© SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / BARCROFT MEDIA

© SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / BARCROFT MEDIA

Before and after satellite photos show a horrifying vision of the future and evidence of man’s destruction of the natural environment.

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Taken over nearly 40 years, photographs show the drying up of several bodies of water around the world – receding as mankind’s demand for water grows.

Expert Dr Benjamin Lloyd-Hughes of the Walker Institute for climate system research, University of Reading, has spoken of the devastating effects on local populations caused by the impacts of mankind combined with climate change.

Aral Sea in 1973 © SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / BY BARCROFT MEDIA LTD

Included in the shocking collection is the once mighty Aral Sea in Central Asia.

The expanse of water, like several others across the globe, has been reduced to worryingly sparse levels.

In 1987 © SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / BY BARCROFT MEDIA LTD

In April the situation at the Aral Sea was described as “one of the planet’s worst environmental disasters” by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.

Shown here in images taken from space between 1973 and 2009, slowly but surely the Aral – in fact a salt water lake – has shrunk from being the size of Ireland to a cluster of contaminated ponds.

And in 2000 © SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / BY BARCROFT MEDIA LTD

An inland lake, the Aral is found between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan and used to be the fourth largest lake in the world. Since the 1960s, it has lost more than half of its volume.

The drying is due to overuse of the lake’s feeder rivers. In the 1960s the former Soviet Union diverted the Syr Darya and Amu Darya for the irrigation of cotton and paddy fields.

Now 50 years later the water is at a dismal 10 per cent of its level when the projects first began.

Aral Sea pictured last year © SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / BARCROFT MEDIA

So great was the impact on the region the local climate was thought to have changed and pollution has risen to dangerous levels.

The destruction of the lake has also decimated the local fishing industry, causing severe knock-on unemployment and further economic woe for the people living around it.

Across the globe once rich and fertile lands are facing the same catastrophe.

Iraq in 1990 © SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / BARCROFT MEDIA

Arid and desolate Iraq was once a green, lush environment even reputed to be the setting of the Garden of Eden.

The marshes were systematically drained in the mid- to late 20th century.

This was done to provide agricultural land, but also to destroy the habitat of the Shi’a Muslim Marsh Arabs, who were persecuted by the Iraqi ruling Ba’athist Party.

Seen from above between 1973 and 2000 the Mesopotamia marshlands straddle the borders between Iraq and Iran near the mighty Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

The difference in 2000 © SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / BARCROFT MEDIA

Also included in the before-and-after pictures are the Toshka Lakes, in southern Egypt.

They were formed in the 1990s by diverting water from Lake Nasser, an artificial lake formed behind the Aswan High Dam on the river Nile.

One image taken in March  2001, shows the lakes near their maximum capacity.

A later satellite picture from December 2005 shows how the waters receded due to drought and rising demand for water, leaving a ring of brown wetlands around the edges of the lakes.

Toshka Lakes in 2001 © SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / BARCROFT MEDIA

Lake Chad, located in the Sahel region near the Sahara, was the fourth largest lake in Africa in the 1960s and had an area of more than 10,000 square miles.

But by the 21st century it had shrunk to less than 600 square miles – around a twentieth of its size.

This was caused by increased use of irrigation combined with severe droughts.

The Toshka Lakes in southern Egypt were formed in the 1990s by diverting water from Lake Nasser, an artificial lake that formed behind the Aswan High Dam on the river Nile.

And in 2005 © SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / BARCROFT MEDIA

The region was planned to be a major new agricultural and industrial site for Egypt but as these images show – between 2001 and 2005 – the region is drying fast.

The waters have receded, leaving a ring of brown wetlands around the edges of the lakes, because of drought and a rising demand for water in the area.

Dr Benjamin Lloyd-Hughes of the Walker Institute for climate system research, University of Reading, said: “Ultimately the disaster seen at the Aral Sea and the  marshes are the combined effects of man and rising temperatures in those regions.

“There has not been much change in rainfall in those areas but the temperature has risen by over 1 degree Centigrade since 1970, which will have enhanced losses due to evaporation.

© SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / BARCROFT MEDIA

“Pollution in the area will have become worse because as the water evaporates, pollutants in the water become more concentrated and less diluted.”

