Over the boardwalk Jul 28, 2020

Over the boardwalk

In this shallow stretch of Shark Bay in Western Australia, a natural record of Earth"s history lies just below the water"s surface. Hamelin Pool Marine Nature Reserve protects our planet"s biggest collections of stromatolites—small sedimentary rock towers built up over the centuries. Each layer captures fossils of the many microorganisms that populate our oceans. Some of the stromatolites in Hamelin Pool contain fossil specimens that are 3 billion years old. When you"re strolling down the boardwalk of Hamelin Pool, you"re walking over an unparalleled collection of biological history. The view of the Indian Ocean"s not bad either.

© Abstract Aerial Art/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Jul 28, 2018Defying gravity on a swing ride
Jul 28, 2019Road-trip worthy attraction in the heartland
Jul 28, 2019Road-trip worthy attraction in the heartland
Jul 28, 2021A goldie gala
Jul 28, 2022Longs Peak, Rocky Mountain National Park
Jul 28, 2023San Blas Islands, Panama
Jul 28, 2024Bathing huts in Skåne County, Sweden
Jul 28, 2025World Nature Conservation Day

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Nov 6, 2025Celebrating Yi Peng
Mar 3, 2021Climb a tree for wild animals and plants
Apr 6, 2021On the rebirth of the Olympic Games
Oct 6, 2020Water colors
Nov 24, 2020Feel the spray in Monterey
Feb 27, 2020Three cheers for polar bears!
Jan 3, 2022Lick Observatory
Jun 22, 2023World Rainforest Day
Jul 14, 2025Shark Awareness Day
Aug 3, 2022Red-necked grebes during breeding season
Feb 9, 2020Hollywood s big night
May 28, 2019Why’s it called a spelling ‘bee,’ anyhow?
Jul 2, 2023Its Halfway Day!
Feb 9, 2018Speed skaters in the Gangneung Oval, Pyeongchang, South Korea
Feb 23, 2024Haghartsin Monastery, Armenia
Jan 29, 2019A winter’s holiday ends
Feb 1, 2026Black History Month
Jun 12, 2025Big Bend National Park in Texas turns 81
Apr 23, 2022World Book Day
Jan 13, 2026Hen Galan
Oct 23, 2018Of moles and liquid nitrogen
Nov 18, 2024Porthcawl Lighthouse, Wales, UK
Dec 16, 2019Cape Town at dusk
Sep 26, 2019Kelp buddies
Aug 10, 2018Assembling the Smithsonian
Dec 2, 2021Denali National Park
May 21, 2021Whoopin it up!
Apr 1, 2022April Fools Day
May 5, 2024Happy Cinco de Mayo!
Feb 1, 2025Black History Month