Best of February 2018

A long exposure of two minutes creates an ethereal look to Keyhole Arch at Pfeiffer Beach in Big Sur, California. The golden sunlight streaming through the arch only occurs during the winter solstice.

Off the coast of Western Australia, a bait ball of small fish makes way for a whale shark. Whale sharks are the largest non-mammalian vertebrates in the animal kingdom, with an adult weighing an average of 9 tons.

SpaceX, a private aerospace company founded by Elon Musk, launched a space shuttle known as Falcon Heavy on February 6, 2018. The rocket is designed to carry humans for space travel, so to mimic additional weight on future voyages, Falcon Heavy carried Musk's personal car into space.

A coal miner pauses for a portrait in Balochistan, Pakistan. Your Shot photographer Hunzukutz Kahn points out that he was visiting this mine on May 1st, Pakistan's Labour Day—but the workers' presence showed him the holiday wasn't being observed in the mines.

Beachgoers relax on Bongoyo Island, off the coast of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The island is a popular destination for day trips, and features jungle exploration alongside luxurious beaches.

An African golden weaver shows off its handiwork in the Rift Valley, Kenya. Male weaverbirds create intricate nests to lure in female birds for mating season.

In a factory in Quảng Ngãi, Vietnam, workers prepare weighted threads that will result in a traditional sugar candy. The coastal province of Quảng Ngãi is famous for the product, which is similar to rock candy.

In Maharuppe, Sri Lanka, fishermen sit on stilts to catch fish before sunrise. The practice of fishing on stilts came about after World War II, when fish were scarce and decent fishing spots were overcrowded.

The northern lights dance over central Norway one autumn night. A long exposure of four seconds helped to capture the grandeur of the phenomenon.

Hornby Island is a small island off the coast of Vancouver, Canada, and it's home to a large population of Steller Sea Lions. "It's an unforgettable experience," says Your Shot photographer and scuba diver Jeffrey Honda. "It is not uncommon to be surrounded by 30 sea lions curious to engage with divers by playfully touching, chewing, and hugging the divers that are present."

In a small pond in Toronto, Canada, a cormorant snaps up a hearty breakfast. In the middle of the 20th century, the native bird was almost completely wiped out in Ontario, due to the dumping of DDT and other contaminants into the Great Lakes.

Your Shot photographer Ramiro Torrents was in for a pleasant surprise when he set up his camera to photograph the reflection of these mountains in Iceland. "After a while I figured out this was not a lake but high tide water instead—only a few inches deep!" he says. "So I started walking on it. Such a fantastic sensation after thinking it was a deep lake!"

In South Africa's Madikwe Game Reserve, an elephant uses its trunk to create a dust shower. Elephants use dust to protect their skin from bug bites and the sun's harsh rays.

A freediver enjoys a peaceful swim in the Bahamas. Freedivers don't use breathing apparatuses, instead learning to hold their breath underwater for many minutes at a time.

Your Shot photographer Sonalini Khetrapal captured this photo of a polar bear crossing ice floes while she was sailing in a small boat near the Norwegian peninsula of Svalbard. "It's difficult to describe the Arctic in words," she says. "Harsh yet peaceful, barren yet alive, complex yet pure. This image was captured using a fish eye lens, hoping it helps depict the magnificence of this powerful animal as it sits atop the world."

In Mongolia, a Kazakh hunter surveys his surroundings while holding his trained hunting eagle. Together, they hunt for rabbits and foxes, a practice that dates back centuries.

A Revolutionary War reenactor, representing a British soldier, fires his musket at a reenactment of the Battle of the Red Horse Tavern in Sudbury, Massachusetts. The annual reenactments involve several hundred people posing as soldiers on both sides of the battle.

A coypu, or nutria, goes for a swim in a river in Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic. The semiaquatic rodent is originally native to South America, but was introduced to Europe by fur farmers.

A long exposure of 30 seconds captures the movement of winter fog in Mill Valley, California. Mill Valley is just north of San Francisco, and is home to the Mount Tamalpais, the highest point in Marin County.

On Hokkaido, the northernmost of Japan's islands, two red foxes share a moment. Foxes, or kitsune,, are common in Japanese folklore, often displaying magical properties.

An aerial photo shows the bright colors that make up Croatia's Zlatni Rat, or Golden Cape. The sandy spit of land is often named one of Europe's best beaches.

A Tuareg man named Ahmadu poses for a portrait in Timbuktu, Mali. "This is why I travel," says Your Shot photographer Matjaz Krivic. "The people in my photos have inspired me again and again to go on the road—to meet kindness and fear, happiness and troubled lives, deep friendship and brief acquaintances."

Your Shot photographer Amy Osness learned the value of persistance while photographing her son on his mountain bike in Saint George, Utah. "This is our second attempt at capturing this image," she says. "I learned a lot the first time around and was able to create the image I had envisioned. My son balanced himself a top the narrow arch long enough for me to take a few shots just as the moon was rising behind him."

A Highland cow pauses in a sunlit field in Deelen, Netherlands. The long-haired breed, originally from Scotland, is raised primarily for its meat and milk, and valued for its resilience through harsh winters.

Every August, the town of Medellin, Colombia, hosts the Feria de Las Flores, or Festival of the Flowers. Colombia is one of the world's top exporters of live flowers. The 10-day celebration of the culture and industry features colorful parades, concerts, and fireworks.

In Dhaka, Bangladesh, people are so eager to return to their home villages to celebrate Eid that they hop on any train with available space. The Muslim holiday marks the end of Ramadan, and is celebrated by feasting with loved ones.

Four members of the Wyoming Hotshots crew use a controlled burn, called backfiring, to fight a wildfire in Custer, South Dakota. With a controlled burn, firefighters can burn up vegetation and fuel in the path of the main wildfire, slowing down its momentum.

Your Shot photographer Sonalini Khetrapal captured this photo of a polar bear crossing ice floes while she was sailing in a small boat near the Norwegian peninsula of Svalbard. "It's difficult to describe the Arctic in words," she says. "Harsh yet peaceful, barren yet alive, complex yet pure. This image was captured using a fish eye lens, hoping it helps depict the magnificence of this powerful animal as it sits atop the world."

A freediver enjoys a peaceful swim in the Bahamas. Freedivers don't use breathing apparatuses, instead learning to hold their breath underwater for many minutes at a time.

In South Africa's Madikwe Game Reserve, an elephant uses its trunk to create a dust shower. Elephants use dust to protect their skin from bug bites and the sun's harsh rays.

Your Shot photographer Ramiro Torrents was in for a pleasant surprise when he set up his camera to photograph the reflection of these mountains in Iceland. "After a while I figured out this was not a lake but high tide water instead—only a few inches deep!" he says. "So I started walking on it. Such a fantastic sensation after thinking it was a deep lake!"

In a small pond in Toronto, Canada, a cormorant snaps up a hearty breakfast. In the middle of the 20th century, the native bird was almost completely wiped out in Ontario, due to the dumping of DDT and other contaminants into the Great Lakes.

The northern lights dance over central Norway one autumn night. A long exposure of four seconds helped to capture the grandeur of the phenomenon.