Ernie Janes / Holkham beach at low tide, Norfolk, UK August

Roland Seitre / Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) on wet sand, with crayfish. Captive. Healesville Sanctuary, Victoria, July.

Andrew Parkinson / Dunlin (Calidris alpina) adult trying to pull a worm out of the wet sand, September, Shetland Islands, UK, September.

Eric Baccega / Flowerpot sea stacks with outgoing tide at Hopewell Rocks. The world's highest tides. Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick, Canada, September 2010

Edwin Giesbers / Two Long-tailed / Crab-eating macaques (Macaca fascicularis) foraging on coastline at low tide, Bako National Park, Sarawak, Borneo, Malaysia

Solvin Zankl / An Olive ridley sea turtle hatchling (Lepidochelys olivacea) on its way to the sea. The hatchlings orientate themselves by the brightness of the horizon above the ocean, Ostional NP, Costa Rica. Octob...

David Woodfall / Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) moulting birds at high tide roost, Bridgewater Bay NNR, Severn estuary This is a nationally significant site for this species, Somerset, England, August 2009

Jack Dykinga / Sand dunes with cracked clay marking the last flash flood, Creosote bushes (Larrea tridentata) flowering in the background, Mosquito Flats, Death Valley National Park, California, USA

Juan Carlos Munoz / Crab walking over beach leaving tracks in the wet sand, Floreana Island, Galapagos, January

Niall Benvie / Beach with cloud reflections in wet sand, Feall Bay, Argyll, Scotland

Solvin Zankl / Group of King penguins {Aptenodytes patagonicus} walking in line along beach with reflection in wet sand, Falkland Islands.

Philippe Clement / Devil's thorn (Tribulus zeyheri) the Kalahari desert's prominent creeper, appearing after the rains, Kgalagadi NP, South Africa

Petra Wegner / Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, ruby, running on beach with a yellow ball in mouth, wearing a lifejacket / life vest.

Loic Poidevin / Sanderling (Calidris alba) foraging on wet sand by water . Breton Marsh, French Atlantic Coast, December.

Loic Poidevin / Grey Plover (Pluvialis squatarola) in profile on wet sand. Breton Marsh, French Atlantic Coast, January.

LYNN M. STONE / Laughing gull (Leucophaeus atricilla) in breeding plumage, on tidal flat, St. Petersburg, Florida, USA, June

LYNN M. STONE / Male Basset hound standing in wet sand, Goleta, California, USA

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Tourist standing in blowing sand on a stormy beach. The Neck, Saunders Island, Falkland Islands, 2009.

LYNN M. STONE / Heermann's Gull (Larus heermanni) standing on wet sand in winter non-breeding plumage. Santa Barbara, California, USA, December.

Ernie Janes / Jack Russell terrier running on beach, with reflection in wet sand, Norfolk, UK

LYNN M. STONE / Yellow Labrador Retriever standing in wet sand at edge of salt marsh, Rhode Island, USA

Wild Wonders of Europe / Geslin / Grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) lying on wet sand, Donna Nook, Lincolnshire, UK, November 2008

Wild Wonders of Europe / Geslin / Dead Grey seal pup (Halichoerus grypus) on wet sand, Donna Nook, Lincolnshire, UK, November 2008

Juan Carlos Munoz / Birds tracks in wet sand on shoreline, Floreana Island, Galapagos, January

Juan Manuel Borrero / Seasonal spring-time lake in the Erg Chebbi desert, Morocco, March 2009

Juan Manuel Borrero / Seasonal spring-time lake in the Erg Chebbi desert, Morocco, March 2009

Juan Manuel Borrero / Seasonal spring-time lake in the Erg Chebbi desert, Morocco, March 2009

Juan Manuel Borrero / Seasonal spring-time lake in the Erg Chebbi desert, Morocco, March 2009

Gary K. Smith / Deserted beach with clouds reflected in wet sand, Holkham, Norfolk, UK, October

Jouan & Rius / Wildflowers after rain in sand desert, Central Australia, Northern Territory, Australia

