22 breathtaking Nat Geo pictures that will spark your curiosity

Overhead view of a circular tower in a forest with people walking on it. — Tree TherapyThis image from our December 2022 issue shows an overhead view of visitors walking up a 150-foot-high spiral boardwalk in a forest outside of Copenhagen, Denmark. Known as the Forest Tower, the attraction has become a popular destination for "forest bathing," a Japanese concept that involves immersing oneself in nature. The practice has been shown to reduce stress, improving mental and physical well-being.
Orsolya Haarberg, National Geographic Image Collection

Photos curated byNational Geographic's Photography Department

Captions written byYasmine Maggio and Starlight Williams

Published May 1, 2026

A curious clownfish peeks out from its hiding spot. Two country "princesses" poses for a portrait. A meerkat matriarch gets up close and personal with our camera. Check out some of the pictures featured in our Photo of the Day.

A young girl hugs a brown spotted chicken. — Chicken and a FriendPhotographer Terra Fondriest captures her daughter hugging Timber, a chicken from their flock in the rural Ozarks of Arkansas on June 17, 2021. A 2024 study estimated that there are more than 85 million backyard chickens in the U.S., with an average of five chickens per household. "We keep a flock of 25 to 40 egg layers for both eating and selling eggs, and raise meat chickens every spring," Fondriest told National Geographic. "The kids always seem to make friends with a couple of them."
Terra Fondriest

Two men walk in front of Qaṣr al-Farīd, or "the Lonely Castle," in Mada'in Saleh, Saudi Arabia — Towering TombTwo men walk in front of Qaṣr al-Farīd, or "the Lonely Castle," in Mada'in Saleh, Saudi Arabia. The structure is the largest and one of the best-preserved out of more than 100 tombs on the site, all of which date from approximately the 1st century BC to the 1st century AD during the pre-Islamic Nabataean Kingdom. In 2008, Mada'in Saleh—also known as Hegra or Al-Hijr—became Saudi Arabia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site. TK TK
M'hammed Kilito

A clown anemonefish burrows within a bed of magnificent sea anemone — Hidden in Plain SightA clown anemonefish (Amphiprion ocellaris) burrows within a bed of magnificent sea anemone (Heteractis magnifica) off of Siladen Island in North Sulawesi, Indonesia. There are about 30 known species of clownfish, and they are mostly found in the shallow waters of the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, and the western Pacific. Each fish claims a relationship with a specific sea anemone, helping clean and defend them, while the anemone protect the fish from predators using their tentacles.
Shane Gross

A jeepney shuttles commuters through the streets of Cebu, Philippines, in July 2025. The country's popular mode of transportation emerged decades ago when American troops left Willys Jeeps behind at the end of World War II. Today, slightly bigger buses have replaced those jeeps, and their drivers are known to be quite aggressive in order to make their way through the city's busy streets. — Tumultuous TransportA jeepney shuttles commuters through the streets of Cebu, Philippines, in July 2025. The country's popular mode of transportation emerged decades ago when American troops left Willys Jeeps behind at the end of World War II. Today, slightly bigger buses have replaced those jeeps, and their drivers are known to be quite aggressive in order to make their way through the city's busy streets.
An Rong Xu, National Geographic Image Collection

A young boy carries a tray of tea through an ancient building. — Tumultuous TransportA jeepney shuttles commuters through the streets of Cebu, Philippines, in July 2025. The country's popular mode of transportation emerged decades ago when American troops left Willys Jeeps behind at the end of World War II. Today, slightly bigger buses have replaced those jeeps, and their drivers are known to be quite aggressive in order to make their way through the city's busy streets.
An Rong Xu, National Geographic Image Collection

A group of women wearing lace veils in front of a building in ruins. — Holy CeremonyA group of women await the start of the Holy Thursday, or Jueves Santo, procession in the historic neighborhood of La Villa, Ayamonte in Spain on April 17, 2025. The day is one of deep emotion, commemorating the Last Supper of Jesus Christ and his disciples. Church bells are traditionally silenced on Holy Thursday until Easter morning.
Eduardo Pereiro

