> Skip to content

Article  •  22 November 2017

 

5 extraordinary natural wonders you need to see right now

Believe it or not, these are real!

Stunning sand dunes, gorgeous glaciers, and eye-opening alpine landscapes! Take a break from the ordinary with these five extraordinary phenomena from Natural Wonders of the World.
 

Shark Bay | West Coast, Australia

The coastline of Shark Bay is more than 1,500km long, including about 300km of spectacular limestone cliffs. The bay is probably most famous for its living stromatolites, modern equivalents of some of the earliest types of life on Earth. These are colonies of microbes that form hard, domelike accretions. Shark Bay contains one of the world’s largest seagrass beds, which provides food for about 10,000 dugongs, which are large marine mammals related to manatees.




Zhangya Danxia | Gansu Province, China

Stretching across 500 square km in Gansu Province, China, the Zhangye Danxia Landform Geopark is known for the unusual colours and shapes of its sedimentary rocks. From around 80 million years ago, sedimentary rocks began forming in the area through the deposition of sediments in lakes. Variations in the mineral composition of the sediments account for the range of rock colours seen today. Starting from about 20 million years ago, the whole area was uplifted and the sedimentary layers tilted as a result of tectonic stresses. Subsequently, the processes of weathering and erosion have resulted in the spectacular sights visible today.




Vatnajökull | Iceland

One of several ice caps in Iceland, Vatnajökull derives its name from the Icelandic words vatna, meaning “water,” and jökull, meaning “glacier.” The ice cap completely covers the mountainous terrain of southern Iceland. Three active volcanoes, as well as some volcanic fissures, lie under Vatnajökull. When one of these volcanoes erupts, along with the usual effects and dangers of a volcanic eruption, there is the added risk of large amounts of ice melting and causing a catastrophic flood.




Antelope Canyon | Arizona, USA

In northern Arizona lies one of the American Southwest’s most-visited canyons, but few passing drivers know that it exists. This is because, unlike most other canyons, whose broad gorges open to the sky, Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon. Also called narrows, slot canyons have nearly vertical, twisting walls divided by fissures that can be just a handspan’s width at the surface yet plunge downward for thousands of feet.




Hang Son Doong | Central Vietnam

One of the largest cave systems discovered on Earth, Hang Son Doong is up to 250m high, 200m wide, and stretches a total of 9km. First discovered in 1991, Hang Son Doong was unexplored until 2009. Giant openings (dolines), created as massive sections of the ceiling collapsed, have allowed areas of vegetation to develop, including trees up to 30m tall. Hang Son Doong is so large that it has its own microclimate, including wind and cloud.


 

Feature Title

Natural Wonders of the World
An unrivalled exploration of the most amazing natural wonders on Earth
Read more

More features

See all
Article
5 incredible aquatic creatures you didn't know existed

Discover some of the incredible creatures from the aquatic world.

Article
Simple stress management tips

From pressure to positive energy.

Article
Staff recommendations: Books we've been loving

Want to know what books the Penguin NZ team have been reading and loving recently? Read on for our recommendations!

Article
5 of the hottest YA books right now (2025)

Check out some of the hottest YA books in stores now, from epic romantasy to sweet, unexpected romance.

Article
Best historical fiction books to read in 2025

From tales of Ancient Greece to epics set in the Second World War, these are the historical novels at the top of our reading piles this year.

Article
How to save money on groceries: 6 innovative budget tips

Food shopping on a budget? These tips from Money-Saving Meal Plans With Chelsea will help you spend less on food.

Article
Mother's Day Memories: Penguin Authors

For Mother's Day 2025 we're celebrating the power of books to bring us closer.

Article
Mother's Day Memories: Penguin Staff

For Mother's Day 2025 we're celebrating the power of books to bring us closer.

Article
Win mum her favourite books this Mother’s Day!

Let us know below which three of our fantastic Mother’s Day books mum would love, and we’ll send them to you in time for Mother’s Day!

Looking for more articles?

See all articles