1 of 10
Whale Shark, Gulf of TadjouraThis month, our Photo of the Day editor shares why she chose the shots that you liked best. In winter young whale sharks come to feed on plankton in the nutrient-rich waters of the Gulf of Tadjoura, off the arid coast of Djibouti. The world's largest fish—weighing more than an elephant—is becoming a symbol of Arabia's bountiful, but largely unprotected, marine heritage. See more pictures from the March 2012 feature story, "The Seas of Arabia." What Made This a Photo of the Day I'm often drawn to over/under shots like these, in which you get a glimpse of a hidden world just below the surface of the waves. And in this case, the immediacy of coming face to face with such a beautiful creature is thrilling—as is imagining yourself in the water with it. —Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor
Photograph by Thomas P. Peschak, National Geographic

Photo of the Day: Best of April 2012

View the most popular Photo of the Day images from April 2012, from National Geographic.