Portrait of Heydi Marcela Zarate held by her maternal grandmother, Maria Sánchez de la Cruz — Portrait of Heydi Marcela Zarate held by her maternal grandmother, Maria Sánchez de la Cruz, in her hometown of San José, in the province of Azángaro, Puno, Peru. Heydi recently finished her secondary studies in the village of Phinaya and decided to move to Cusco to study Environmental Engineering in the Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco (UNSAAC). Drawing on the knowledge and legacy of her parents and grandparents, she hopes to return to her community to address challenges such as the climate crisis, which directly impacts the Quelccaya Glacier. Puno, 2023.
Victor Zea Díaz

A blue crab with its claw raised. — Under the RiverA blue crab fishes in the current of the Sistema Ox Bel Ha underground river system near Tulum, Mexico. Sistema Ox Bel Ha—or "Three Paths of Water" in Mayan—contains more than 160 cenotes. As National Geographic reported in 2025, these natural water-filled sinkholes often house historic artifacts and endangered aquatic species. In southern Mexico, they also serve as the only freshwater source to millions of people in the region.
Martin Broen

Decorated wall fragment protruding from the debris of a tomb. — Beneath the RuinsA decorated wall fragment protrudes from the debris of a tomb at El-Khokha in Luxor, Egypt. Located on the West Bank of the Nile River, El-Khokha is part of the vast Theban necropolis. More than a century of work by archaeologists has helped uncover the tombs of officials who served Egypt's pharaohs thousands of years ago.
András Zoltai

All That I Can Carry, a series that started during the pandemic in 2020 and continues today, 2026, derived from items taken out of my parents' backyard shed in Anaheim, California, items that may be donated or thrown away, but are almost always kept because of immigrant communities' resourcefulness. — All That I Can CarryWilliam Camargo Claudio photographs a person holding various objects in this image from his All That I Can Carry exhibition, which opens April 11 at Hannah Sloan Curatorial & Advisory in Los Angeles. The project started during the pandemic in the backyard shed of Claudio's parents in Anaheim, California, and continues on today. It highlights the immigrant community's resourcefulness and desire to hold onto items that are typically donated or thrown away.
William Camargo Claudio

Two young girls wearing cowgirl hats and country outfits. — All That I Can CarryWilliam Camargo Claudio photographs a person holding various objects in this image from his All That I Can Carry exhibition, which opens April 11 at Hannah Sloan Curatorial & Advisory in Los Angeles. The project started during the pandemic in the backyard shed of Claudio's parents in Anaheim, California, and continues on today. It highlights the immigrant community's resourcefulness and desire to hold onto items that are typically donated or thrown away.
William Camargo Claudio

A person walking alone on a sidewalk in New York City on a rainy night. — A Walk in the RainA lone figure walks through Manhattan on a rainy night. A newspaper article in Indiana's Fort Wayne Daily first dubbed New York City as "The City That Never Sleeps" in September 1912. It earned another nickname in the 1920s when New York sportswriter John J. Fitz Gerald visited New Orleans on assignment and overheard stablehands refer to New York City's horse racing courses as "The Big Apple." He named his own column "Around The Big Apple"—although the nickname didn't quite take off until it became part of a 1970s tourism campaign.
Gillian Peckham

A flamingo in a pool at night. — A Walk in the RainA lone figure walks through Manhattan on a rainy night. A newspaper article in Indiana's Fort Wayne Daily first dubbed New York City as "The City That Never Sleeps" in September 1912. It earned another nickname in the 1920s when New York sportswriter John J. Fitz Gerald visited New Orleans on assignment and overheard stablehands refer to New York City's horse racing courses as "The Big Apple." He named his own column "Around The Big Apple"—although the nickname didn't quite take off until it became part of a 1970s tourism campaign.
Gillian Peckham

Two people walk on a trail in front of a lake and some mountains. — The Perfect HikeIn this image from the January 2026 issue of National Geographic, trailbuilders Willie Bittner and Jed Talbot wind past the aquamarine waters of Belgrano Lake at Perito Moreno National Park in Patagonia, Argentina. The magazine story focuses on trail designers around the world who are working to engineer awe on hiking trails while also protecting the environment. Bittner and Talbot are just one example—over the past decade, the duo has helped set a new standard for making intuitive and sustainably designed trails at Perito Moreno and elsewhere in the region.
Tomas Munita, National Geographic Image Collection

