Michael S. Nolan's Wildlife Images

Alaskan Mammals!

2012-01-10T20:17:00.020-07:00

August and September, 2011
Alaska is of course famous for its scenic landscapes, its towering glaciers, the rain forest itself. But without a doubt it is the abundance and diversity of mammals here in Alaska that make photography so interesting. Here a female sea otter has gathered about a dozen sea urchins off the sea floor that she will now casually consume for lunch while using her stomach as the table!

This female sea otter is tending to her newborn pup, converting the dining room table to a comfortable cradle in the process!

A lone black wolf surveys Russel Cut in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve.

This adult harbor seal has taken a moment away from its nap to inspect our Zodiac and the photographers in it.

Here in Tracy Arm the South Sawyer Glacier calves huge icebergs and bergy-bits for harbor seals to haul out onto to rest and gather for protection against marauding killer whales.

The fastest cetacean on the planet; a Dall's porpoise bow rides just under the surface. Capable of speeds approaching 40 miles per hour we are not even holding this animal's interest!

Pacific white-sided dolphins are often encountered along the coast of British Columbia as we cruise the inside passage bringing the National Geographic Sea Bird home to Seattle.

Black bears are common on the mainland of Southeast Alaska, although they are absent from most of the major Islands in the panhandle. This black bear is looking for sockeye salmon near Mendenhall Glacier just outside of Juneau.

Here a coastal brown bear has nabbed a big male pink salmon for lunch at a little creek on Chichagof Island. In this part of Alaska brown bears populations are very dense, with an average of one bear for almost every square mile of island!

This young brown bear is searching for salmon at the site of an old cannery at Pavlof Harbor. I have seen as many as 9 bears feeding on salmon in this area all at one time!

A close-up of a curious Steller sea lion looking for handouts at the fish cleaning station in Petersburg. These huge males literally run the show here in the harbor, as a few fisherman have painfully realized over the years!

This is a huge Steller (northern) sea lion haul out in the South Marble Islands of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. Stellers's are doing well in this part of Alaska, although the populations in western Alaska are mysteriously dropping in numbers rapidly due to unknown causes.

This bull sea lion has stolen away with the carcass of a rockfish from the cleaning table! While it seems like more than a mouthful it really was just a good-sized snack!

Both resident and transient killer whales patrol these waters as well. Although they are the largest members of the dolphin family, Orca can sometimes be seen to attack and eat a wide variety of prey ranging from salmon to large whales and even deer and moose have been verified as occasional meals.

This bull Orca is playing in the bull kelp of Chatham Strait. Perhaps this is part of a killer whale game, or learning a hunting strategy, or just a good old kelp rub because it feels good on the skin!

Fall colors begin to show as summer slips away into September in Glacier Bay.

Humpbacks come from Hawaii and Mexico to gorge themselves in these rich and abundant feeding grounds. Perhaps as many as 1,500 humpbacks visit Southeast Alaska during the summer. Some choose to overwinter here and continue to feed rather than make the long trip to the tropical mating and calving grounds further south.

This group of humpback whales has chosen to cooperatively feed utilizing a most ingenious strategy; they set a bubble-net around schooling herring, then use the bubbles to concentrate their prey into a tightly packed school for easy consumption. Researchers tell us that there are only about 50 humpback whales that have learned this trick, shown here in front of the small fishing town of Tenakee Springs.

Sunset in snow pass as a humpback whale dives in search of more herring. The days are long, but the summer season is short and humpbacks must take advantage of every feeding opportunity they can!

So you can see that the diversity of mammals here is rich, the variety huge. I will be returning in August and September of 2012 to once again lead photography expeditions to this amazing temperate rain forest. For more information please call 1-800-Expeditions or visit us on line at www.expeditions.com

I look forward to seeing you in 2012!

- Michael

Alaska on my Mind

2012-01-10T19:53:00.011-07:00

August and September, 2011
At 17 million square acres the Tongass National Forest is the largest national forest in the entire United States. It encompasses most of the Alaskan panhandle and can receive over 200 inches of rain in some places each and every year. Without the rain there would be no RAINBOWS, one of my favorite things in Alaska!

Do you remember Roy G Biv? Red-Orange-Yellow-Green-Blue-Indigo-Violet! This is the order of visible light in a rainbow, and of course the color scheme is mirrored in a double rainbow.

The light here is ethereal and ever-changing. Locals proclaim that if you don't like the weather just wait for 5 minutes! As a photographer I appreciate the constantly changing light and the challenges (and opportunities) that come with it!

With vast open vistas like here at Margerie Glacier against the Fairweather Range in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve.

The stern of the National Geographic Sea Bird reflected in calm water in Petersburg.

A view of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve from the bow of the National Geographic Sea Bird.

Beautiful blue icebergs in Tracy Arm Wilderness Area.

