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)

A female street art collective has set a new Guinness World Record to create the largest spray-painted mural by multiple artists. Over 100 international female street artists came together to create the continuous mural in south London’s Leake Street Tunnel, made famous by Banksy, on March 8, 2014. The record was broken as part of all-female street art event Femme Fierce, the largest of its kind in the UK, which aims to celebrate women street artists across the world. Photo: Zabou's witty graffiti. (Photo by Dez Mighty/Susan Mackey)

Japan's Naomi Osaka returns the ball during her match against Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova during the Madrid Open tennis tournament, Sunday, May 5, 2019, in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Andrea Comas/AP Photo)

Brian Skerry can be called many things – explorer, journalist, conservation advocate – but he is first and foremost a photographer. His journeys to capture amazing underwater photographs have taken him across the world’s oceans. Photo: This Bahamian oceanic whitetip shark, known for the distinctive coloring on its white-tipped, rounded extremities, is part of a globally threatened species due to overfishing demands, primarily for its fins. (Photo by Brian Skerry)

Taylor Swift performs “All Too Well” at the 56th annual Grammy Awards at Staples Center. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision)

The tempestuous stellar nursery called the Carina Nebula, located 7,500 light-years away from Earth in the southern constellation Carina. (Photo by Reuters/NASA)

An Indian man, Kalpesh Modi, performs stunts with his motorcycle during the rehearsal for the forthcoming Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra, an annual Hindi festival, in Ahmedabad on June 23, 2019. The 142nd Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra festival in Ahmedabad is scheduled for July 4. (Photo by Sam Panthaky/AFP Photo)

In this handout image provided by Disney Parks titled, “A Tale As Old As Time”, Disney Parks invites guests to “Let the Memories Begin”, spectacular new images have been created by acclaimed photographer Annie Leibovitz. Penelope Cruz and Jeff Bridges appear as Belle and the transformed prince, recalling the final scene from “Beauty and the Beast”. The celebratory moment's tagline reads, “Where a moment of beauty lasts forever”. The campaign premieres as a special insert in the April issues of O, The Oprah Magazine, People, People En Espanol, Real Simple, Essence, and InStyle. (Photo by Annie Leibovitz/Disney Parks via Getty Images)