Kemeri bog, Kemeri Nature Reserve, Latvia

© Sven Zacek/Minden Pictures

Kemeri bog, Kemeri Nature Reserve, Latvia

There’s a lot going on below the surface in this beautiful bog in the Baltic country of Latvia. In a bog—a wetland also called a quagmire or a muskeg—the landscape is so saturated that it restricts the flow of oxygen from the atmosphere, which causes plant matter to slowly decay, eventually forming peat. It may not sound pleasant, but this mucky terrain is certainly useful. As peat accumulates in the spongey, wet environment, it serves as a carbon sink, absorbing harmful carbon dioxide. Once harvested, peat proves its worth as a fuel source and lends that smoky taste to scotch whisky. In recent years, peat bogs have become the, er, grounds for the sport of bog snorkeling. Let’s hope the brave competitors have good goggles.