A large block of ice looks like a giant mint candy, with beautiful blue, green and brown stripes. Another rock looked like it had been punctured by a spear.

These impressive icebergs, formed thousands of years ago, are floating in the Antarctic region. Some stripes are created when layers of ice melt and refreeze. Other lines were formed by dirt and dust as the sheet of ice that made up the ice slide slid down a slope.

The colorful candy-shaped iceberg is about 45 meters long and 9 meters high. The photo was taken by Norwegian sailor Oyvind Tangen while on a research ship located 2,735 km south of Cape Town, South Africa.

Most of Antarctica’s ice sheets are formed when snow falls on the continent. Over time, the snow accumulates into ice and slides out to sea. At that time, it will either break into water or form ice blocks.

Ice is usually white because tiny water bubbles trapped in it emit light in all directions. However, if these bubbles are forced out, or part of the ice melts and refreezes, it will turn blue.

When an iceberg slides out to sea, a layer of salt water freezes underneath. If the water is rich in algae, it will form green stripes. The brown, black and yellow stripes are caused by sediment, formed when the ice sheet rubs against the bottom as it slides steeply out to sea.

Normally, only about 1/10 of the iceberg is above water. The largest known iceberg is 168 meters above sea level – equivalent to a 55-story building.

The ice seemed to be pierced by a spear, up to 30 meters high.

Tokyo-based photographer Martin Bailey – specializing in nature and wildlife photography – captured stunning images of Antarctica in the impressive series of photos below.