A performer gestures at the Harbin Ice-Snow World in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, December 25, 2021. The 23rd Harbin Ice-Snow World opened to the public on Saturday. (Photo by Xie Jianfei/Xinhua News Agency/Profimedia via AP Photo)

A model presents a creation for Kenzo by Japanese fashion designer Tomoaki Nagao aka Nigo during Kenzo fashion show at the North Bund Bay in Shanghai on July 28, 2023. (Photo by Jade Gao/AFP Photo)

Tourists watch roaring torrent carrying a large amount of yellow sediment at the Hukou Waterfall on the Yellow River on August 15, 2024 in Yan'an, Shaanxi Province of China. (Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images)

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)

“The Carnival Triumph finally made port on Thursday night, after what should have been an idyllic four-day cruise turned into a grueling week-long ordeal for more than 3,000 passengers and 1,000 crew. Some kissed the ground as they disembarked the ship, while others swore never to go on another cruise again. Many spoke of the well-documented unsanitary conditions on board the 272-metre Triumph, which lost power in the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday”. – Tom Dart and Adam Gabbatt via Guardian

Photo: Kendall Jenkins of Houston kisses the ground after stepping off the Carnival ship Triumph (Photo by AP Photo)

A girl rides a broomstick in front of a green screen at the new Harry Potter Studio Tour at Warner Brothers Leavesden Studios on March 23, 2012 in London, England. The studio, which includes the actual sets and special effects departments where the films were created and shot, goes on public display on March 31, 2012. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Children play with the waves at the Malecon in Havana, on September 29, 2022, in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. Authorities were slowly restoring electricity in Cuba following a power outage in the country caused by Hurricane Ian, which killed two people and left widespread damage. (Photo by Yamil Lage/AFP Photo)

Amateur astronomer Bill Snyder has been involved with astrophotography since 2007. Photo: The Cygnus Wall is in the southern area of NGC7000 also known as the North America Nebula. It is approximately 1800 light years from Earth, and is in the constellation Cygnus. The Wall is an energized shock front and contains the most concentrated star formations in the nebula. The size of the North America Nebula is about 4 full moons. (Photo and caption by Bill Snyder)