only top Underwater Secrets of the Maya on photoograaphy

Photograph by Paul Nicklen

A pyramid 90 feet tall and a platform adorned with a feathered serpent’s head testify to the former glory of Chichén Itzá, now a popular tourist destination. This once powerful city was built in about the ninth century, likely aligned with four sacred cenotes and with the sun’s seasonal movements.

only top secret submarine Maya on photoograaphy

Photograph by Paul Nicklen

A diver explores a cenote near the Maya ruins of Tulum.

Citroen, Vietnam

Photograph by Loren Klein

This Month in Photo of the Day: Travel Photos
French Citroen car in the beautiful mountain town of Dalat, Vietnam
This photo and caption were submitted to the 2013 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest. Have photos of your own travels you would like to submit? Enter today!

Orda Cave, Russia

Photograph by Viktor Lyagushkin

This Month in Photo of the Day: Travel Photos
A diver swims through Orda Cave in Russia.
This photo and caption were submitted to the 2013 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest. Have photos of your own travels you would like to submit? Enter today!

Musicians, New Orleans

Photograph by Robert Davies

This Month in Photo of the Day: Travel Photos
On our last walk around the French Quarter before heading home we came across this band setting up on Royal Street. We were able to hear a few songs and snap a few shots before rushing off to the airport.
This photo and caption were submitted to the 2013 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest. Have photos of your own travels you would like to submit? Enter today!

Bathers, India

Photograph by Santu Mondal, National Geographic Your Shot

This Month in Photo of the Day: Travel Photos
This shot was taken from a bridge. I found them bathing in the Mayurakshi River in West Bengal, India.
This photo and caption were submitted to Your Shot. Check out the new and improved website, where you can share and connect with fellow photographers from around the globe.

Simon's cat

Crinoid, New Caledonia

Photograph by Rodolphe Holler, Your Shot

This Month in Photo of the Day: The Stories Behind Your Shots
My home is Tahiti and I am a dive guide working on board private megayachts, joining my clients anywhere in the world for unique dive experiences. I was cruising New Caledonia with one of my clients, around the small Loyalty island of Ouvea. While we were diving over a beautiful untouched reef, I noticed this crinoid in the distance because of its unusual colors. When I got closer, I realized the high photo potential of this beautiful creature. Sea feathers are quite common around New Caledonia, but it was the only time I had come across this amazing, colorful specimen. —Rodolphe Holler

Berlin, Germany

This Month in Photo of the Day: The Stories Behind Your Shots

I was waiting for the train at Schlesisches Tor station in Kreuzberg, a predominantly Turkish neighborhood in Berlin, when I noticed people passing by below the train platform. I aimed my camera down at the cobblestones and waited a while for some interesting action. I must have shot 30 stills before this woman came walking through the frame. I missed my train but got this shot. —Gunnar Heidar

Pair : Cheetahs

Photograph by Mauro Mozzarelli, My Shot

Most wild cheetahs are found in eastern and southwestern Africa. Perhaps only 12,000 of these big cats remain, and those are under pressure as the wide-open grasslands they favor are disappearing at the hands of human settlers.

Pair : Polar Bear Cubs

Photograph by Mauro Mozzarelli, My Shot

These two polar bear cubs are playing close to our Tundra Buggy in Canada's Wapusk National Park.

Pair : Raccoons

Photograph by Terri Moore, My Shot

We found these two raccoons in our backyard, no mom around. They both seemed to look kind of curious, and kind of nervous. My daughter said she likes this picture because the outline of their bodies makes the outline of a heart.

Pair : Sea Lions

Photograph by Joanne Lembeck, My Shot

A sea lion gives what appears to be a kiss to her newborn in the Galápagos Islands.

Pair : Owls

Photograph by Irawan Subingar, My Shot

These two owlets are known as Sunda scops (Otus lempiji). They had just hatched from their eggs a few weeks before this photo was taken.

Pair : Alpacas

Photograph by Joseph Rescinito, My Shot

A baby alpaca displays some affection with her mother.

Mother's Love : Bottlenose Dolphin and Calf

Photograph by Augusto Stanzani/ardea.com

A mother dolphin may whistle to her calf almost continuously for several days after giving birth. This acoustic imprinting helps the calf learn to identify its mother.
Mother's Love, the first in a new, affordable line of gift books from National Geographic, is a great way to remind ourselves of the universal power of a mother's love.

Mother's Love : Mare and Foal

Photograph by John Daniels/ardea.com

A mare chooses the company her newborn keeps. Older siblings and trusted humans may approach, but she wards off all others.
Mother's Love, the first in a new, affordable line of gift books from National Geographic, is a great way to remind ourselves of the universal power of a mother's love.

Mother's Love : Giraffe and Calf

Photograph by Craig W. Walsh/iStockphoto.com

Giraffe mothers give birth on their feet—and their newborns drop six feet to the ground, headfirst. The fall actually helps them take first breaths.
Mother's Love, the first in a new, affordable line of gift books from National Geographic, is a great way to remind ourselves of the universal power of a mother's love.

Mother's Love : Japanese Macaque and Infant

Photograph by Tim Laman

Japanese macaques can convey ideas to one another and pass skills down, generation to generation. The macaques, also called snow monkeys, have humanlike faces that can show a lot of emotion. They live in northern Japan, where it gets very cold, so they grow heavy fur coats in the winter to keep them warm.
Mother's Love, the first in a new, affordable line of gift books from National Geographic, is a great way to remind ourselves of the universal power of a mother's love.