Strangest on the shore

Beaches are good for the soul...happy places with a breeze wafting in fresh salty air, the feel of sand or shingle under your feet, the sound of waves hissing on to the shore.

British beaches often mean deckchairs, candy floss and kids playing, or an invigorating winter walk to work up an appetite for a hearty pub lunch.

And we daydream about those idyllic far-flung tropical coasts, snoozing under swaying palm trees by the warm, azure sea. But these unusual beaches are a world away from all that.

Here is our pick of the planet’s strangest shores...

Ussuri Bay, Vladivostok, Russia

An unfortunate human error has been beautifully corrected by nature at Ussuri Bay.

The story goes it was used as a dumping ground for bottles from a local porcelain factory, and over the years waves and wind have eroded and smoothed the shards into a kaleidoscope which glistens on a sunny day and sparkles in the Siberian snow.

visitrussia.org.uk