Photo of the Day: Best of May 2012

Dan's Cave, Abaco Island

Photograph by Wes C. Skiles, National Geographic

Following the guideline her life depends on, a diver threads the needle through a stalagmite forest in Dan's Cave on Abaco Island. A single, misplaced fin kick can shatter mineral formations tens of thousands of years old.

See more pictures from the August 2010 feature story "Deep Dark Secrets."

What Made This a Photo of the Day

This frame combines the precarious and the perilous, which is one of the reasons I chose it. Will the diver make it out of there? Will any of those delicate stalagmites break? This is one of those situations where the faint of heart can live vicariously through those willing to explore these corners of the Earth. —Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor

Half Dome, Yosemite National Park

Photograph by Jimmy Chin, National Geographic

Alex Honnold takes on the third zigzag of Half Dome without a rope. He has just one more difficult section, or pitch, in the last three before reaching the summit.

See more pictures from the May 2011 feature story "Daring. Defiant. Free."

What Made This a Photo of the Day

Last year's National Geographic story about super climbers in Yosemite featured several heart-pounding shots, and this one is no exception. The scale of the climber against the vertical rock face and the expansive mountain vista behind him make this one work for me. —Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor

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Deepwater Whip Coral, Japan

Photograph by Brian Skerry, National Geographic

What looks like a tangle of gnarled cables is in fact a forest of deepwater whip coral in Suruga Bay. Each strand is studded with feeding polyps that reach tiny tentacles into the currents to grab floating food.

See more pictures from the November 2010 feature story "3 Degrees of Japan’s Seas."

What Made This a Photo of the Day

I love how the diver is hovering in the deep green expanse, at the edge of this wild tangle of coral, like the explorer of an alien territory as forbidding as it is beautiful. —Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor

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Sunset, Mount Everest

Photograph by Cory Richards, National Geographic

The sun sets over the west shoulder of Mount Everest (right) and Mount Nuptse.

See more pictures and read dispatches from the National Geographic Everest Expedition.

What Made This a Photo of the Day

The light shining through these two peaks is gorgeous, inviting the adventure that awaits. The fact that there are no climbers in the scene also lends an improbable intimacy to this unforgiving place of snow, ice, and rock. It's just us and the mountains. —Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor

Kayakers, Maui

Photograph by Ron Dahlquist, My Shot

There is an incredible coral bloom off the village of Olowalu on Maui's south shore. I've seen the coral from a helicopter numerous times and always thought it would photograph beautifully, especially if I could arrange for some kayakers to be paddling in and around the coral to add scale to the scene.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

What Made This a Photo of the Day

This is an another example of the winning combination of an adventurous activity in a beautiful place. The brightly colored kayaks definitely make the shot and give us a chance to appreciate the clear waters below. —Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor

Tsingy Climbing, Madagascar

Photograph by Stephen Alvarez, National Geographic

Climber John "Razor Sharp" Benson weaves through skin-ripping pinnacles. In Malagasy, the formations are called tsingy, meaning "where one cannot walk barefoot." The terrain resists intrusions from hunters, hungry cattle, and wildfires.

See more pictures from the November 2009 feature story "Living on a Razor's Edge."

What Made This a Photo of the Day

These rocks look every bit as sharp as described, a fact underscored by our proximity to the climber as he navigates this perilous forest. I was glad to see him wearing gloves. —Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor

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Nyiragongo Volcano Expedition

Photograph by Carsten Peter, National Geographic

A cooking tent belonging to expedition scientists glows in the twilight on the rim of the Nyiragongo volcano—one of the most active in the world—in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

See pictures from the April 2011 feature story "The Volcano Next Door."

What Made This a Photo of the Day

I have chosen several images from the National Geographic story about the Nyiragongo volcano to run as Photo of the Day, but this one has the added interest of providing a glimpse not only of the volcano but also of the expedition camped out at its edge. I'm also drawn to the clean geometric shape of the tent juxtaposed with the rugged edge of the vibrantly colored lava glowing behind the plumes of smoke.—Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor

Slackline, Rio de Janeiro

Photograph by Tim Kemple

The sunset slackline image is of my good friend Renan Ozturk slacklining over the Gavea Stone in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Find out the story behind this shot and see more pictures of extreme adventure sports.

What Made This a Photo of the Day

I thoroughly enjoy the combination of dreamlike whimsy and sobering reality in this frame. On one hand, I feel I have a front-row seat to a circus in the clouds. On the other, the glittering lights below and ropes around the slackline walker remind me that this is a sport requiring a great deal of strength and athleticism, with little room for error. —Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor

Kathmandu, Nepal

Photograph by Susheel Shrestha, My Shot

The Bodhnath Stupa is a World Heritage site in Kathmandu, Nepal. Kathmandu is for many a gateway to Mount Everest.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

What Made This a Photo of the Day

Putting together an edit for Photo of the Day is all about balance, so I was happy to have this counterpoint to the various shots of adventurers in the field. That aside, what really works for me here are the bright, clean colors and the symmetry of the stupa. —Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor