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Received — 14 August 2026 ⏭ Best of The Atlantic

Photos of the Week: Mudflat Trot, Waterfall Jump, Pole Vault

✇Best of The Atlantic
By: Alan Taylor
14 August 2026 at 15:00
A wakeboarder holds onto a tow rope as they take a jump, kicking up a spray of water.
Lintao Zhang / Getty
Szabo Sopov Kristof of Hungary practices ahead of the 2026 IWWF World Cable Wakeboard & Wakeskate Championships at Shunyi Olympic Cable Park on August 9, 2026, in Beijing, China.
A baseball player slides headfirst into home plate, sending up a spray of dirt.
Nick Wass / AP
Washington Nationals’ Dylan Crews slides into home plate to score on a single by Daylen Lile during the sixth inning of a game against the Cincinnati Reds on August 8, 2026, in Washington, D.C.
Race horses run across a wet mudflat, pulling jockeys on small two-wheeled carts.
Focke Strangmann / AFP / Getty
Trotters compete at the first trotting race during the 90th Duhner Wattrennen horse race on the mudflats of the Elbe estuary during low tide in Cuxhaven-Duhnen, Germany, on August 9, 2026.
Horses flee ahead of approaching flames on dry-looking moorland.
Huw Fairclough / Getty
Horses flee ahead of approaching flames as firefighters battle wildfires on Llangynidr Moor on August 9, 2026, in Ebbw Vale, Wales.
A person observes a wildfire burning across a hill slope at night.
Dipta Wahyu / Reuters
A person observes a wildfire burning across a hill slope in Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park in Probolinggo, East Java province, Indonesia, on August 9, 2026.
A driver plunges head-down toward an unseen pool, in front of a multi-channeled cliffside waterfall.
Amel Emric / Reuters
A competitor takes part in the annual International Waterfall Jumping Competition held at Pliva Waterfall in the old town of Jajce, Bosnia and Herzegovina, on August 8, 2026.
Two people carry belongings through belly-deep floodwater.
Eloisa Lopez / Reuters
People carry their belongings through an inundated village amid southwest monsoon rains in Bagong Silangan, Quezon City, Philippines, on August 10, 2026.
A person works to clear floating garbage, only their head visible among a sea of debris.
Aaron Favila / AP
A worker uses improvised floats while trying to clear a sea of garbage and debris brought by intense monsoon rains at the Redemptorist Water Channel in Parañaque city, Metro Manila, Philippines, on August 11, 2026.
A top-down aerial view of residents and rescue workers searching through rubble after an earthquake
Santiago Saldarriaga / AP
Residents and rescue workers search through the rubble after an earthquake struck Cali, Colombia, on August 10, 2026. Rescue teams are still working to find more survivors, as time grows short. More than 270 deaths have been confirmed following Monday’s 7.4-magnitude earthquake.
A search-and-rescue dog stands, leaning against its handler, looking up and asking for affection.
Raquel Cunha / Reuters
Tamy, a search-and-rescue dog, asks its handler, Colombian Naval Infantry Castro Moreno Efren, for affection during rescue operations following an earthquake in Cali, Colombia, on August 12, 2026.
One of the towers of a cathedral sits at an angle, partially-collapsed after an earthquake.
Dario Cardona / AP
One of the towers of Manizales Cathedral sits at an angle, partially collapsed after an earthquake struck Manizales, Colombia, on August 10, 2026.
Performers pose, forming a human tower on a hill above Edinburgh.
Jeff J Mitchell / Getty
Performers of Circa: Wolf, which is being staged at Underbelly Circus Hub on the Meadows, hold a photo-call on Calton Hill on August 10, 2026, in Edinburgh, Scotland, part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The yellow towers in the background are wind-turbine foundations for a planned offshore wind farm.
People stand in long rows along curved terraces on a hillside, watching a concert below at night.
VCG / Getty
Tourists watch a concert held in a terraced field in Shexiang ancient town on August 7, 2026, in Bijie City, Guizhou province, China.
An aerial photo shows a forest fire burning at night.
Jason Tschepljakow / DPA / Getty
An aerial photo shows a forest fire burning near Lake Garda in Tignale, Italy, on August 6, 2026.
A long-exposure photo of wildfires burning across a mountainous area at night
Noah Berger / AP
Captured in a long exposure, the Bug Fire burns near Doyle in unincorporated Lassen County, California, on August 13, 2026.
A couple shares a kiss, seen in silhouette, with a partially-eclipsed sun in the background.
Ebrahim Noroozi / AP
A couple shares a kiss during a partial solar eclipse in Berlin, Germany, on August 12, 2026.
A total solar eclipse is seen above sunflowers.
Leon Neal / Getty
A total solar eclipse is pictured above sunflowers in Palencia, Spain, on August 12, 2026.
A large cat, seen against a black background in a studio portrait
Shirlaine Forrest / WireImage / Getty
Westlake’s Logan-Blackstock, a red Maine Coon cat, in a studio portrait during the GCCF Chester Championship Cat Show in Chester, England, on August 8, 2026
A man stares into the camera while wearing costume pig's ears and a false pig nose.
Valentine Chapuis / AFP / Getty
Noel Jamet, a 10-time champion in the French pig-squealing championship, looks on during the 43rd edition of the Festival of the Pig in Trie-sur-Baïse, France, on August 9, 2026.
A festival-goer, dressed as a demonic Krampus character
Moritz Frankenberg / DPA / Getty
Festivalgoers in costume walk across the grounds of the M’era Luna Festival in Hildesheim, Germany, on August 6, 2026.
A man wearing a full-head garbage-can mask is interviewed as a candidate before an election.
Kirsty Wigglesworth / AP
Count Binface is interviewed at a studio in London ahead of the Clacton by-election in London, England. Count Binface’s main opponent in the parliamentary by-election is Nigel Farage, current leader of the Reform U.K. Party.
A man decorates an idol of the Hindu deity Ganesha in a workshop.
Noah Seelam / AFP / Getty
An artist decorates an idol of the Hindu deity Ganesha in a workshop in Hyderabad on August 10, 2026, ahead of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival.
A small lizard feeds on the bloom of a purple heart plant.
Eric Gay / AP
A lizard feeds on the bloom of a purple heart plant in San Antonio on August 8, 2026.
Three storks stand on concrete pillars in an unfinished building site, seen in silhouette against a sunset.
Nenad Mihajlovic / AFP / Getty
This photograph shows white storks in their nests atop concrete pillars in an unfinished building on the outskirts of Novi Sad, Serbia, on August 8, 2026. The site is considered to be the largest urban colony of white storks in the Balkans and the second-largest white-stork colony in Europe, according to Serbia’s Bird Protection and Study Society.
A Ukrainian serviceman prepares a fixed-wing strike drone for launch.
Dan Bashakov / AP
A Ukrainian serviceman prepares a “Chaklun” strike drone used for deep-strike operations against Russian positions in Crimea, in an undisclosed location in Ukraine on August 6, 2026.
A track athlete falls through the air after missing a pole vault attempt.
Matthias Schrader / AP
France’s Makenson Gletty fails an attempt in the decathlon pole vault at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, England, on August 13, 2026.
A long-lens view of thousands of runners descending a hill on a road during a mass-start of a fun run.
David Gray / AFP / Getty
Participants run at the start of the annual City2Surf fun run in central Sydney, Australia, on August 9, 2026.
A surfer rides inside the barrel of a large wave.
Hannah Anderson / World Surf League / Getty
Jack Robinson of Australia surfs in Heat 7 of Round Three at the Outerknown Tahiti Pro on August 12, 2026, at Teahupoʻo, Tahiti, French Polynesia.

