in the world, second deepest pit in Mexico and the 11th deepest in the world.

The Eisriesenwelt (German for "World of the Ice Giants") is a natural limestone ice cave located in Werfen, Austria, about 40 km south of Salzburg. The cave is inside the Hochkogel mountain in the Tennengebirge section of the Alps. It is the largest ice cave in the world, extending more than 42km and visited by about 200,000 tourists every year.

It’s like a perfect hike in the late fall with one very big twist. Professional diver/photographer Anatoly Beloshchin took these breathtaking photos in the cave in Cenote Angelita, Mexico. Here is his description of this bizarre and enchanting place:
“We are 30 meters deep, fresh water, then 60 meters deep – salty water and under me I see a river, island and fallen leaves… Actually, the river, which you can see, is a layer of hydrogen sulphide.

Beautiful nature pictures

Beautiful nature pictures

Beautiful nature pictures