At Lake Chad and the Toshka Lakes the same effect of man in combination with climate change has been observed.

Dr Lloyd-Hughes added: “There has been a 30 per cent reduction in annual rainfall since 1900 in these regions but not a significant change in temperature.
“Reductions in lake levels here seem to driven by reductions in rainfall rather than increased evaporation.

Lake Chad 2007. The added red colour shows vegetation © SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / BARCROFT MEDIA

“The outlook is that there will be no change in rainfall but temperature could increase by another two degrees Centigrade by 2100. This is not good but not so bad as for the Aral Sea and Mesopotamia.

“Global warming is a problem that is happening everywhere but if drought is happening in your region then it is a far greater problem.”

With the growth of mass-agriculture to feed a severely ballooning global population, water demand has begun to perilously outstrip supply, making disasters like the Aral Sea a grim and alarming likelihood for the future.

Words by Liam Miller

© Kevin Schafer / Barcroft USA

These never-before-seen pictures of bubblegum pink Amazon River Dolphins are a fascinating glimpse into the behaviour of these elusive creatures.

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Unlike their playful cousin, ‘Flipper’, these dolphins live in the murky, sediment covered depths of the giant Amazon River 50 miles south of the city of Manaus and are in fact freshwater creatures.

Captured on film over a total of three weeks by Seattle based photographer Kevin Shafer, the dolphins distinctive pink colouring develops with age and is exaggerated by the red silty Amazonian water.

Swimming with up to six of the nearly blind, seven foot long pink dolphins, Kevin braved the parasitic, piranha infested waters of the world’s largest river in search of that perfect shot.

“I photographed the dolphins in the Rio Negro tributary of the Amazon river, which is around 1000 miles inland upstream in the middle of the Amazon Rainforest,” said renowned photographer Kevin, 55.

“This part of the river system is known as the ‘Wedding of the Waters’ and is where the Rio Negro joins with the Rio Solimões and carries on as the Amazon.

“This huge river system is up to one mile wide at certain points and up to 100 feet deep.

“This enormous body of water is the perfect home for the river dolphins and I was lucky to find a community of them along the banks.”

© Kevin Schafer / Barcroft USA

Deciding to travel himself to photograph the dolphins, Kevin found a fishing village where the dolphins congregate because they feed off fishing scraps of the villagers.

“The visibility of the water is up to five feet away and that is considered a good day,” said Kevin.

“Other days I would be lucky to even see my hand in front if me, let alone take pictures of these great animals.”

Advised to wear a full body wet suit to prevent infection by the rivers parasites or even attack by the notorious piranha, Kevin decided to ignore the advice after a day or two.

“I wanted freedom of movement within the water to take my pictures and the suit was quite restrictive,” said Kevin.

“I was able to enjoy the experience more without the suit.

“That involved appreciating that the river dolphins were in fact almost blind and navigate almost entirely by sonar.

“That is why they bob and weave their heads so much, sending out signals to direct their movements.”

© Kevin Schafer / Barcroft USA

Believed to have lived in the Amazon for tens of thousands of years, the river dolphins have followed a different evolutionary path.

“The water is so dense with silt that has flowed down from the Andes that they evolved to not use their eyes.

“This also cause them to develop their distinctive pink skin, which begins as quite greyish when they are young, but develops over the years to the stark bubblegum pink colour that you can see.”

© Kevin Schafer / Barcroft USA

Less friendly than their famous bottlenose cousins, the river dolphins were considered gods in the rain forest because of their elusive nature.

“The Chinese River Dolphin was declared extinct two years ago and it is safe to say that ecologist designate the population numbers of the Amazon River Dolphin as ‘unknown.’

“They are unique creatures who actually count piranhas as part of their diet.

“Although I have seen a few with little nibs taken out of their flippers and fins, which the locals assure me are the work of piranhas getting their own back.”

Words by James Nye

© Barry Bland/ Barcroft Media

Piggy-backing a cheeky ride from Georgia the nine-foot alligator, Myrtle the turtle benefits from one of nature’s most unlikely friendships.

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Allowing 15 year old Myrtle to ride on her back, nine year old American alligator Georgia seemingly goes against all her natural tendencies to make Myrtle a tasty snack.

