Tidal tendrils

From the air, this view of Mockhorn Island on the USA’s east coast could be mistaken for farmland. But what you're looking at is rugged tidal marshland, visible only when the tide is out. For the rest of the time, much of this area is underwater. Mockhorn is itself part of a coastal island chain off the US state of Virginia called the Barrier Islands, which run down its east coast for about 70 miles. The green vegetation you see is grass, although not the type you mow. It's saltmarsh cordgrass, a type of perennial deciduous species that grows in wetlands and salt marshes like this one.
© Shane Gross/Minden Pictures