Glacially carved deep water fjords and quiet calm waters make the area a spectacular boating destination. I will once again be returning to Southeast Alaska in August and September, 2012. Perhaps I will see you there?

Franz Josef Land Wildlife!

2012-01-10T05:39:00.014-07:00

August, 2011
Were the polar bears bigger than in other parts of the high arctic? I can only say they were much more curious! Huge bears often came right to the ship to inspect our approach...

After determining that we weren't going to make a good meal, the bears became totally at ease with our presence and we got the pleasure of watching some very fun bear behaviour!

I had to often wonder just who is more interested in whom here on the ice. We are perhaps some of the only humans this bear has encountered in its high Arctic home.

What better way to cool off and clean your fur than a nice roll in fresh snow! Of course a little back scratching can reach that hard-to-get itch as well!

There are only 5 countries in the world (Russia, Denmark (Iceland), Norway, Canada, and the United States) that are home to polar bears. All 5 strictly protect and preserve polar bears, but their numbers are dropping in some populations as the Earth's climate is changing. Let's hope that polar bears and other Arctic wildlife will be around for decades to come. The choice really is ours to make!

The bird life here in Franz Josef Land is not so diverse, but very abundant. Here two black-legged kittiwakes are in aerial combat against each other near Alexander Island.

Our Russian ornithologist Maria went absolutely crazy over our newly discovered ivory gull breeding colony on Alexander Island.

Near the ivory gull breeding site we also found black guillemots working to secure nesting sites in the cliffs of Alexander Island.

At Rubini Rock on Hooker Island Adult dovekies make their nests amongst the scree slopes.

Curious walrus inspecting the Zodiac near Apollo Island. Adult males and females protect young calves amongst the ice floes.

Their curiosity at the sight of our Zodiacs led to a game of "I dare you to get closer", much to the delight of all the photographers on board.

The National Geographic Explorer reached an all-time furthest north of 81 degrees 48 minutes, just slightly less than 500 nautical miles from the North Pole! What a privilege to come here to the high Russian Arctic to see and photograph such wild and wonderful animals. Thanks Sven, for the trip of a lifetime!

Franz Josef Land!!

2012-01-10T05:11:00.013-07:00

August, 2011
Franz Josef Land! Today (August 3, 2011) the National Geographic Explorer makes a little history as we are the first foreign-flagged non-scientific vessel to land here since 1928!

Our first stop is Cape Flora on Northbrook Island, the main base for many polar expeditions in the late 19th and early 20th century.

A chance encounter occurred right here at Cape Flora between Fridtjof Nansen and Frederick Jackson in 1896.

Modern day exploration team (L to R) consisting of Michael Nolan, Maria Gavrilo, Doctor Jack Putnam, Sergey Frolov, and Ralph Lee Hopkins.

Lindblad Expeditions conducting Zodiac operations amongst the ice off Champ Island.

The famous remains of the camp where Fridtjof Nansen over-wintered with Hjalmar Johansen in 1895-96 at Cape Norway on Jackson Island after failing to reach the North Pole.

The National Geographic Explorer anchored off Cape Norway on Jackson Island.

Photographing a crazy spherical rock formed in a geological process called cementation on Champ Island.

The National Geographic Explorer lies at anchor at Champ Island.

Zodiac tours at Rubini Rock, Tikhaya Bay on Hooker Island.

Sunset on the bow as we leave Franz Josef Land...nice shot Marco!

The White Sea

2012-01-10T04:16:00.015-07:00

July 30, 2011
Our Russian guide Maria Gavrilo inside the Russian Orthodox Solovetsky Monastery founded in 1436 by 2 monks on Bolshoy Island in the White Sea.

This monastery is listed as one of the top 10 iconic destinations in all of Russia!

Being allowed inside to photograph monastic life and the Kremlin (fortress) itself was an amazing privilege!

Religious pilgrims come to the island of Belomore from all over Russia to visit this holy site for the Russian Orthodox Church.

Monastic life is still on display, and with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 the church once again is flourishing in many Russian lives.

During the communist reign of Lenin and Stalin this Kremlin was soon turned into a prison camp, with the aim to eradicate the Orthodox Church throughout the land. Prisoners were brought here and the fortress became a gulag under the Stalin Regime.

Today the entire complex is being renovated and Russian Christianity is revitalising the entire area!

The beauty of the site itself and the conditions we experienced led to fantastic photographic opportunities! Na zdorovye!

The National Geographic Explorer at anchor off Zayatsky Island in the Solovetsky Group. The ship is the first expedition vessel to ever visit this area!

A view of the Andrey Pervozvanny Church built in 1703 on Bolshoy Zayatsky Island.

Our last afternoon in the Solovetsky Islands brought a hike to the seldom visited Russian Orthodox hermitage on Anzersky Island. What a wonderful glimpse into the Russian religious way of life, once again legal and flourishing!