Sharing a two acre pond at the Myrtle Beach Safari in South Carolina’s Myrtle Beach, Georgia and Myrtle’s bond began four years ago.

© Barry Bland/ Barcroft Media

“We honestly are at a loss to explain this particular bond between these two animals,” said Doc Antle, the founder of the Myrtle Beach Safari.

“Turtles are generally a decent meal for an alligator, so quite why Georgia allows Myrtle to ride her back I don’t know.

“I fail to see really what Georgia gets as a benefit from this arrangement, but that is the nature of friendship.”

© Barry Bland/ Barcroft Media

Riding Georgia’s back to ferry herself across the pairs home pond, Myrtle is always aware of the limits to her and Georgia’s bond.

“Myrtle sometimes joins in when we throw our alligator ‘chow’ to Georgia, which is biscuit grain and bits of chicken,” said Doc.

“So maybe getting a bit of food is part of their relationship.

“However, one thing is for sure. Myrtle never eats first, Georgia always does.

“Myrtle is very aware and respectful of the food chain when it comes to feeding time.”

© Barry Bland/ Barcroft Media

Rescued from the roadside around ten years ago, Myrtle has established herself as a firm favourite at Myrtle Beach Safari.

Living with Georgia since she arrived at the Myrtle Beach Safari as a young hatchling, Myrtle’s free rides show no sign of stopping.

“Myrtle just jumps on Georgia’s back and when she has reached a bank or wants to get off she just hops off,” said Doc.

“So Georgia really is an alligator bus service.”

Words by James Nye

Prinny goes for a swim © Brendan Beckett / Barcroft Pacific

A pet moggy who likes getting soggy is making a splash Down Under.

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Prinny, a two year old Persian, has defied a cat’s well-known fear of water by taking regular dips in a swimming pool.

The cat learnt to swim a year ago when its owners built a pool in their back garden.

Now she doesn’t even paws for thought before jumping in and is a purr-fect swimmer.

Rebecca Lee takes Prinny for a swim © Brendan Beckett / Barcroft Pacific

Rebecca Lee, 19, from Melbourne, Australia, said: “We’ve had Prinny from birth and always noticed how much she loves her baths.

“Then, when we built a pool a year ago, she would constantly come up to the water edge wanting to get in.

“One day I was swimming in the pool, so when she came up I held her in the water.

“The next thing I know she was off doing laps.”

Rebecca added: “She tends to jump in on really hot days and has the time of her life.

“There are steps leading into the pool, so she can get out whenever she wants. She tends to stay in the water for 10 to 15 minutes  but has been known to swim for up to half an hour in one go.

“She is obsessed by water.”

Rebecca took another family pet, an Australian cattle dog called Bandit, to a hydrotherapy pool to help with its arthritis.

When Rebecca told the facility owner Jacque Olsen about her swimming cat  she received little more than a strange look.

So Rebecca brought the cat in to show her.

Now Prinny and Bandit share weekly swimming sessions together each Wednesday.

Jacque said: “I’ve never seen or even heard of a cat swimming before but seeing is truly believing.

³The cat loves it. Sometimes it¹s hard to get her out she is having so much fun.

“She just swims around, doing a doggy paddle.

“It’s unbelievable. Cats hate water.”

Prinny goes for a swim © Brendan Beckett / Barcroft Pacific

Rebecca said people do not believe her until they see it with their own eyes.

She said: “She loves it there and it gives her exercise.

“It does surprise people. They think it’s amazing and really cute.

“But no one believes me when I first tell them.

“I’ve tried looking up on the internet, but there doesn’t seem to be any other cat out there quite like Prinny.

“She’s one of a kind.”

Rebecca says Prinny’s dad, called Tommy, who they also own, also now enjoys a swim.

She said: “I think Tommy has seen Prinny go in a fair few times now and realises it is an ideal way to cool down.

“So every now and then, he¹ll leap in too and they¹ll have a paddle together.

“They both love a swim but he only tends to have a quick dip and then gets out again.”

Words by Jon Kaila

Rolling around like two playmates Costa Rican fisherman Chito and giant male crocodile Pocho are the unlikeliest of friends.

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Known as the Crocodile Man, 52-year-old Chito swims, plays and even feeds the five metre long crocodile in the 100 metre squared lake close to his home.