© Lintao Zhang / Getty

Szabo Sopov Kristof of Hungary practices ahead of the 2026 IWWF World Cable Wakeboard & Wakeskate Championships at Shunyi Olympic Cable Park on August 9, 2026, in Beijing, China.
Received — 13 August 2026 ⏭ Best of The Atlantic

Ocean Photographer of the Year 2026 Finalists

✇Best of The Atlantic
By: Alan Taylor
13 August 2026 at 09:01
A freediver is surrounded by a vast school of sardines, seen from below.
© Benjamín Yávar / Ocean Photographer of the Year
Finalist, Ocean Adventure. A free diver is surrounded by a school of sardines, which part to form a halo as they move around her.
An aerial view of waves crashing on a beach, with clear green water behind them.
© Daniela Tommasi / Ocean Photographer of the Year
Finalist, Ocean Adventure. “Two surfers walk towards a favorite surf break on the Western Australian coast. Waves and rip currents create intricate, lace-like patterns in the water.”
A black-and-white image of an adult seahorse beside two much-smaller ones.
© Julien Anton / Ocean Photographer of the Year
Finalist, Wildlife. “An adult seahorse pictured with newly born juveniles in the shallow seaweed-filled waters of Moorea, French Polynesia. While it is not known if these seahorses are related, their arrangement creates the impression of a farewell, as if the tiny seahorses have gathered around their father after he has released them into the world.“
A small crab protects its clutch of eggs.
© Andrea Michelutti / Ocean Photographer of the Year
Finalist, Ocean Unseen: Hidden Worlds. “A harlequin crab rests at the entrance of a tubular sponge, carefully tending her cluster of orange eggs. By positioning herself in the current, she helps aerate and protect the developing embryos while keeping them close beneath her claws.”
A pod of dolphins swims, seen underwater.
© Marko Dimitrijevic / Ocean Photographer of the Year
Finalist, Fine Art. “A superpod of spinner dolphins swims through deep water 20 miles off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. While spinner dolphins are often seen in small groups, they can also gather in schools of hundreds of animals.”
Many floating buildings, surrounded by rafts supporting fish cages
© Qingsheng Sun / Ocean Photographer of the Year
Finalist, Human Connection. “Thousands of fish-farming cages stretch across the sea, connected by floating walkways and small wooden huts to form a vast floating community. Extending for kilometers, this carefully organised aquaculture network supports local livelihoods while transforming the coastal landscape.”
A translucent shrimp shelters inside a larger marine creature.
© Maryline Renault / Ocean Photographer of the Year
Finalist, Ocean Unseen: Hidden Worlds. “A translucent shrimp glows within the folds of a green tunicate in the volcanic waters of Tulamben, Indonesia. These small marine animals create shelter for tiny creatures living in the muck diving habitats often overlooked by divers.”
A dramatic view of a large crashing wave
© Ben Thouard / Ocean Photographer of the Year
Finalist, Fine Art. “A powerful wave breaks off the coast of Tahiti, its lip shaped by offshore winds as sunlight turns the spray into a glowing veil. Shot from a jet ski using a long telephoto lens, a moment of ocean chaos is transformed into a carefully balanced landscape, reminiscent of the famous print ‘The Great Wave off Kanagawa’ by Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai.”
A small shrimp hides among the vertical spines of a sea urchin.
© Ajiex Dharma / Ocean Photographer of the Year
Finalist, Ocean Unseen: Hidden Worlds. “A tiny urchin shrimp hides among the venomous spines of a sea urchin. The shrimp has adapted to align itself vertically, mimicking the shape and orientation of the sea urchin’s spines. This remarkable camouflage allows the shrimp to live safely within its host, gaining protection while leaving the urchin unharmed.”
The eye of an octopus, seen through netting in a lobster trap
© Eduardo Santana de Vega / Ocean Photographer of the Year
Finalist, Conservation Impact. “An octopus peers from inside a lobster pot off the coast of southwest England. While the scene initially suggests an animal trapped, the reality is quite different. Octopuses often enter pots to feed on the crabs and lobsters inside before escaping again. Their recent population boom, linked to warming seas, is reshaping local ecosystems and fisheries.”
A freediver descends deep underwater into a sinkhole.
© Daan Verhoeven / Ocean Photographer of the Year
Finalist, Ocean Adventure. “Freediver Arnaud Jerald descends into Dean’s Blue Hole in the Bahamas during a successful world record attempt at the Vertical Blue competition. Photographed from more than 30 meters below, the image captures the scale of one of the world’s deepest marine sinkholes.”
A large red fish eats a smaller fish that is seen inside its open mouth.
© Andrea Michelutti / Ocean Photographer of the Year
Finalist, Wildlife. “A scorpionfish consumes a lizardfish in a moment of hunting behavior, revealing the constant balance between survival and vulnerability on coral reefs.”
A pair of surfers float at the front of a wave as several dolphins leap from the surf around them.
© Gergo Rugli / Ocean Photographer of the Year
Finalist, Ocean Adventure. “Dolphins ride the waves alongside surfers at Tamarama Beach, Sydney, during a powerful swell and offshore winds. The pod stayed with the surfers for more than an hour, moving through the lineup as naturally as the people around them.”
A stream of eggs flows away from a tube work on a coral outcrop.
© Lale Alev Ozten Low / Ocean Photographer of the Year
Finalist, Ocean Unseen: Hidden Worlds. “During a coral spawning night dive, a Christmas tree worm releases a stream of tiny eggs from the coral surface where it lives. Christmas tree worms are tube-dwelling marine worms that use colorful feeding crowns to capture plankton from the water.”
A sea dragon swims past aquatic plants.
© Talia Greis / Ocean Photographer of the Year
Finalist, Wildlife. “A juvenile weedy seadragon drifts among seagrass beneath Flinders Pier, Victoria, Australia. Unlike adults, young seadragons have darker coloring that helps them disappear among the vegetation. This individual was missing the appendages on its snout, a feature some seadragons lose over their lifetime.”
A striped fish with baby fish in its mouth
© Suliman Alatiqi / Ocean Photographer of the Year
Finalist, Ocean Unseen: Hidden Worlds. “A male Banggai cardinalfish shelters newly hatched juveniles inside his mouth, continuing the parental care that follows a three-week incubation period. After hatching, the male may brood the young for another 10 days without feeding, protecting them from predators until they become more independent.”
A motion-blurred image of a surfer riding a wave, seen from below
© Ben Thouard / Ocean Photographer of the Year
Finalist, Ocean Adventure. “A surfer races through the barrel of Teahupoʻo, French Polynesia, photographed from beneath the wave using a slow shutter speed. Rather than freezing the action, the technique blurs the rushing water while keeping the surfer as the focal point, conveying the incredible speed inside the wave.”
A diver swims near a huge sunfish.
© Anita Verde / Ocean Photographer of the Year
Finalist, Human Connection: “A giant oceanic sunfish glides through the clear waters of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula. Encountered during the final hour of a 2025 sardine run expedition, the unusually pale fish approaches the freedivers on its own, while soft sunlight gives it a moon-like glow.”