Morzohvets anyone?

2012-01-10T03:59:00.007-07:00

July 29, 2011
Leaving Murmansk and heading for the White Sea along the Kola Peninsula we made a very unusual stop at Morzohvets Island, a Soviet military installation throughout the Cold War.

With Nine men, five children (there for the summer) and two dogs this visit was as much a surprise for them as it was for us!

We are the first expedition ship - foreign or Russian Flagged - to venture onto this remote Russian Island. The signs of former military life surround us, rusting along the shore.

The lighthouse is the one landmark that could be seen from anywhere within the small settlement. Still in use today it signals the approach to this low -lying island from sea.

These days Morzohvets is primarily still used as a meteorological station to gather information for the Hydrometeorology Office.

Change has come to Russia, and she is slowly opening her doors to Western exploration once again. What a privilege to be amongst the first to experience this new dimension!

To Russia, with Love!

2011-10-19T05:55:00.014-07:00

July and August, 2011
My first Russian visit starts in the commercial and industrial port of Murmansk in the Barents Sea. Finally I have made it to Russia!

The National Geographic Explorer approaches the dock amongst loading cranes and commercial railways.

There to greet us are our customs and immigration officials, and the local canine club.

With a current population of a little over 300,000 people, Murmansk has declined in population drastically, losing over 150,000 residents in the last 20 years.

The signs are everywhere of a very busy and important port (the largest city in the world above the Arctic Circle), but these days the city seemed to be asleep as there are very few ships coming and going.

Buildings and the docks themselves are showing signs of decay and disuse. This once important military shipyard is full of rusting hulks.

Of course there are still signs of the communist regime, but capitalism is the predominant theme now.

The Memorial to the Patriotic War reminds us that Russia and America fought together not so long ago...

A grim reminder of what we are all capable of...

Clearing both into and out of Russia happened for us here in Murmansk. A very sobering beginning and ending to our expedition!

The "Kapitan Dranitsyn" alongside the wharf. This is the Russian ice breaker that Lindblad used in 2004 to travel to Franz Josef Land.

A nuclear powered submarine is one of the last things we see when leaving Murmansk...

In 2012 I will once again travel to Russia with Lindblad Expeditions. For more information please go to www.expeditions.com

Norwegian "Would"

2011-09-30T22:19:00.005-07:00

July and August, 2011
If you had a chance to board an expedition vessel and travel to the high Norwegian Arctic would you go? Should you? In July and August I could, and I did, and I'm here to tell you that you should as well! Svalbard in the summer has so much to offer the photographer and adventurer, so much to see and shoot, so much to do, and so many images to take that I am only now (as October approaches) beginning to get serious about editing my summer adventures. Look for more images from the high Russian Arctic, the White Sea, and Alaska as I get serious about editing in the weeks to come!

Here a glaucous gull swoops in and nabs an unprotected eider duck chick for breakfast near Edgeoya Island.

A curios adult male walrus inspects the National Geographic Explorer as she inspects Moffen Island at just over 80 degrees north latitude.

A mother polar bear with her cub on fast ice in late evening light.

And a reindeer trying to scratch a very hard to get to spot on his antlers as the velvet is coming in at Rosenbergdalen. More summer images to come I promise!

- Michael

Galapagos Anyone?

2011-07-02T01:29:00.023-07:00

May and June, 2011The Galapagos Islands...what a pleasure and privilege to be able to visit and photograph this unique place again. The absolute wildness of the place lends itself to image making. Shown here is the small islet known as Leon Dormido (sleeping lion) off the coast of San Cristobal Island.
And of course what better ship to travel on than the National Geographic Endeavour?
I always love to see the marine iguanas, especially this "Christmas" iguana (so called because of the red and green breeding coloration) on Espanola Island basking on the rocks . near heavy surf.
Galapagos sea lions are a delight to snorkel with and of course always want to let you know just who is boss by giving a little bubble blow at the camera!
A barn owl sleeps away the daylight hours high on Santa Cruz Island.
This great frigatebird is trying to steal nesting material in mid-flight from a red-footed booby.The booby managed to hang on and got to keep the material for its own nest here on Genovesa Island.
A good look at those red feet coming right at the camera...
Their agility in the water is due in such a large part to the very flexible neck as this Galapagos sea lion demonstrates.
Try as he might it just doesn't seem that she is all that interested...whistle a little louder!
Here a male great frigatebird is fully inflated to show off his fitness to passing females. Trouble is he is showing off to the wrong species...that's a red-footed booby flying by!
A male great frigatebird takes a break from the rigors of keeping that pouch inflated!
An eagle ray allows me to snorkel beneath it and shoot upward, showing the slot in Leon Dormido above it in the water.
What a strange looking ray these eagle rays are. With a pronounced snout, human-like eyes, and a very long tail they are certainly easy to identify..
A male Galapagos fur seal shows off his particularly large eyes (used at night to find prey in deep water).
A marine iguana showing off its unique swimming style: the tail swoosh!
A young Galapagos sea lion playing hide-and-seek on the dock at Puerto Villamil on Isabela Island.

