Rocky coastline turquoise sea caves
© Ben Pipe/Sime/eStock
Which Portland is this?
Like the Isle of Portland is tied to the mainland via a skinny strip of shingle beach, this whole stretch of southern English shore is tied to the distant past—and not just in name. The fossils and formations found along the 95-mile Jurassic Coast present a geologic record that covers not just the Jurassic period, but the whole Mesozoic era and beyond. It's a story spanning hundreds of millions of years, still being written through continual coastal erosion. As winds and waves crumble this World Heritage Site's chalky cliffs bit by bit, new fossils and sediment layers are constantly being uncovered.
Humpback whale, Hawaii
Red Rock Ocean Reef, Kauai
Boat floating, clear turquoise water, coral reef
Palm tree island beach, San Blas Islands, Panama
Blue Orange Geothermal Basin, Yellowstone National Park
Pink Benthic Soft Coral
Tropical forest rocky seashore clear ocean
Two paddlers, red kayak, misty river, pine forest