To see all of the finalists, be sure to visit Oceanographic Magazine’s full gallery. Winners will be announced in September.

© © Benjamín Yávar / Ocean Photographer of the Year

Finalist, Ocean Adventure. A free diver is surrounded by a school of sardines, which part to form a halo as they move around her.

Photos: The Total Solar Eclipse of 2026

✇Best of The Atlantic
By: Alan Taylor
12 August 2026 at 21:48
A total solar eclipse, seen in the sky above a large cutout sign depicting a bull
Ander Gillenea / AFP / Getty
The sun’s corona glows as the moon completely blocks the sun during the totality phase of the total solar eclipse, as seen from San Asensio, La Rioja region, Spain, on August 12, 2026.
A person sits on a hillside, beneath an umbrella, with some equipment.
Bernat Armangue / AP
Mario Garrido, a member of the “Los Taraos” amateur astrophotography group, waits to shoot a total solar eclipse, in Berlanga de Duero, Spain, on August 12, 2026.
Many people sit on a hill in a park, under a sunny sky.
Felix Hörhager / DPA / Getty
People watch a partial solar eclipse on Olympiaberg, in Munich’s Olympiapark, on August 12, 2026.
A partially-blocked sun, seen during an eclipse
Thomas Coex / AFP / Getty
The moon partially covers the sun during the early stages of the total solar eclipse, as seen from La Zurriola beach, in San Sebastian, on August 12, 2026.
Passengers on board a cruise ship look up into the sky with eclipse glasses on, with icebergs in the background.
Owen Humphreys / PA Images / Reuters
Passengers on board the Ambassador cruise ship Ambition watch the start of the total solar eclipse off the coast of Greenland on August 12, 2026.
A view of a total eclipse, the sun completely covered by the moon, with bright, white rays from the corona radiating out into space
Owen Humphreys / PA Images / Getty
A view of the total eclipse, as the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, as seen from on board the Ambassador cruise ship Ambition
A famous church tower in Iceland, seen under a dark, cloudy sky
Denis Balibouse / Reuters
Under cloud cover, the total solar eclipse darkens the city in Reykjavík, Iceland, on August 12, 2026.
People stand on a hilltop, with a partial eclipse in the background.
Christian Hartmann / Reuters
Scientists and astronomy enthusiasts observe a total solar eclipse before totality, at the Galactica Centre, near the Javalambre Astrophysical Observatory in Arcos de las Salinas, near Teruel, Spain, on August 12, 2026.
People wear special protective glasses to observe a partial solar eclipse at the top of a church bell tower.
Suzanne Plunkett / Reuters
People wear special protective glasses to observe a partial solar eclipse at the top of St Mary’s Church bell tower in Rickmansworth, England, on August 12, 2026.
A young person wears special eclipse glasses decorated with 'K-Pop Demon Hunters' characters.
Alberto Saiz / AP
A beachgoer wearing special eclipse glasses looks up during the beginning phase of the solar eclipse at Puerto de Sagunto beach, near Valencia, Spain, on August 12, 2026.
The sun, almost completely obscured by the moon.
Owen Humphreys / PA Images / Getty
A view of the total eclipse, as seen from on board the Ambassador cruise ship, off the coast of Greenland.
People watch a partial eclipse.
Fabrizio Bensch / Reuters
The moon partially covers the sun, as seen from Berlin, Germany, on August 12, 2026.
People with eclipse glasses gather in a field.
Brook Mitchell / Getty
People gather on Parliament Hill to view the partial solar eclipse on August 12, 2026, in London, England.
People stand on a ridge, backdropped by a total solar eclipse.
Christian Hartmann / Reuters
The moon completely covers the sun during a total solar eclipse, as seen from the Javalambre Astrophysical Observatory, in Arcos de las Salinas, Spain.
A bird flies past the Palace of Westminster as a near total solar eclipse takes place in the distance.
Toby Shepheard / AFP / Getty
A bird flies past the Palace of Westminster as a near total solar eclipse, with more than 90 percent of the sun blocked by the moon, is pictured in the background on August 12, 2026.
The Sun’s corona glows as the moon completely blocks the sun.
Oscar Del Pozo / AFP / Getty
The sun’s corona glows as the moon completely blocks the sun, viewed from Berlanga de Duero, Spain, on August 12, 2026.
A partial eclipse, seen beyond spectators in a stadium
Ben Stansall / AFP / Getty
Members of the public watch the solar eclipse during the European Athletics Championships at Alexander Stadium, in Birmingham, England, on August 12, 2026.
A dog is held with eclipse glasses over her eyes.
Aaron Chown / PA Images / Getty
Molly the dog is held with eclipse glasses over her eyes during the solar eclipse at King’s Stairs Gardens, in Bermondsey, London.
People look at a total eclipse, seen behind light clouds, near the horizon.
Jaime Reina / AFP / Getty
The sun’s corona glows as the moon passes in front of it during the totality phase of the solar eclipse, as seen from Arenal beach in Llucmajor, on the Balearic island of Mallorca, on August 12, 2026.
Two people wear welding helmets to watch a solar eclipse in a stadium.
Niall Carson / PA Images / Getty
Stewards wear welding helmets to watch the solar eclipse ahead of a preseason match at Croke Park, Dublin.
People watch a partial solar eclipse at sunset.
Darrin Zammit Lupi / Reuters
People watch a partial solar eclipse at sunset in Dingli, Malta, on August 12, 2026.