I will be returning to the Galapagos next May (2012) and would love to share this magic place with you. If you are interested please go to http://www.expeditions.com

Pink, It's My Favorite Color

2011-07-02T01:10:00.010-07:00

June, 2011Greater flamingos can be found in brackish lagoons here in the Galapagos Islands, feeding on their favorite meal...artesmia. This shrimp-like creature gives the flamingos their brilliant pink coloration.
I am always looking for calm water to catch the perfect reflection in. Here a tiny drop of water off the flamingos bill adds to the mirror image.
So graceful in the lagoons, but yet so awkward looking as they fly!
Imagine spending the better part of your life with your head upside down swinging your neck side to side in search of food. Wait a minute...
Greater flamingos add a perfect shade of pink to the blue water lagoons here on Rabida Island. To see more of my images please visit my website at www.wildlifeimages.net

Flying with Penguins in the Galapagos

2011-07-01T22:34:00.011-07:00

June, 2011Although they sometimes seem almost comical on land as they waddle from the sea and onto the lava shore, it is here in the water that the true grace of a Galapagos penguin becomes apparent.
With a speed and agility that surprises me, this small group of Galapagos penguins is trying to capture small baitfish. Time and again the penguins would try to separate out an individual fish from the school. The sea lions would join the chase, not for a meal, but just for the fun of it!
Of course the fish are well versed in the game, and no fish wants to be anywhere near the beak of a hungry penguin. Beautiful patterns are created by the fleeing fish as the penguins struggle to isolate one of them.
Stopping for a brief moment to check out its own reflection in the dome port of my camera, this penguin shows us how well adapted its eyes are for the task of underwater vision.
So many fish and so little time!
Here a juvenile Galapagos penguin stretches and preens on lava. These penguins are the only species in the world that venture into the northern hemisphere.
Galapagos penguins are neither drawn to or repelled by our presence in the water with them. I don't believe they see us as either a threat or competition for food...probably just ungainly animals in the water!
Population fluxes are sometimes extreme for Galapagos penguins as they rely so heavily on constant food sources near the Galapagos Islands. A severe El Nino event can have drastic results for the entire population, as witnessed by the massive reduction in numbers in the 1997-1998 loss of perhaps as much as 40% of the total number of these penguins in the Galapagos due to an El Nino event.

Galapagos is for Friends

2011-06-28T06:03:00.010-07:00

May and June, 2011

Earlier this month I returned home from a month long trip to the Galapagos Islands. This represents 13 trips there in the last 5 years. Why in the world would I return so often to the same location? The animal life of course is a big part, but it really is the people that I work with here that make it such a rich place to come to. Shown here are my good friends who make life on board the National Geographic Endeavour so tasty! A special thanks to Willy and the boys!
On this last run I had the distinct pleasure of again working with one of the top National Geographic photographers in the business, Joel Sartore. I first traveled with Joel and his lovely wife Kathy in Antarctica a couple of years ago, this time around Joel also brought his son Cole and daughter Ellen along, with Spencer staying home in Nebraska! Here is Joel up close and personal with a Galapagos Sea Lion on Gardner Beach.
CT Ticknor and I have been working together for over 20 years now, and have traveled the world in search of wild animals, magic places, and enchanting light. She is absolutely the light of my life and as I pen these words I am on my way to Oslo, Norway to meet up with her to teach photography once again, this time in Svalbard, Norway (images coming soon!)
Ralph Lee Hopkins is the head of the Lindblad Photography program and an exceptional photographer to boot! Ralph and I have been teaching photography for Lindblad Expeditions together for many years now, and I will see and work with him once again in the high Russian Arctic in July!
And of course the ship that carries us all to these amazing places in the Galapagos is the National Geographic Endeavour, shown here at dawn under a full moon. The beautiful place, the amazing people, and of course the incredible wildlife!

A special thanks to Fernando, Ximena, and Emma and Juan Carlos for all your help and support while CT and I "played" for a little while after teaching on the ship. Me ke aloha!

Seeing Green!

2011-05-21T07:57:00.007-07:00

In the past 2 months I have had the privilege to watch and photograph green sea turtles in the Atlantic (Ascension Island) and Pacific (Galapagos Islands) at their nesting sites. Watching an adult green sea turtle crawl from the ocean and dig a huge body pit, and then egg chamber, with her massive flippers is impressive to say the least. Being there as those eggs erupt and turtle hatchlings fight for their lives continues the story. Swimming with green sea turtles in the calm waters of the Galapagos is the culmination of the cycle. I have been lucky enough to see and photograph green, I hope you enjoy the images!