Praying mantis tucked beneath a mushroom cap on the forest floor — Hidden HunterBeneath mushrooms in Bulgaria’s Sredna Gora mountains, a praying mantis stretches her forelegs, spined limbs used to catch and hold prey. Photographer Georgi Georgiev, a trained ecologist, has observed these ambush predators hunt creatures as large as a lizard, but also pause to carefully clean their forelegs and antennae. “The smaller they are, the more hidden and interesting their world is to me,” he says, a perspective he shared in a 2024 National Geographic story exploring the extraordinary lives of ordinary bugs.
Georgi Georgiev, National Geographic Image Collection-Hidden Hunter

A woman in orange sits on the side of the street watching a cow stroll by. — Til the Cows Come HomeIn this outtake from a July 2025 story, a woman observes a cow strolling down the main road in the Székely village of Homoródújfalu, Romania. The story highlights life in this area of Transylvania, where ancient traditions—like communal land ownership—have been fiercely preserved while cautiously remaining open to the possibilities of ecotourism. The model offers a template for a richer way of living.
Gemma Miralda, National Geographic Image Collection

A fisherman pulls up his catch off the side of a small dhow. — HookedSaleh is a fisherman on the remote island of Socotra, Yemen. Photographer Henley Spiers spent many days with these fishermen, observing how they live, how they work, and how little separates a good day from a bad one. Saleh practices handline fishing, lowering hooks baited with scraps into the water. When a fish bites, he hauls the line in hand over hand, sometimes using his teeth to keep tension. The method is simple but effective. While the fishermen's catch is modest—often sold for just a few dollars—it sustains their daily livelihood.
Henley Spiers

Gray reef shark swimming through a dense school of plankton-eating fish. — HookedSaleh is a fisherman on the remote island of Socotra, Yemen. Photographer Henley Spiers spent many days with these fishermen, observing how they live, how they work, and how little separates a good day from a bad one. Saleh practices handline fishing, lowering hooks baited with scraps into the water. When a fish bites, he hauls the line in hand over hand, sometimes using his teeth to keep tension. The method is simple but effective. While the fishermen's catch is modest—often sold for just a few dollars—it sustains their daily livelihood.
Henley Spiers

Dancers pose in brightly colored traditional garments — Kick the Dust UpFolklórico dancers perform at Rodeo La Misión in Baja California, Mexico, where the bull riders, bronco busters, and barrel racers coexist with traditional music and dance. “Watching the dancers move through the arena felt like cinematic layers of color, motion, and perspective unfolding at once," writes photographer Sye Williams. "It was as much about atmosphere as it was about performance. The overlapping layers of movement and space gave the moment a distinctly painterly quality.”
Sye Williams

Meerkats gathered in South Africa’s Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, standing alert in a group. — All Hail the MatriarchIn South Africa’s Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, meerkats (Suricata suricatta) live in tightly knit, multigenerational clans organized around a dominant female. A story from the January 2026 issue of the magazine describes how the matriarch is often the only one to breed, while the rest of the group helps raise pups, forage, and stand guard. Larger and more aggressive than her subordinates, she enforces order and keeps the group coordinated. Without her, researchers have found, the clan can struggle to find food and protect itself.
Thomas Peschak, National Geographic Image Collection

Interior of the Biserica Domnească (Princely Church) in Curtea de Argeș, with walls covered in painted biblical icons and blurred images of people in front. — Medieval FrescoesCompleted in 1352, the Biserica Domnească Sfântul Nicolae (Princely Church of Saint Nicholas) in Curtea de Argeș is among Romania’s oldest surviving royal foundations. Built by Basarab I as part of a medieval court complex, the church preserves 14th-century frescoes that depict scenes from the Bible. This church and its surrounding region are not far from the Via Transilvanica—an 870-mile route completed in 2022 and was named one of National Geographic's Best of the World 2025 destinations.
Paolo Verzone, National Geographic Image Collection

Madison Tessler curated this selection of images for Photo of the Day, a daily look at photography from National Geographic's archives. Yasmine Maggio and Starlight Williams wrote and researched the captions. Check out today's photo here.

Copyright © 1996-2015 National Geographic SocietyCopyright © 2015-2026 National Geographic Partners, LLC. All rights reserved