Aerial photographs by Kevin Krautgartner of a natural wonder on Western Australia's coastline

"When the last vestiges of the retreating tide make their way back into the ocean, small rivers wind their way through the sand, leaving salt-encrusted banks. This phenomenon is usually called a tidal flat," explains Kevin.

"These flats are coastal wetlands formed in areas where there is a sufficient supply of fine-grained sediment and tides dominate over other hydrodynamic forces. The tidal signal is reflected in the zonation of the morphology and sediment distribution patterns in the intertidal zone. The vertical sedimentary sequences thus formulated are characterised by a fining upward pattern."

These effects are most pronounced where the tidal range is very high. In this particular bay on the North-Western coast of Australia, the range can be as much as 12 metres, the second largest in the world. Kevin adds: "This leads to these wonderful views, just captured before they’re wiped clean by the new tide, to be recreated in new forms with the next ebb."