This great blue heron is having a green sea turtle lunch at Bachas beach on Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos Archipelago. There are over 100 nesting sites throughout the Galapagos and green sea turtles face many predators on land as well as in the sea upon erupting from their nests.
Great frigatebirds swoop in to carry off green sea turtle hatchlings that have made the mistake of erupting from the nest in the daylight rather than waiting for darkness. Green sea turtle hatchlings face a very daunting array of obstacles to make it to adulthood and in fact a very small percentage ever do.
It is April 1st here on Ascension Island in the middle of the tropical Atlantic Ocean and green sea turtle eggs are strewn across the beach from last night's nesting activities. Ascension Island is one of the most important green sea turtle nesting sites in the Atlantic, with so many female turtles coming ashore in the night that they sometimes will accidentally dig up eggs from another clutch.
This green sea turtle hatchling has spent just under 2 months incubating in the warm sands of Ascension Island before erupting from the nest and crawling to the sea. If it survives all the challenges of making it to adulthood (and very few do), it will return to this very beach to mate and possibly crawl ashore to dig her own nest. Interestingly the temperature of the sand determines the sex of the turtle, with warmer temperatures creating females while cooler sand temperatures will make a hatchling a male.

A female green sea turtle depositing eggs in the chamber she has created with her rear flippers. Between December and May hundreds of greens come ashore here on this remote island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. In order to not disturb her efforts we have adopted red lights and are not using flash to photograph this wonderful event.
Green sea turtle tracks leading from the nesting site of an adult female on Ascension Island. Female green sea turtles may lay as many as 100 eggs at a time, and will usually lay several clutches of eggs throughout the nesting season.

Oil Spill on Nightingale Island

2011-04-30T21:52:00.006-07:00

On March 16, 2011 at 04:30 the MS Oliva, a tanker carrying soy beans, ran aground on Nightingale Island in the Tristan da Cunha Island Group, South Atlantic Ocean. All 22 crew members were successfully rescued, but the ship was battered against the rocks on Spinner's Point and subsequently large amounts of fuel oil was discharged into the sea from the ship's ruptured fuel tanks.
Nightingale Island is home to the rare Northern rockhopper penguin, and several thousand birds were severely oiled as this is breeding and molting season for these penguins here in the southern hemisphere. The penguins could not help but get covered with oil as they returned from feeding in open sea they had to swim through the oil soaked waters surrounding their colonies.

The oil itself was caught up in the kelp beds and was not dispersing, forming an oil slick hundreds of yards thick right at the entrance and exit points from land for several of the rockhopper colonies.

Once they are oiled the penguins try very hard to clean the oil from their feathers with their beaks, only to ingest the oil itself. This of course can lead to all manner of respitory problems and even death.

Rescue workers and volunteers alike from nearby Tristan da Cunha quickly mobilized and began cleaning the oiled penguins individually. On the day these photos were taken (March 23) some 750 penguins were caught, field cleaned, and transported back to Tristan da Cunha for further cleaning.

Many of the birds who suffered severe oiling were caught and cleaned, but there will undoubtedly be repurcussions into the future as not all birds can be evacuated. For the latest information about this event please visit www.tristandc.com

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! My 2011 Schedule!

2010-12-31T21:04:00.002-07:00

December 31, 2010

What an amazing year for travel and photography I have had in 2010. I am finally back home after 10 weeks of field work and am working madly on editing literally thousands of images from my recent shoots in The Falkland Islands, South Georgia, Antarctica, and the Galapagos Islands.

I just wanted the chance to post my 2011 schedule before the New Year, so here it is!! I will be at sea for over 200 days in 2011, I hope to see you there!!!

January 26, 2011 - Antarctica - The White Continent with Roz Savage

February 5, 2011 - Antarctica - The White Continent with Jay Dickman

February 15, 2011 - Antarctica, South Georgia & The Falklands with Tim Severin

March 7, 2011 - Epic 70 degree - South Georgia to Tristan, St. Helena & Ascension Islands & West Africa with Andrew Evans, Jason Friedman, and Kent Kobersteen

May 6, 2011 - The Galapagos with Joel Sartore, Ralph Lee Hopkins, and CT Ticknor

May 13, 2011 - The Galapagos with Joel Sartore, Ralph Lee Hopkins, and CT Ticknor

June 30, 2011 - Land of the Ice Bear with Chris Rainier and CT Ticknor

July 7, 2011 - Land of the Ice Bear with Eric Larsen and CT Ticknor

July 14, 2011 - Land of the Ice Bear with Eric Larsen and CT Ticknor

July 21, 2011 - Epic Arctic: Russia's White Sea, Franz Joseph Land & Arctic Svalbard with Paul Nicklen and Ralph Lee Hopkins

August 21, 2011 - Exploring Alaska's Coastal Wilderness with CT Ticknor

August 28, 2011 - Exploring Alaska's Coastal Wilderness with CT Ticknor

September 4, 2011 - Alaska, British Columbia, & San Juan Islands with Ralph Lee Hopkins and CT Ticknor

October 17, 2011 - South Georgia and the Falklands with Chris Rainier

November 6, 2011 - Antarctica, South Georgia, and the Falklands with Kim Heacox and Ralph Lee Hopkins

November 26, 2011 - Antarctica - The White Continent with Kim Heacox and CT Ticknor

December 6, 2011 - Antarctica - The White Continent with Sylvia Earle, Maria Stenzel, and CT Ticknor

December 16, 2011 - Antarctica - The White Continent with John Evans, Dan Westergren, and CT Ticknor

For more information please visit www.expeditions.com or call 800.expeditions.