Chito rescued the 980 pound crocodile 20 years ago after finding him close to death in a nearby lake.

Shot in the head by farmers after eating cows, Chito nursed the reptile back to health.

After 10 years of bonding, Chito began to play with Pocho.

Today tourists travel from all over the world to see the unusual spectacle.

© Jed Weingarten / Barcroft USA

Falling 70 feet into the icy pool below, this intrepid kayaker is taking advantage of a once-in-a-decade phenomenon at the Outlet Falls, in Washington State.

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Swollen by a freak warm weather system that caused ice to melt high up in the Rocky’s, the Outlet Falls have long been a holy grail for danger-loving kayakers.

Usually just a modest trickle, the unusually warm Pacific weather caused the falls to crash into life in January of this year.

© Jed Weingarten / Barcroft USA

As thrill seekers rushed to take advantage of the rare event, photographer Jed Weingarten was on hand to capture the icy scenes as they unfolded.

“I got a call from two friends who had heard a rumour that the Outlet Falls might be flowing hard,” says Jed, 34.

“I had never heard of the falls flowing like this before and the fact that it was in mid winter made it even more amazing.

“I drove the one and a half hours from my home in Portland Oregon to rush to there and get my camera out.”

© Jed Weingarten / Barcroft USA

Arriving at Outlet around nine on the morning of January 9th, Jed found two of his friends from the kayaking community already there.

“They were swimming around the pool at the bottom of the falls checking to see it the drop from the top of the rock was going to be do-able,” says Jed.

“They worked out that the safest way to drop was from a 50 yards run up at the top of the face and then to take the right angle in with the flow of the water.

“They both managed to get through their jumps fine.”

However, it was the next day, the 10th of January that Jed committed to film as his fearless friend Luke Spencer bowled over the bulging Outlet Falls.

© Jed Weingarten / Barcroft USA

“Overnight the ice that you see in the pictures had formed, which made the scene look stunning,” says Jed.

“This jump had far more preparation involved than the day before.

“There were 3 safety boats in the pool at the bottom, all in place should something go wrong.

“Luke had to slide off a 20ft high cliff just to get started on the 50 yard run up to the falls, it wasn’t the most straightforward of jumps, that is for sure.”

© Jed Weingarten / Barcroft USA

Crashing over the Outlet Falls and into the water, Luke’s landing did not go according to plan.

“I separated my intercostals muscles that join my ribs together,” says Luke.

“I got stuck in a bit of a roll at the bottom of the falls and had to wriggle free of my kayak.

“I was laid up for two weeks afterwards too.”

© Jed Weingarten / Barcroft USA

Having been running waterfalls for 17 years and kayaking for 23, Jed says that day was still an outstanding one in his mind.

“That jump made this month (October’s) edition of National Geographic and is exceptional because it is so unusual to see those falls in that condition,” explains Jed.

“I would love to have joined the guys on the jump over, but my back isn’t what it used to be.

“I am happier now taking the pictures.”

Words by James Nye

© Incredible Features / Barcroft Media

A wildlife park is battling through the economic crisis by charging visitors to have their car washed – by a pair of elephants.

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African Elephants Alice and Tiki blast mucky motors with water from their trunks and finish the job with sponges.

© Incredible Features / Barcroft Media

The novelty car wash means amazed visitors at the Wildlife Animal Park in southern Oregon, USA., can get a priceless up-close view from inside their cars watching the massive beasts as they set to work.

© Incredible Features / Barcroft Media

At the same time the park picks up £12 per wash, bringing in much needed funds during the credit crunch.

© Incredible Features / Barcroft Media

Trainers at the park, who assist the gentle giants, hope to promote conservation through education while giving the 39-year-old elephants a fun task.

© Incredible Features / Barcroft Media

Both animals have been at the park since they were two. Park organisers say they enjoy their new work.

Words by Liam Miller

© Austin Hargrave / Barcroft Media

These hilarious pictures show how radical pooches came together for the Dog Surfing World championships.

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Record crowds for the event were drawn in to watch the four-legged wonders battling through the whitewash at Del Mar beach in San Diego, USA., on Sunday 13/9/09).

Delighting onlookers, canines of all shapes and sizes, from pugs to Burmese mountain dogs, competed against each other for the coveted prize.