© Ander Gillenea / AFP / Getty

The sun’s corona glows as the moon completely blocks the sun during the totality phase of the total solar eclipse, as seen from San Asensio, La Rioja region, Spain, on August 12, 2026.
Received — 10 August 2026 ⏭ Best of The Atlantic

Photos: European Rivers Fall to Record Lows

✇Best of The Atlantic
By: Alan Taylor
10 August 2026 at 18:30
A small historic toll castle sits in the middle of a river, which is at very low level during a drought.
Michael Probst / AP
The Pfalzgrafenstein toll castle sits in the middle of the Rhine River, seen at a very low water level, in Kaub, Germany, on August 10, 2026.
A marina with grounded houseboats, surrounded by exposed riverbed
Fadel Dawod / Getty
A marina is seen surrounded by exposed riverbed as water levels remain low along the Waal River in Nijmegen, Netherlands, on August 8, 2026. The Netherlands is facing an ongoing drought and water shortage as exceptionally low river flows continue across the country. The low water levels are affecting inland shipping—vessels are forced to reduce their loads as navigable depths decrease.
A drone view shows people swimming near a sunken WW2-era German warship in a low river.
Djordje Kojadinovic / Reuters
A drone view shows people swimming near a sunken German warship from World War II, exposed due to low water levels in the Danube River, in Prahovo, Serbia, on July 30, 2026.
People walk across sandbars exposed by the low water level in a riverbed.
Nenad Mihajlovic / AFP / Getty
People walk across sandbars exposed by the low water level of the Danube River near Apatin, Serbia, on August 4, 2026.
An aerial view of a dried-out lake bed, with boats and floating docks resting on mud
Fabrice Coffrini / AFP / Getty
This aerial photograph shows the parched bed of Brenets Lake (Lac des Brenets), part of the Doubs River, a natural border between eastern France and western Switzerland, on July 28, 2026. The river has dried up due to a combination of factors, including geological fissures that drain water underground, below-average rainfall, and repeated heat waves.
A view of the Cologne Cathedral, seen from a dry riverbed nearby
Oliver Berg / DPA / Getty
An inland waterway vessel sails past the cathedral on the Rhine in Cologne, Germany, at low water levels, on July 31, 2026.
A drone view of a river cruise boat sitting still in the middle of a calm river
Marton Monus / Reuters
A drone view of a cruise ship that became stranded due to the low water level of the Danube River near Gönyű, Hungary, on August 1, 2026.
A 6-foot-tall water-level marker stands above the low water of a river.
Mike Kemp / In Pictures / Getty
A water-level marker sits above the low water on the River Redlake in Bucknell, England, on July 24, 2026.
An aerial photo shows boats in a marina left stranded on a dry riverbed.
Andrej Isakovic / AFP / Getty
This aerial photo shows boats in a marina left stranded on the riverbed by the low water level of the Danube River in Novi Sad, Serbia, on August 7, 2026.
Visitors gather on an exposed section of riverbed during a heatwave in Budapest.
Akos Stiller / Bloomberg / Getty
Visitors gather on an exposed section of riverbed on the Danube River during a heat wave in Budapest, Hungary, on August 8, 2026.
A drone view shows a river running low under a road bridge.
Remo Casilli / Reuters
A drone view shows the Po River running low under Gerola Bridge as drought conditions threaten nearby rice fields, in Mezzana Bigli, Italy, on August 6, 2026
A man splashes water on a horse to cool it off in shallow water next to a riverbank.
Andreea Alexandru / AP
A man splashes water on a horse to cool it off next to a riverbank of the Danube River, as usually submerged areas are exposed due to extreme low water levels in Roseti, Romania, on July 29, 2026.
People walk along the exposed bottom of a drying mountain lake.
Christian Bruna / Getty
People walk along the exposed lake bottom of the severely shrunk Nussensee mountain lake during ongoing drought and hot weather on August 2, 2026, near Bad Ischl, Austria.
People walk on a beach on the south bank of Thames River in central London.
Dominika Zarzycka / SOPA Images / LightRocket / Getty
People walk on an unusually wide beach on the south bank of Thames River in central London on August 7, 2026.
A cyclist rides across a dry riverbed.
Robert Nemeti / Anadolu / Getty
A cyclist rides along the dry riverbed of the Danube near the Paks Nuclear Power Plant on August 9, 2026. The plant is currently operating with only one of its four reactors at minimum output, an unprecedented situation in its nearly 40-year history, as historically low Danube water levels have constrained the plant’s cooling capacity.
A man stands on the remains of an old World War II-era ship embedded in the exposed riverbed of the Danube.
Robert Nemeti / Anadolu via Getty / Anadolu
A person explores the exposed riverbed of the Danube, after low water levels revealed the remains of an old World War II–era ship from the riverbed in Baja, Hungary, on August 8, 2026.
A dried-out sunflower field
Andrej Isakovic / AFP / Getty
This photo shows a dried-out sunflower field near the village of Kovilj, Serbia, near the Danube River, on August 6, 2026, during a prolonged heat wave.
A river at low water levels, seen beneath a castle in Germany.
Boris Roessler / DPA / Getty
Extremely low water levels on the Rhine expose the riverbed near Bacharach, Germany, behind Stahleck Castle, on August 10, 2026.

