Lençóis Maranhenses National Park in Barreirinhas, Brazil

© Rudi Sebastian/plainpicture

Lençóis Maranhenses National Park in Barreirinhas, Brazil

White sand dunes dotted with brilliant blue lagoons stretch as far as you can see here at Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, not far from the Amazon basin in north-east Brazil. During the rainy season, valleys between these dunes fill with water, creating a temporary water world. The lagoons are occupied by resilient species like the wolf fish, which goes dormant in the mud when the water dries up.