© Austin Hargrave / Barcroft Media

The top-dog award was eventually  scooped by gnarly pooch Buddy.

Proceeds from the competition went to organisers and hosts, the Helen Woodward Animal Centre in Rancho Santa Fe.

A centre representative said this years figure was expected to smash last year’s takings of £28,000.

© Austin Hargrave / Barcroft Media

“It just doesn’t get any greater than San Diego showing its love for dogs and its love for surfing,” said animal centre president, Michael Arms.

“What could be more fun?”

Arms estimated that the crowd at the “world’s largest dog surfing event” to be nearly 4,000, doubling attendance numbers for 2008.

Next year, the organisation aims to take the  Surf-A-Thon for dogs to a global level with competitors from around the world.

© Austin Hargrave / Barcroft Media

Money raised at the event is used to send staff from the animal centre, in the role of educators, on international trips to other animal shelters and animal rights groups.

Words by Liam Miller

© Chris Gorman / Barcroft Media

Two mechanics have amazingly navigated one of the most dangerous sea channels in the world – in an amphibious van.

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Motor heads Dan Melling and Adam Turnbull, both 23, converted an old banger worth just £200 and successfully crossed choppy Cook’s Strait in New Zealand, which links the country’s North and South Islands.

Inspired by UK show Top Gear the duo, who build and repair planes for the New Zealand Airforce (RNZAF), crossed the 45-mile choppy stretch of the South Pacific on Sunday in just nine-and-a-half hours.

© Chris Gorman / Barcroft Media

To make their Toyota Townace seaworthy the crafty pair made it watertight with welding and silicone sealant and removed the engine from under the bonnet before placing it in the main cabin.

Steering was made possible with a propeller, rudder and tiller taken from an old boat and fitted to the back of the van and drive shaft.

And in a stunning feat of mechanical wizardry the floating van was able to cruise at a steady five knots.

© Chris Gorman / Barcroft Media

Dan, from Auckland, said: “We had both been stationed in a small town while we were doing our senior training for aeronautical machinery and had a lot of time to kill.

“We watched an episode of Top Gear when Jeremy Clarkson and the boys crossed the English Channel in a converted Nissan and we thought ‘we can do that’.

“After several beers we convinced ourselves this would be a good task while we were bored with nothing to do out of work.”

The dedicated pals, who started their project in March spent just £960 on the conversion and raised most of the money through sponsorship from local businesses.

© Chris Gorman / Barcroft Media

They cast off from Waikawa Bay, near Picton, South Island and landed at Mana, near Wellington, North Island.

Dan said: “Some dolphins came and joined us for part of the crossing, swimming alongside us and jumping out of the water.

“They were pretty inquisitive. I don’t reckon they had seen wheels before.”

The lads are now selling the van and after an initial offer of just 40p, the bids have soared to an astonishing £2,800.

Words by Liam Miller

© Barry Bland / Barcroft Media

Soaring through the air playing fetch has never been so much fun.

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Pictured here at the Duchess County Fair, Rhinebeck, New York these flying dogs are competing in the latest canine sport – Dock-Jumping.

Dock-jumping involves pooches enthusiastically leaping for a toy, or chase item, and then throwing themselves off the 40 foot runway, or dock.

© Barry Bland / Barcroft Media

Gaining popularity in America and on this side of the Atlantic, dock jumpers have the distanced measured so they can compete for best leaper in show.

Like the long jump, each jump is measure from the end of the docks runway to the point where the dog’s tail lands in the 4-foot deep pool.

Fiendishly competitive, the sports profile has risen to the point where ESPN, the sports network now shows meetings from across the United States.

© Barry Bland / Barcroft Media

Each jump is only considered legal from the point where the toy leaves the dog owners hand.

The August 30th Duchess County Fair was as fiercely fought as always, with the winning jump and best in show coming from Wilson, a black Labrador retriever, who registered a massive 26ft 3inch jump to win.

© Barry Bland / Barcroft Media

In fact this fell just short of the 28 ft 10inch world record set by Country, a greyhound from Harrisburg Pennsylvania.

“I’ve always said a greyhound would beat the record and that is now the bench mark,” says Melanie Field, the Chief Operating Officer of DockDogs, the body that organises dock jumping across the US and the UK.

“We will wait and see how this sport develops.”

Words By James Nye