© Michael Probst / AP

The Pfalzgrafenstein toll castle sits in the middle of the Rhine River, seen at a very low water level, in Kaub, Germany, on August 10, 2026.
Received — 7 August 2026 ⏭ Best of The Atlantic

Photos of the Week: Fuego Volcano, Underwater Explosion, Pig Diver

✇Best of The Atlantic
By: Alan Taylor
7 August 2026 at 15:00
A girl rides a horse in the water, seen both above and under the water.
Antonio Bronić / Reuters
Lara Grbac rides a horse named Perlaz in the water during a heat wave in Supetar, on the island of Brac, Croatia, on August 5, 2026.
A boy floats in water, with a tall skyscraper visible in the distance.
Dmitri Lovetsky / AP
A boy floats in the waters of the Gulf of Finland in St. Petersburg, Russia, on August 5, 2026, as the 462-meter-tall Lakhta Center is visible in the background.
A drone view shows a church surrounded by parched grassland.
Toby Melville / Reuters
A drone view shows All Saints’ Church surrounded by parched grassland at Blackheath Common, London, following a prolonged period of extremely dry weather, on August 1, 2026.
A herd of cows walks across a field of dry grass, seen from above.
Dan Kitwood / Getty
A young dairy herd walks across a field of dry grass on August 4, 2026, in Ashford, England. According to the the National Drought Group, eight areas across southern, central, and eastern England are verging on drought conditions.
People walk on a sandbar in the middle of the Danube River in Budapest.
Bela Szandelszky / AP
People walk on a sandbar underneath the Danube’s Margareth Bridge in downtown Budapest on August 5, 2026, following the water level’s drop to never-before-seen lows.
A spray of water rises from a river following an underwater explosion.
Andreea Alexandru / AP
The Romanian navy detonates underwater explosives during a controlled demolition of submerged rocks to improve water flow to the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant amid exceptionally low water levels on the Danube River, in Izvoarele, Romania, on August 3, 2026.
Smoke rises from a burning passenger ferry.
Frida Perkasa / AFP / Getty
The passenger ship Mutiara Sentosa 2 burns in waters off Madura Island, East Java, Indonesia, on August 2, 2026. Five people were found dead, 28 were missing, and 225 others were rescued after the ferry caught fire while at sea on August 2, search-and-rescue officials said.
Lava and ash erupt out of the crater of a volcano, seen from a nearby village at night.
Moises Castillo / AP
Lava and ash erupt out of the crater of the Fuego Volcano, as seen from San Juan Alotenango, Guatemala, on August 4, 2026.
People watch fireworks explode above tall ships.
Henning Bagger / Ritzau Scanpix / Reuters
People gather during closing fireworks at the Tall Ships Races 2026 in Aalborg, Denmark, on August 1, 2026.
Guests create a human arch for a couple as they enter an inflatable chapel.
Mouneb Taim / AP
Guests create a human arch for a couple as they enter an inflatable chapel during a mass-wedding ceremony in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on August 6, 2026, as part of Pride events celebrating 25 years since the Netherlands became the first country to legalize same-sex marriage.
Four acrobats hang onto each other, supported by a fifth who stands in a street, as all raise their arms, posing.
Jeff J Mitchell / Getty
The Black Blues Brothers pose during a photo call for Let’s Twist Again! in front of the Scottish National Gallery on August 4, 2026, in Edinburgh. The Black Blues Brothers features five Kenyan acrobats performing a range of physical stunts set to a rock-and-roll soundtrack.
A model wearing a large floral arrangement on their head walks on a runway.
Matt Jelonek / Getty
A model walks the runway during the OpéraSport Spring/Summer 2027 show at Copenhagen Fashion Week on August 3, 2026, in Copenhagen.
A deer, licking its lips, pops its head out of a wheat field.
Jens Büttner / DPA / Getty
A roebuck peeks out of a wheat field in the morning while searching for food on August 6, 2026, in Mühlen-Eichsen, Germany.
A swimmer performs during a competition, seen through a small hole in a splash of water.
Gonzalo Fuentes / Reuters
Italy’s Filippo Pelati and Lucrezia Ruggiero perform during a mixed duet artistic-swimming final at the European Aquatics Championships in Paris on August 2, 2026.
A boy cools down in a fountain, surrounded by jets of water.
Kim Hong-Ji / Reuters
A boy cools down in a fountain during a heat-wave warning in Seoul on August 3, 2026.
A person sits cross-legged on an e-foil board, riding down a river in Paris.
Simon Wohlfahrt / AFP / Getty
Nicolas Percocet, an e-foil instructor and a co-founder of Foil in Paris, rides on the Seine in Paris on August 2, 2026.
A high diver falls under a cloud-filled sky, with the Eiffel Tower seen in the background.
Aurelien Morissard / AP
A diver takes part in a high-dive practice session, with the Eiffel Tower in the background, at the European Aquatics Championships in Paris, on August 5, 2026.
Two divers, seen just below the surface of a pool, surrounded by bubbles after a dive
Sebastien Bozon / AFP / Getty
Italy’s divers Matteo Santoro and Chiara Pellacani compete in the mixed three-meter synchro-diving final event during the LEN European Aquatics Championships in Saint-Denis, France, on August 2, 2026.
A pig leaps from a water slide into a pond.
Zhang Chi / VCG / Getty
A pig leaps into a pond at Jinbao Amusement Park on August 1, 2026, in Weifang, Shandong province, China.
An aerial view of villagers wearing headlamps as they row small boats, harvesting aquatic plants
Xue Jinlong / VCG / Getty
Villagers wear headlamps as they row small boats to harvest water caltrops on August 3, 2026, in Taizhou, Jiangsu province, China.
Dozens of surfers form a circle just offshore, during a tribute ceremony.
Maxwell Briceno / AFP / Getty
Surfers take part in a paddle-out ceremony organized by the Venezuelan Surfing Federation in tribute to members of the surfing community who died in the June 24 earthquake, in La Guaira, on August 1, 2026.
Hundreds of people sit and stand on paddle boards, crowded together on a river in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Dmitri Lovetsky / AP
People ride their stand-up paddle boards along the Moyka River at the annual costumed Fontanka SUP-boards festival in St. Petersburg, Russia, on August 1, 2026.
A night view of a crowded Tokyo skyline
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / AFP / Getty
Buildings and apartments in the evening in Tokyo on August 1, 2026
The sun sets over Gaza, with many damaged or destroyed buildings visible.
Amir Cohen / Reuters
The sun sets over Gaza, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, on August 2, 2026.
Huge flames rise from burning trees during a wildfire.
Stelios Misinas / Reuters
Trees burn during a wildfire near Agia Paraskevi, Greece, on August 2, 2026.
A melted backboard stands in a neighborhood after a wildfire passed through.
Lindsey Wasson / AP
A melted backboard stands in a neighborhood after a wildfire hit the northern part of Spokane, Washington, on August 3, 2026.
Two cyclists collide and fall on a steep indoor track during a race.
Matthew Childs / Reuters
Northern Ireland’s Matti Dobbins and Trinidad and Tobago’s Jadian Neaves crash during the men’s 10-kilometer scratch-race final at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, on August 1, 2026.
A motion-blurred image of a stadium surrounding a single racing cyclist at center.
Adam Pretty / Getty
Marshall Erwood of Team New Zealand competes during the men’s 4,000-meter individual pursuit, qualifying in the track cycling on Day 8 of the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on July 31, 2026.

