A small Leatherback sea turtle heads towards the sea during the sunset at Lhoknga beach in Aceh province on February 25, 2023. (Photo by Chaideer Mahyuddin/AFP Photo)

A woman gets ready for her performance at the backstage of the Heart restaurant in Ibiza on June 29, 2015. Take the Spanish chefs Ferran and Albert Adria, the Cirque du Soleil founder French Guy Laliberte and contemporary artists such as Japanese Takashi Murakami. Put them together on the luxurious Mediterranean island of Ibiza and shake well to get “Heart” an innovative multi-sensory experience. The idea of provoking emotions through a collision of avant-garde creativities appeared two years ago from Adria brothers and Laliberte's passion about art and cuisine. They met a decade ago at the famous restaurant El Bulli, closed in 2011. (Photo by Jaime Reina/AFP Photo)

Moroccan-born pole dancer Karima El Mahroug, nicknamed “Ruby the Heart Stealer” attends the traditional Vienna Opera Ball at the state opera on March 3, 2011 in Vienna, Austria. (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)

People and sea-gulls bathe in the sea as the sun goes up with red colors in Stralsund close to the baltic sea island of Rügen, on early November 23, 2016. (Photo by Stefan Sauer/AFP Photo/DPA)

A fisherwoman repairs the fishing nets at a fishing port during the annual summer fishing ban, which covers the Bohai Sea, the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea, and the waters north of 12 degrees north latitude in the South China Sea, on June 8, 2022 in Wenling, Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province of China. (Photo by Liu Zhenqing/VCG via Getty Images)

A small Leatherback sea turtle heads towards the sea during the sunset at Lhoknga beach in Aceh province on February 25, 2023. (Photo by Chaideer Mahyuddin/AFP Photo)

A newborn baby giraffe shows its tongue at the Planckendael zoo in Mechelen, 25 kilometers North of Brussels, Tuesday, February 18, 2014. The calf was born on Valentines day, February 14, and has a heart shaped spot on the hip. (Photo by Yves Logghe/AP Photo)

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and these striking images of 2017 are no exception. The photo highlights include incredible snapshots of the natural world as well as some awesome animal and human encounters. The vibrant gallery also shows thrill-seekers pushing themselves to the limit with breathtaking stunts captured in perfect clarity. The pictures have been taken by a host of photographers from around the world. Here: The two lion cubs singing their hearts out at Antelope park in Zimbabwe. (Photo by David Jenkins/Caters News Agency)