Jouan & Rius / Carpet of wildflowers flowering after rain in sand desert, Central Australia, Northern Territory, Australia

Jouan & Rius / Carpet of wildflowers flowering after rain in sand desert, Central Australia, Northern Teritory, Australia

Juan Carlos Munoz / Grey seal {Halichoerus grypus} on wet sand, Donna Nook, Licolnshire, UK

Juan Carlos Munoz / Grey seal {Halichoerus grypus} on wet sand, Donna Nook, Licolnshire, UK

Juan Carlos Munoz / Grey seal {Halichoerus grypus} on wet sand, Donna Nook, Licolnshire, UK

Jouan & Rius / Wildflowers flowering after rain in sand desert, Central Australia, Northern Territory, Australia

Jouan & Rius / Wildflower flowering after rain in sand desert, Central Australia, Northern Territory, Australia

Jouan & Rius / Poached egg daisy (Polycalymma stuartii) flowering on sand desert, Central Australia, Northern Territory, Australia

Thomas Lazar / High winds (50-60 mph) expose irregular ridges and layers in wet sand receding to white dunes. White Sands National Park, Chihuahuan Desert, New Mexico, USA

Jouan & Rius / Flowers growing in the sand during the rainy season, Namib desert, Namibia

Jouan & Rius / Sossusvlei surrouned by sand dunes with vegetation growth after heavy rain, Namib-Naukluft NP, Namib desert, Namibia

Jouan & Rius / Plant with flowers, growing on sand during the rainy season, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Kalahari desert, South Africa

Jouan & Rius / Plants with flowers growing on the sand during the rainy season, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Kalahari desert, South Africa

Jouan & Rius / Sossusvlei after heavy rain with a temporary pool of water, Namib-Naukluft NP, Namib desert, Namibia

Jouan & Rius / A desert plant about to flower with a crab spider nearby after rain, Namib Naukluft NP, Namib desert, Namibia

Jouan & Rius / Sossusvlei after heavy rain with temporary pool of water, Namib-Naukluft NP, Namib desert, Namibia

Dietmar Nill / Two human footprints in wet sand, Baltic Sea coast of Poland

Kim Taylor / Natal Pyxie Frog (Pyxicephalus natalensis) swollen in rain puddle at night, Namibia

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Colorful reflections of cumulus clouds and blue sky on wet ripples of sand on beach, winter evening, South Island, New Zealand

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) large tracks of many feet in wet sand around small meadow pond, Katmai National Park, Alaska

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) large tracks of many feet in wet sand around small meadow pond, Katmai National Park, Alaska

David Tipling / Grey seal on wet sand, portrait {Halichoerus grypus} cow, November Lincolnshire UK

Tony Heald / African lion track in wet sand {Panthera leo} Kaokoland, Namibia

Pete Oxford / Aerial view of sand dunes after a good rain year near Sossusvlei, Namibia

Staffan Widstrand / Jaguar footprint {Panthera onca} on wet sand. Pantanal, Brazil.

Tony Heald / Desert landscape with water, Sossusvlei, Namib Nackluft NP, Namibia

Dave Watts / Flowers in sand dunes, Simpson desert, Northern territory, Australia

Adam White / Giant tortoise {Geochelone elephantopus} on shore after swimming, Aldabra, Seychelles

Paul Hobson / Grey seal on wet sand. Lincolnshire, UK.

Paul D Stewart / Woodcut of Common electric ray (Torpedo torpedo) with old colouring. From Conrad Gesner's 'Icones Animalium' publ. Christof Froschover, Zurich, 1560. The torpedo or electric ray had been well know by...

Marc Robillard / Tern (Sterninae sp) standing on wet sand at low tide on a beach in St Malo, Brittany, France. November.

Pete Oxford / Sand dunes + grass after rains Sossusvlei, Namib-Naukuft NP, Namibia

Pete Oxford / Aerial view of sand dunes after rains. Sossusvlei, Namib-Naukuft NP, Namibia

Pete Oxford / Sand dunes + grass after rains Sossusvlei, Namib-Naukuft NP, Namibia