© Antonio Bronić / Reuters

Lara Grbac rides a horse named Perlaz in the water during a heat wave in Supetar, on the island of Brac, Croatia, on August 5, 2026.
Received — 5 August 2026 ⏭ Best of The Atlantic

Photos: Paws on Boards

✇Best of The Atlantic
By: Alan Taylor
5 August 2026 at 19:15
A dog barks as it is pushed through breakers on a surfboard.
Eakin Howard / AP
Charlie Surfs Up barks as he is pushed through the breakers in the second heat of very large dogs during the World Dog Surfing Championships in Pacifica, California, on August 3, 2024.
A crowd gathers on a beach to watch a dog-surfing competition.
Paul Kuroda / ZUMA Press Wire / Reuters
People gather to watch the World Dog Surfing Championship on August, 1, 2026, in Pacifica, California.
A dog, wearing goggles and a life-preserver vest, rides a surfboard on a crashing wave.
K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune / Getty
Faith, a pit bull, owned by James Wall, surfs in the medium-size division during the 20th Annual Helen Woodward Animal Center Surf Dog Surf-A-Thon on September 7, 2025, in Del Mar, California.
A dog, wearing sunglasss, falls from a surfboard in a wave.
Frederic J. Brown / AFP / Getty
Rusty wipes out during the annual Surf City Surf Dog event in Huntington Beach, California, on September 25, 2021.
A dog pulls his surfboard away from the surf.
Richard Vogel / AP
A Labrador retriever, Charlie, pulls his surfboard after competing in the annual Incredible Dog Challenge at the Western Regional Surfing Competition in Huntington Beach, California, on June 20, 2025.
A dog rides down a cresting wave on a surfboard.
Ringo H.W. Chiu / AP
Sugar the Surfing Dog competes in the annual Surf City Surf Dog event in Huntington Beach, California, on September 25, 2021.
A dog stands, riding on a surfboard, ahead of incoming waves.
K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune / Getty
Bailey, a Dalmatian, surfs in the large-dog division of the 20th Annual Helen Woodward Animal Center Surf Dog Surf-A-Thon on September 7, 2025, in Del Mar, California.
A small dog leaps from a surfboard in a small crashing wave.
K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune / Getty
Rocket, a French bulldog, leaps from a board during the Helen Woodward Animal Center Surf Dog Surf-A-Thon on September 7, 2025.
A dog with heart-shaped sunglasses and a lifeguard scarf
Matthew Huang / Icon Sportswire / Getty
A dog with a lifeguard scarf looks on before the World Dog Surfing Championships at Linda Mar Beach in Pacifica, California, on August 2, 2025.
A dog wearing a life-preserver jacket and goggles with cartoon eyes painted on them rides a surfboard on a wave.
Godofredo A. Vásquez / AFP / Getty
Rusty competes in the World Dog Surfing Championships in Pacifica on August 1, 2026.
Water droplets fly through the air from a dog's wagging tail during a surfing competition.
Eakin Howard / AP
Joey whips water from his tail as he jumps off his board after catching a wave at the World Dog Surfing Championships on August 2, 2025, in Pacifica.
Half a dozen Chihuahuas and a beagle ride on a large surfboard.
Patrick T. Fallon / AFP / Getty
The Bing Bang Family of surfing Chihuahua dogs and a beagle surf a wave during the Helen Woodward Animal Center Surf Dog Surf-A-Thon in Del Mar, on September 7, 2025.
A man carries a small dog on his shoulder while wading through a crashing wave.
Eakin Howard / AP
David Fasoli carries Iza, a French bulldog, through the breakers during the World Dog Surfing Championships in Pacifica on August 2, 2025.
A dog barks while riding on a wave on a surfboard.
Paul Kuroda / ZUMA Press Wire / Reuters
A competitor barks during the World Dog Surfing Champions on August, 1, 2026, in Pacifica.
Two dogs ride surfboards side-by-side on a small wave.
Godofredo A. Vásquez / AFP / Getty
Stella (right) and Moxy compete in the World Dog Surfing Championships in Pacifica on August 1, 2026.
A dog rides a surfboard out of a crashing wave with a very focused look on its face.
Mindy Schauer / Orange County Register / MediaNews Group / Getty
Skylar stays focused while riding a wave during the Surf City Surf Dog competition in Huntington Beach, California, on September 25, 2021.
A dog lies down on a surfboard, riding a gentle wave, eyes closed.
Daniel Knighton / Getty
A competitor rides casually during the Helen Woodward Animal Center’s 18th Annual Surf Dog Surf-A-Thon at Del Mar Dog Beach on September 10, 2023.
A person and their dog share a kiss on a surfboard on calm water.
Andrew Matthews / PA Images / Reuters
Marina White practices with her dog Coco before the Dog Masters 2022 UK Dog Surfing Championships at Branksome Dene Chine beach in Poole, Dorset, England.

