A tourist on a boat in Laguna San Ignacio reaches into the water in the hope of petting one of many gray whales that frequent the bay to mate and care for their young. Once feared by fishermen, the unusually friendly animals are now a crucial part of the economy.
This photo was originally published in “Baja California’s Recipe for Saving Fishing Communities,” in September 2017.
On a farm in Kentucky, Emma Langley, 13, Camille McCay, 10, and “Emerald” Shean, 10, play on a break from a daylong mother-daughter retreat to help girls understand and appreciate their bodies as they change with the onset of puberty.
This photo was originally published in, “A Challenge for Girls Today: Moving Beyond ‘How Do I Look?’,” in January 2017.
In Seoul, e-stadiums and gaming parlors charge about a dollar an hour, and some venues are open around the clock. Soon after South Korea made super-high-speed Internet cheap and widely available, it became clear that some people were ruining their lives through obsessive game playing. The government now pays for treatment.
This photo was originally published in “How Science Is Unlocking the Secrets of Addiction,” in September 2017.
Mauli Dhan climbs a hundred feet up a bamboo rope ladder to his prize: a hive filled with neurotoxic honey. Smoke from smoldering grass disorients the bees, possibly reducing the number of stings Mauli will suffer. Before he grabs the support rope beside him, a misstep could be fatal.
This photo was originally published in “The Last Death-Defying Honey Hunter of Nepal,” in July 2017.
Learning to lie is a natural stage in child development. Kang Lee, a psychologist at the University of Toronto, has explored how children become more sophisticated liars as they age. Darshan Panesar, a research assistant, and nine-year-old Amelia Tong demonstrate functional near-infrared spectroscopy technology, which Lee uses in his studies.
This photo was originally published in “Why We Lie: The Science Behind Our Deceptive Ways,” in June 2017.
Nearly as tall as a giraffe and with the wingspan of an F-16 fighter, Quetzalcoatlus northropi was one of the largest flying animals of all time. This life-size model, being painted by Jim Burt at Blue Rhino Studio in Minneapolis, is bound for a cultural center in Kuwait.
This photo was originally published in “Why Pterosaurs Were the Weirdest Wonders on Wings,” in November 2017.
It’s feeding time for hungry orphans at the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary in northern Kenya. Established last year, the refuge is staffed by local Samburus, whose goal is to return their young charges to the wild.
This photo was originally published in “Warriors Who Once Feared Elephants Now Protect Them,” in May 2017.
In a shelter in Vrindavan, known as a “city of widows,” Lalita (at right) bears the cropped hair and white wrap her culture once considered obligatory for widowhood. Shelter manager Ranjana, a much younger widow, is less constrained by traditional customs.
This photo was originally published in “For Widows, Life After Loss,” in February 2017.
Aarti, nine, is vulnerable to sexual violence as she sells flowers alone on a rain-swept Delhi street. Despite the risk, millions of children around the world work to help support their families instead of attending school.
This photo was originally published in “For These Girls, Danger Is a Way of Life,” in January 2017.
Education is a cornerstone of Ismaili culture, especially for girls.
This photo was originally published in “This Remote Pakistani Village Is Nothing Like You’d Expect,” in April 2017.
Mark Landis, who says he was a failure as a commercial artist, spent nearly three decades imitating the works of famous painters, including this one in the style of folk artist William Matthew Prior. Posing as a philanthropist or Jesuit priest, he donated them to art museums and enjoyed being treated with respect. “I had never experienced this before, and I wanted it to go on,” he says. “I have no feelings of conscience about this. When I was exposed and had to stop, I was very sorry.”
This photo was originally published in “Why We Lie: The Science Behind Our Deceptive Ways,” in June 2017.
The DMZ Peace Train carries South Korean soldiers and tourists from Seoul to train terminals closest to the DMZ. Each cabin has a different theme—peace, love, and harmony—which were designed to inspire feelings of hope and reconciliation.
This photo was originally published in “Korea’s Heavily Armed Border Is Packed With Tourists,” in November 2017.
In the overcrowded Quezon City Jail, 2,072 of 3,036 inmates are imprisoned for drug-related offenses.
This photo was originally published in “In Philippine Drug War, Death Rituals Substitute for Justice,” in February 2017.
Ethiopian Orthodox pilgrims celebrate Easter atop the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. In a long dispute with Egyptian Copts, Ethiopian monks have occupied a rooftop monastery for more than 200 years to press their claim to a portion of the church.
This photo was originally published in “What Archaeology Is Telling Us About the Real Jesus,” in December 2017.
Had Dian Fossey not so fiercely protected the gorillas and their habitat, these apes, resting on the high-elevation slopes of Mount Karisimbi, probably wouldn’t exist today. But her methods earned her the enmity of many locals.
This photo was originally published in “The Gorillas Dian Fossey Saved Are Facing New Challenges,” in September 2017.
A crested black macaque hangs out beachside in a nature reserve on Sulawesi. In studying these intriguing monkeys, known locally as yaki, scientists are learning how their social structure illuminates human behavior.
This photo was originally published in “For These Monkeys, It’s a Fight for Survival,” in March 2017.
A curious young Weddell seal, weeks old, comes in for a close-up. It may have been the pups’ first swim, says marine biologist Pierre Chevaldonné, who has worked at Dumont d’Urville. Weddell seals are the most southerly breeding mammal in the world.
This photo was originally published in “Deepest Dive Ever Under Antarctica Reveals a Shockingly Vibrant World,” in July 2017.
“For a guy who is managed to the second and is always in suits and ties, being out in the middle of the ocean had to be a real treat,” says photographer Brian Skerry. He hopes this image of Barack Obama snorkeling will draw attention to ocean conservation efforts.
This photo was originally published in “Snorkeling With the President: How Our Photographer Got the Shot,” in February 2017.
A great white shark swims in the Isla Guadalupe Biosphere Reserve, 160 miles off Baja California. As one of two places in the world where these sharks congregate in clear water, it’s a magnet for adventurous dive tourists. Ecotourism in Baja brings hundreds of millions of dollars to Mexico.
This photo was originally published in “Baja California’s Recipe for Saving Fishing Communities,” September 2017.
Writer Mark Synnott scales a cliff in Uzbekistan’s Boysuntov Range. Within this limestone wall lies a winding underworld. So far, eight missions have explored Dark Star. No one knows how far the cave extends.
This photo was originally published in “Is This the Underground Everest?,” in March 2017.