Missing Links?

2010-08-20T21:42:00.004-07:00

August 20, 2010

Wow! The summer is flying by and I have been away for most of it! Great for my photography, but difficult to post to this blog. Images WILL be coming soon, I promise!

In the meantime here are a few links (below) you might like to catch up on to see the latest in my photography.

Enjoy the images and the stories, I will post again here soon!

- Michael

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1300886/If-woods--Spectators-watch-just-10-metres-away-20-Brown-Bears-gather-annual-salmon-feast.html

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3084877/Bears-picnic-at-Alaska-waterfall.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1295260/Come-play-The-curious-polar-bear-came-face-face-National-Geographic-ship.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/7771054/Dolphins-captured-flying-above-the-sea.html

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/829008-tourists-get-physical-kissing-grey-whale-calves-off-baja-peninsula

Beauty in the breach

2010-05-11T15:45:00.009-07:00

April, 2010

Seems I can't help myself. I have now literally photographed thousands of breaching whales all over the world, but still I am drawn to the power and grace of an animal of this size leaping clear of the surface of the ocean.
Capturing that exact millisecond with a camera is still as exciting for me as it was the first time I did it, so many years ago...
When the humpback whale breaching is only a few days old (like this newborn calf - note the gray coloration) it is that much better...
Here a slightly older calf is perfecting its style!
Sometimes it just seems like adult whales are showing off (and of course they are). Even though this adult male is breaching for the benefit of other whales in the immediate area, we humans often see the effort as being for our own personal enjoyment.
But of course these are wild animals going about their daily lives not for our benefit, but to pass on their own genes to future generations.
Not to say that it doesn't absolutely get your heart pumping when it happens so close to the ship you are watching from.

To see more of my photography please visit my website at www.wildlifeimages.net

Humpback mother and calf reunion

2010-05-11T15:26:00.021-07:00

April, 2010

Now this is a really fun series of images of a mother and newborn calf in the AuAu Channel. The calf is getting curious about our little boat and comes closer to investigate. Mom gives a short burst of bubbles from her blowhole as a signal to the calf.
The calf immediately turns from us and heads towards mom...
Almost as if to confirm obedience, the calf swims right to and then through the bubbles.
And off they go together. Was the calf playing in moms bubble bath for fun, or was the air blast a signal to come to mom's side RIGHT NOW. We can only guess...
Here a mother, calf, and male escort swimming in the clear waters off Maui, Hawaii.
This pair will soon leave the relatively protected waters of Hawaii to head for Alaska and the feeding grounds there. Travel well my friends! Me ke aloha.

Spinner dolphins and remoras

2010-05-11T15:11:00.009-07:00

April, 2010

Here on Maui spinner dolphins sometimes will absolutely go off in their efforts to leap high out of the water, spinning as they go. There have been many theories over the years as to just why these small dolphins spin when they leap, but here is evidence to support at least one theory:
This adult male has two remoras attached to his body, one on the throat area and the other on his left flank. Time and again this particular animal would leap high into the air, spinning violently, only to come down with a resonating thwack and huge splash!
The remoras themselves would change locations on the body of the dolphin, but try as he might he just couldn't shake them.
It must be incredibly irritating for a spinner dolphin to have these fish attached to their sensitive skin, and the effort to dislodge them is sometimes seems to be to no avail.
Incredible heights are obtained so as to maximize re-entry impact, but this male dolphin just couldn't shake these two remoras.
Finally (with the remoras still attached) this individual male, along with the entire pod, continued on its way from Lanai to Maui across the AuAu Channel.
An unexpected (but very welcome) visitor inspects out little inflatable boat in the waters between Lanai and Maui. It is not often I get to see a tiger shark here in such perfect conditions, let alone get to get a close up shot (This image is taken with a 14mm lens, so the shark is only a few feet from the boat)!

Baja above and below

2010-05-11T14:45:00.006-07:00

April, 2010

Where the Sonoran desert meets the sea...Baja! The best of both worlds presents itself here, and the opportunities are plentiful both above and below the water.
Brown pelicans reflected in the calm waters of the Sea o Cortez.
Looking down on a curious striped marlin who kept pace with the ship for almost 45 minutes!
A curious California sea lion inspects Ralph Lee Hopkins and his dome port.
Only a sea lion can make a hard rock look like a soft pillow as it snoozes at Los Islotes.