© Eakin Howard / AP

Charlie Surfs Up barks as he is pushed through the breakers in the second heat of very large dogs during the World Dog Surfing Championships in Pacifica, California, on August 3, 2024.
Received — 3 August 2026 ⏭ Best of The Atlantic

Photos: Wildfires Burn Through Spokane Neighborhoods

✇Best of The Atlantic
By: Alan Taylor
3 August 2026 at 19:37
People watch from a bluff above a river as massive plumes of smoke rise from a wildfire.
Tyler Vanwert / Reuters
People watch as massive plumes of smoke rise from a wildfire in Spokane, Washington, on August 1, 2026, in this screengrab obtained from a social-media video.
An elevated view of a neighborhood, seen under heavy wildfire smoke
David Ryder / Reuters
Wildfire smoke hangs in the sky above Spokane, Washington, as the Old Trails Fire burns nearby on August 3, 2026.
A charred vehicle lies on the side of a road after a fire.
David Ryder / Reuters
A charred vehicle lies on the side of a road in Spokane on August 2, 2026.
A person watches as a wildfire burns near a sports field.
Young Kwak / AP
Andrew Rowley watches the Old Trails Fire burning near the Dwight Merkel Sports Complex in Spokane on August 1, 2026.
Large smoke plumes rise from a wildfire seen on a distant bluff.
Tyler Vanwert / Reuters
Smoke rises from one of several wildfires in the Spokane area on August 1, 2026.
A burned motorcycle sits in the ashes of a burned-out home.
Erick Doxey / AFP / Getty
A burned motorcycle sits in the ashes of a burned-out house in the Balboa neighborhood on August 2, 2026.
A husband and wife stand together outside a burned house.
Young Kwak / AP
Dan Munson and his wife, Suzi Munson, stand in the backyard of their burned house on West Tiffany Avenue, on August 2, 2026.
A street sign, showing two street names, Sutherlin and Timothy Place. The lower sign is badly scorched.
David Ryder / Reuters
A damaged street sign remains in a neighborhood affected by one of the wildfires on August 2, 2026.
Melted siding lies outside a property damaged by a wildfire.
David Ryder / Reuters
Melted siding lies outside a property damaged by a wildfire in Spokane on August 2, 2026.
A woman stands in front of the rubble of a burned house.
David Ryder / Reuters
Ash Sollie stands in front of her grandparents’ home, where she’d previously lived, after it was destroyed by a wildfire, on August 2, 2026.
Water sprays over the charred remains of a burned property.
David Ryder / Reuters
Water sprays over the charred remains of a burned property on August 2, 2026.
a12_RC2IQMA4MCQD.jpg
David Ryder / Reuters
A drone view shows wildfire smoke filling the sky above the Spokane River on August 2, 2026.
Melted metal sits pooled next to a burned-out car.
Erick Doxey / AFP / Getty
Melted metal sits pooled next to a burned-out car in the Balboa neighborhood on August 2, 2026.
A couple embraces outside of a burned residence.
Young Kwak / AP
Allen Sather and his wife, Kimberley, embrace at the duplex they rent on West Indian Trail Road after it burned in a wildfire on August 2, 2026.
A partially-melted street sign sits in front of burned houses.
Erick Doxey / AFP / Getty
A partially melted street sign sits in front of burned houses in the Balboa neighborhood on August 2, 2026.
The rubble of a burned house smolders.
Erick Doxey / AFP / Getty
The rubble of a burned house in the Balboa neighborhood on August 2, 2026
A relatively unscathed Virgin Mary statue stands in a burned-out neighborhood.
Erick Doxey / AFP / Getty
A Virgin Mary statue stands in a burned-out neighborhood in Spokane on August 2, 2026.

© Tyler Vanwert / Reuters

People watch as massive plumes of smoke rise from a wildfire in Spokane, Washington, on August 1, 2026, in this screengrab obtained from a social-media video.
Received — 31 July 2026 ⏭ Best of The Atlantic

