Blue Monday: 18 beautiful blue animals, plants and fungi

What is Blue Monday?

Blue Monday is a concept thought up in 2005 for a UK travel company, and is typically the third Monday in January. It is meant to be when we are feeling at our most depressed.

Although dismissed as a marketing stunt by many, Blue Monday can also be an opportunity to reflect on our mental health.

We have a number of online articles on the importance of being outside and connecting with nature to our mental health, including a piece by Chris Packham reflecting on enjoying nature during the coronavirus pandemic, an extract from The Wild Remedy by Emma Mitchell on how nature can heal us, and an article by author Joe Harkness on how birdwatching saved his life.

We also have a round-up of books for getting active and taking notice of wildlife and the world around us.

The gallery below is a celebration of blue in the natural world, and features 18 different species of animal, plant and fungi.

To view the images as a slideshow, click on the arrows in the top right hand corner of the photos below.