Life in Color:Blue

Photograph by Brian Skerry
The sweeping color of sea and sky, blue is a common thread in nature, seen in the cerulean of a whale shark (pictured here), the indigo of a stormy night, and the cobalt of a peacock's feathers. Over the centuries, the hue has come to represent calm, cold, mysticism, and sadness.


Photograph by Tim Laman
A thick, swirling school of blackfin barracuda plies the blue waters off Sipadan Island, Malaysia. The fish are formidable predators, but they sometimes gather in groups for protection against sharks higher up on the food chain.


Photograph by Ralph Lee Hopkins
A group of chinstrap penguins lines the edge of an iceberg adrift in Antarctic waters. Chinstraps are among the most abundant penguins, and some colonies live on floating icebergs.



Photograph by Ralph Lee Hopkins
A polar bear leaps off of sea ice near Devon Island in the Canadian Arctic. Strong swimmers, polar bears have slightly webbed paws to aid in paddling.



Photograph by Rich Reid
A blue pool on Root Glacier in Alaska's Wrangell-St. Elias National Park reflects the bulk of towering Donoho Peak. The massive ice sheet is a popular excursion in the park.



Photograph by Tim Laman
These distinctive webbed feet belong to a blue-footed booby of the Galápagos Islands. The bluer, the better: Courting males show off with a high-stepping strut—and those with brighter feet are more attractive to potential mates.



Photograph by David Boyer
Some of nature's intricate patterns are on display in this magnified view of the mineral azurite. The bright blue mineral was once used to make paints and may still be found in jewelry.


Photograph by James Stanfield
Holidaymakers take the plunge and enjoy a twisting, turning trip down an Israeli waterslide. The attraction cools tourists who visit the shores of the Sea of Galilee.



Photograph by Annie Griffiths Belt
Frost covers the brilliant blue leaves of lush ferns in New Zealand's Fiordland National Park. The park is an isolated wilderness that's home to more than 700 plants found nowhere else in the world.


Photograph by Anne Keiser
Unveiling the regalia that has captivated humans (and hens) for thousands of years, an Indian peacock displays his colorful train at an Australian reserve. Males may use their feathers to attract harems of several hens.


Photograph by Steve McCurry
A veiled Nepali woman, covered head-to-toe in shades of blue, pauses to rest in a colorful doorway in one of the small Himalayan hill towns found in Nepal's Anapurna region.


Photograph by Alexandra Avakian
Intricate blue tiles adorn the walls of a large Iranian mosque and mirror a clear sky that beckons the faithful to the sunny courtyard. The mosque's many arches are a prominent feature of Islamic architecture.


Photograph by Bobby Haas
As startling as a bright-blue eye, a central lagoon peers out from Rocas Baimbridgen in Ecuador's Galápagos Islands. The stark, rocky island teems with life at times—the brackish lagoon waters are favored by flamingos.


Photograph by Richard Nowitz
The massive bulk of Garibaldi Glacier slowly spills into Garibaldi Fjord in Tierra del Fuego—the archipelago at the southern tip of South America. The aquatic endpoint of such a glacier is known as a terminus.


Photograph by Michael Nichols
Though it's better known for shades of red, the Grand Canyon is shrouded in blue as night descends on its foggy, snow-covered walls. The canyon's north rim is typically closed to vehicles in winter.



Photograph by Joel Sartore
Bathed in blue light, a gray wolf peers through the misty landscape of Yellowstone National Park in the U.S. West. The animals were successfully reintroduced to the park in the mid-1990s after an absence of nearly seven decades.



Photograph by Paul Nicklen
Ice, seen from below, covers the surface of the Arctic's Beaufort Sea. The sea is found north of Alaska and Canada.



Photograph by Norbert Rosing
A homey-looking igloo lights up the stark landscape on a cold night in the Canadian Arctic. These temporary shelters were commonly used by indigenous peoples in the frigid North American Arctic.