Photos of the Week: Heat Wave, Buck Moon, Alphorn Ensemble

✇Best of The Atlantic
By: Alan Taylor
31 July 2026 at 15:00
Three firefighters walk on a road beside a burning forest at night.
Noah Berger / AP
Firefighters burn off vegetation while trying to stop a wildfire called the Bench Fire from spreading in Warm Springs, Oregon, on July 25, 2026.
A performer stands under a huge shower of sparks, with some bouncing off their head and shoulders.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / AFP / Getty
A Tezutsu-shu, a traditional fireworks performer, is showered with sparks from tezutsu hanabi, hand-crafted bamboo tubes packed with gunpowder that erupt in a towering column of spark and flame, during the Tatebayashi Arm-Held Fireworks Festival in Tatebayashi, Gunma prefecture, Japan, on July 25, 2026.
People play in a mud pool, splashing each other.
Lee Jin-man / AP
A participant plays in a mud pool during the Boryeong mud festival near a beach in Boryeong, South Korea, on July 25, 2026.
People run through Red Square under pouring rain in Moscow.
Pavel Bednyakov / AP
People run through Red Square under pouring rain in Moscow, Russia, on July 28, 2026, backdropped by Saint Basil’s Cathedral.
A very tall statue of the Virgin Mary stands near several farm buildings.
Mateusz Kaczmarek / Reuters
Europe’s largest statue of the Virgin Mary, measuring 182 feet, pictured before its official opening to the public, in the village of Konotopie, near Torun, Poland, on July 29, 2026. The monument, funded by billionaire couple Grazyna and Roman Karkosik, is expected to become a major religious landmark and tourist attraction.
People ride a roller coaster past a giant LEGO minifig at the Legoland Shanghai Hotel.
VCG / Getty
People ride a roller coaster past a giant Lego minifig at the Legoland Shanghai Hotel in Shanghai, China, on July 24, 2026.
Two equestrian statues, recently re-covered in gold.
Kent Nishimura / AFP / Getty
“Valor” (left) and “Sacrifice,” the two statues that make up the “The Arts of War” equestrian statues along Arlington Memorial Bridge, are visible after the scaffolding surrounding them was partially removed, in Washington, D.C., on July 29, 2026. The U.S. Interior Department said it was regilding four gold-plated equestrian statues near the Lincoln Memorial and that the project is slated to cost more than $5 million.
Two young deer stags are silhouetted against the darkening sky beneath a mostly-full moon.
Toby Melville / Reuters
Young deer stags are silhouetted against the darkening sky, beneath the moon as it approached its full Buck Moon phase on July 29, as it rises above Richmond Park in London, England, on July 27, 2026.
A ballerina performs, silhouetted against the full moon.
Mesut Karaduman / Anadolu / Getty
A ballerina performs as the full moon rises in the evening sky in Tekirdağ, Turkey, on July 29, 2026.
People dressed in white, flowing costumes perform during a mask festival.
Sunday Alamba / AP
People dressed in costumes perform during the Mask Festival in Porto-Novo, Benin, on July 26, 2026.
Two fencers duel in a competition, as one leaps high to evade an attack.
Tyrone Siu / Reuters
Italy’s Guillaume Bianchi (right) faces Hong Kong’s Choi Chun Yin Ryan in the Senior Team Men’s Foil at the World Fencing Championships in Hong Kong, China, on July 28, 2026.
A weightlifter with an expression of effort on their face, during a lift in competition
Phil Noble / Reuters
Nigeria’s Ruth Asuquo Nyong attempts a clean-and-jerk lift in the Women’s 48kg Final during the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland, on July 26, 2026.
Peru’s President Keiko Fujimori walks down a cobblestone street, surrounded by soldiers, bodyguards, and other government officials.
Angela Ponce / Reuters
Peru President Keiko Fujimori steps out of the congress after being sworn in as the country’s new president, in Lima, Peru, on July 28, 2026.
A very tall puppet walks a parade route, escorted by two guides.
Temilade Adelaja / Reuters
A tall puppet walks the parade route during Manchester Day 2026, celebrating Manchester’s cultural links with Barcelona, with performers from Spain and the U.K., in Manchester, England, on July 26, 2026.
Dozens of people, nude and painted in a variety of colors, stand in a public square, forming rows of color, like a rainbow.
Borja Suarez / Reuters
Volunteers pose nude for the art photographer Spencer Tunick in Santa Ana Square, in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain, on July 26, 2026.
Hundreds of people dressed in red take part in a dance event along a coastline.
Justin Tallis / AFP / Getty
Hundreds of people dressed in red take part in “The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever 2026” dance event at Folkestone Harbour Arm in Folkestone, England, on July 26, 2026. Originating in Berlin, the annual event held at many locations around the world gathers participants to re-create the music video for the musician Kate Bush’s 1978 song “Wuthering Heights.”
Dozens of geese swim in a lake, all facing the same direction.
CFoto / Future Publishing / Getty
Geese swim in a lake at an ecological goose-breeding base in Menmen Township, Suqian City, Jiangsu province, China, on July 29, 2026.
Alphorn blowers perform an ensemble piece, blowing into very long horns while standing together in a pasture.
Pierre Albouy / Reuters
Alphorn blowers perform an ensemble piece on the last day of the International Alphorn Festival on the Alpine pasture of Tracouet in Nendaz, in southern Switzerland, on July 26, 2026.
A pack of cyclists rides up a switchback road on a steep mountainside.
Anne-Christine Poujoulat / AFP / Getty
The peloton ascends Col du Noyer during the Stage 19 of the Tour de France cycling race, in the French Alps, on July 24, 2026.
An aerial view of paddy fields, seen at sunrise.
Chaideer Mahyuddin / AFP / Getty
Paddy fields, viewed at sunrise in Samahani, Aceh province, Indonesia, on July 24, 2026
A helicopter uses a bucket hanging from a cable to collect water from a swimming pool to combat wildfires.
Pablo Blázquez Domínguez / Getty
A helicopter collects water from a swimming pool to combat wildfires on July 28, 2026, in Casillas, in Ávila province, Spain.
Smoke rises in the background, beyond a beach resort area, featuring a life-sized dinosaur statue.
Kostiantyn Liberov / Libkos / Getty
Local residents and visitors relax on a beach on the outskirts of Odesa, Ukraine, as smoke from a fire rises in the background following a Russian missile strike on July 29, 2026.
A plume of ash rises from Mount Etna, arcing into the distance as wind carries it away.
Giuseppe Distefano / Etna Walk / AFP / Getty
A plume of ash rises from Mount Etna during an eruption on July 30, 2026.
An aerial view shows fallen trees, knocked down by a tornado the day before.
Scott Olson / Getty
An aerial view shows fallen trees from the previous day’s tornado in Saint Mary Cemetery in Appleton, Wisconsin, on July 28, 2026. The tornado passed through several communities in the area, causing widespread power outages, and left behind a long path of destruction.
A small tractor pulls a trailer past a vineyard.
Pier Marco Tacca / Getty
The grape harvest kicked off early in the Pavia area at the Defilippi farm in Oliva Gessi, Italy, on July 28, 2026. The recent heat wave across Europe has led to a record early start for this year’s harvest.
People walk across a washed-out railroad track that is hanging unsupported above a flooded area.
Arif Ali / AFP / Getty
People walk across a washed-out railroad track in a flooded area after the Ravi River overflowed following heavy monsoon rains in Sheikhupura, in Pakistan’s Punjab province, on July 29, 2026.
A collapsed house rests partly on a small truck after an earthquake in Japan.
Yuichi Yamazaki / AFP / Getty
A collapsed house rests partly on a small truck in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto prefecture, Japan, on July 29, 2026, after an earthquake struck southwestern Japan the previous day.
A polar bear cools off, lying on a pile of ice cubes.
Michal Čížek / AFP / Getty
A polar bear cools down on a pile of ice cubes in its enclosure at the Prague Zoo on July 30, 2026, as temperatures were expected to reach at least 96.8 degrees Fahrenheit.

© Noah Berger / AP

Firefighters burn off vegetation while trying to stop a wildfire called the Bench Fire from spreading in Warm Springs, Oregon, on July 25, 2026.
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