To see more of my photography please visit www.wildlifeimages.net

Sunrise, Sunset

2010-05-11T12:37:00.011-07:00

April, 2010

Sunrise in the Baja! What a glorious time to be up and working. Still water reflects the clouds as video chronicler Josh works his magic at Punta Colorado on Isla San Jose.
Jim gets low to try and capture the perfect angle just as the sun breaks the horizon...
And of course some of the best pics of the day come from the Aim-and-Create cameras...nice shot Deb!
Sunrise on a flat sea from the bow of the National Geographic Sea Bird.
A brown pelican casting its shadow in flight on the sandstone cliffs of Isla San Jose.
The golden hour in the evening is of course another opportunity for amazing images. Here a smooth tail mobula is leaping from the water as the sun sets behind Las Gigantes.
Painting rock and cactus with hand held light can reward late night photographers.
Or just letting the sun paint the horizon orange at civil twilight as the National Geographic Sea Bird is at anchor at Elephant Rock cove on Isla Santa Catalina.

Whales and Dolphins in the desert?

2010-05-10T23:13:00.019-07:00

April, 2010

You want whales and dolphins to photograph? You want calm water and amazing backdrops? Then there is simply no place like the Baja Peninsula in Mexico. This Bryde's whale is sub-surface feeding off the west side of Carmen Island in the Gulf of California. Notice that his eye is watching while he stretches open his gigantic mouth to scoop up euphausids from the sea.
He keeps circling around the National Geographic Sea Bird with mouth open, what a great look at the baleen plates hanging from the upper jaw!
How about this blue whale in the lower Sea of Cortez? This is the largest animal to ever live on our planet!
These are long-beaked common dolphins, although I would submit to you that there is nothing common about them...they should be called long-beaked SPECTACULAR dolphins!
When the water is so clear and calm you can actually watch the dolphins blow break into bubbles and streak down its back.
A group of these spectacular dolphins riding the bow of the National Geographic Sea Bird.
Perhaps the friendliest large whale in the world, this California gray whale calf is posing for National Geographic photographer Ralph Lee Hopkins.
The curiosity of these young gray whale calves allows for wonderful photographic opportunities, but begs the question of just who is watching whom?
At times these animals actually seek out human contact, rubbing their rostrums on the Zodiac or lifting their heads to be scratched.
And of course what is an excited young whale to do with all of that bottled up energy? BREACH!
Humpback whales also love the Baja, this adult male is breaching off the west side of Isla Magdalena on the Pacific side of the Baja Peninsula.
A group of killer whales makes an appearance in the Pacific Ocean as well, this male is tail-lobbing, slapping the water repeatedly to mark its position to the rest of the pod.
What a thrill to see and photograph killer whales is such clear water and great sea conditions.
This mother has a calf with a most unusual dorsal fin. It looks as if it has been chopped off, but has healed completely. It will be very easy to recognize this youngster in the future!
This adult botttlenose dolphin actually has a broken lower jaw on the left side. The tip of the mandible is sticking out at a 90 degree angle to the jaw line. It seems to have healed just fine, and apparently the animal is still able to feed like normal.
Power and grace summed up in a leaping bottlenose dolphin.
Eye to eye with a curious bottlenose dolphin surfacing just off the side of the ship.

To see more of my photography please visit my website at www.wildlifeimages.net

Northern Lights in Yellowknife, Canada

2010-03-23T20:11:00.008-07:00

March, 2010

Northern Lights dance and dazzle across the unbelievable clear skies north of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada. This is the reason I have travelled so far, all to capture the beauty of the aurora in a camera. But try as I might, I have not even scratched the spectacle of this phenomenon.
Here the big dipper (upper left) is surrounded by the aurora.
A waxing moon setting in the west lights up the snow on frozen Gordon Lake while the northern lights shimmy and shake.
Tamarac and birch trees of the boreal forest make the perfect foreground to the aurora.
There are times when the entire sky is lit up and dancing under the influence of the lights.
The shapes and colors are absolutely beyond belief. Truly you have to see it for yourself to believe it!
So even at -32 degrees C and with my eyes freezing shut I am one happy photographer in the middle of the night in the middle of nowhere, surrounded in ethereal light and moonbeams on fresh snow. How can it get any better?

To see more of my photography please visit www.wildlifeimages.net

Canadian caribou, anyone?

