A man walks past kelp as he goes for a swim in the Pacific Ocean at La Jolla Shores, Thursday, July 24, 2025, in San Diego. (Photo by Gregory Bull/AP Photo)

These spectacular landscapes may look like something from another planet – but they are in fact colorful salt ponds which stretch for miles. Despite being better known for tech companies and expensive property – San Francisco, California is also home to this vibrant quilt of color spanning the South Bay Area. From eerie green pools to gothic shades of red the surreal landscapes are caused by the organisms or micro-algae living within them. Photo: Aerial view of the salt ponds in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Cris Benton/Caters News)

Penitentiary system guards carry an inmate with symptoms related to the novel coronavirus at the COVID-19 unit of San Juan de Dios hospital in Guatemala City on July 13, 2020. (Photo by Johan Ordonez/AFP Photo)

People walk past part of an outdoor display as preparations continue for the upcoming pop culture convention Comic Con in San Diego, California, U.S., July 17, 2018. (Photo by Mike Blake/Reuters)

A man gestures towards a bull during a traditional bullfighting festival called “Toros a la tica” in San Jose, Costa Rica January 6, 2017. (Photo by Juan Carlos Ulate/Reuters)

A cosplayer dressed as the actress Lucy Liu, as depicted in the animated series Futurama, poses for a photo at Comic-Con International in San Diego, California, U.S., July 23, 2022. (Photo by Bing Guan/Reuters)

Catholic faithful attend a Palm Sunday mass at the start of Holy Week in San Lorenzo, Paraguay, Sunday, March 24, 2024. (Photo by Jorge Saenz/AP Photo)

Miss Universe Puerto Rico, Karla Guilfu, parades in a swimsuit during the Miss Universe 2023 preliminary gala in San Salvador, El Salvador, 15 November 2023. (Photo by Rodrigo Sura/EPA/EFE)