2010-03-23T19:58:00.008-07:00

March, 2010

Caribou! The absolute symbol of the north. Life for native peoples around the Arctic is and always has been tied to the annual migrations of this member of the deer family. The sub species found here in Yellowknife is particularly handsome, wouldn't you agree?
Winter temperatures can be brutal in these parts, but caribou are magnificently adapted for life in the frozen north.
Able to run at speeds approaching 50 mph caribou are fleet and swift, even in deep snow or on slippery ice, as shown here when crossing the ice road.
With nothing to eat on these frozen lakes, the caribou gather in an open place where the approach of predators (like hunters or wolves) can easily be seen and avoided.
At the first sign of danger (me) these caribou are off to the races!
Whether coming or going, caribou are a beautiful animal indeed!

The ice road from Tibbitt to Contwoyto, NWT, Canada

2010-03-23T19:48:00.007-07:00

March, 2010

The famous ice road out of Yellowknife used to truck supplies to the diamond mines up north makes for an interesting backdrop to night photography.
The road itself is a photographic macro opportunity.
Stress cracks and fractures from the weight of heavy rigs crisscross the ice surface.
Gilles setting up for ice macro photography.
Pretty cool, eh?
Caribou crossing the ice road find it much easier to travel the road than in the deep snow surrounding it.

Trucking on the ice road

2010-03-23T19:35:00.008-07:00

March 2010

Trucks supply fuel and logistical support to the diamond mines of Canada's Northwest territories. The ice road of course depends on cold temperatures to maintain safe driving conditions over the myriad lakes and ponds in this area, so the trucks run at night when the temperatures are the coldest (and safest!)
One of the side benefits to running at night is the chance to drive a heavy rig under absolutely dazzling northern lights!
Of course there are many hazards on the ice road like slippery conditions and of course the chance for breaking through the ice.
Tail light trails of heavy trucks on the ice road offset the aurora borealis.
Sunrise finds the last of the trucks trying to make it across the ice to Port Lockheart.
What a place to drive a truck! For a southerner, the thought of driving a big rig across frozen lakes is really awesome!

Photography in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada

2010-03-23T19:24:00.005-07:00

March 23, 2010

For the last 2 weeks my good friend Gilles Pucheu and I have been camping and taking images north of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada. My real goal was to take images of northern lights, but of course there are so many other things to see and shoot!
Gilles and I first met in Churchill, Manitoba where our mutual love of polar bears brought us together spending hours and hours looking for bears along the shores of Hudson Bay.
So what do we do while waiting for nightfall and the aurora? Prepare dinner and hot drinks for the cold (- 30 degree C weather) night to come.
The sky here is of course crystal clear and makes even the most mundane activity like boiling water on the stove a photographic opportunity!

To see more of my images please visit www.wildlifeimages.net

Whales are making a comeback in Antarctica!

2010-03-11T03:40:00.005-07:00

February, 2010
Although it might seem like a small thing to see a huge whale in Antarctica, it really is quite a big deal. In the 20th century all of the great whales in Antarctica were pursued to the point of commercial extinction. Seeing a southern right whale like the one above signals the slow comeback of great whales in Antarctic waters.

Rather than being hunted by humans, humpback whales now inspect us...just who is watching whom here?

A beautiful sight indeed! Blue and fin whales sub-surface feeding side-by-side. Each of the four species of great whales pictured above were reduced to single-digit percentages of their prior to 20th century whaling populations. Let's hope that we can continue to offer sanctuary to these recovering populations in and around Antarctica and all oceans of the world.

To top it all off here is a rare sighting of an adult male Gray's beaked whale in calm waters in the Drake Passage.

Seal of Approval

2010-03-11T03:21:00.009-07:00

February, 2010

How can you not fall in love with them? When they are small, cute, and curious Antarctic fur seals are about the most photogenic animals going on South Georgia! Only as they grow (in both physical size and aggressive attitude) do they lose their appeal.

Mothers with nursing pups are abundant at every landing as fur seals now number into the millions here in South Georgia, quite a comeback after being hunted to commercial extinction in the 19th and 20th centuries.

With their soulful eyes and curious nature they are perfect for photographers!

Of course anyone who knows me knows that I love blondes (they have more fun)! Here a rare (1 in 1,000 or so) blond pup meet a "normal" colored Antarctic fur seal.

Naturally the good-humored nipping and sparring ensues, skills that will be required later in life.

This little fellow snuck up behind me as I was photographing his neighbor.

Of course we all know that curiosity killed the cat...and sometimes fur seal pups as well. This poor little guy has become entangled in fishing line and his future looks grim indeed.

To see more of my photography please visit www.wildlifeimages.net

New Years Day, 2010!

2010-01-22T03:34:00.005-07:00

January 1, 2010
Happy New Year! I can't think of a better way to start out a New Year (as well as a New Decade) than with a moonrise over tabular icebergs deep in the Weddell Sea on the eastern side of the Antarctic Peninsula. Here the moon is still low on the horizon, giving that beautiful orange glow. The time? 11:33PM on January 1, 2010.

This full moon photograph is actually taken one full day past the actual full. As it turns out the full moon of December 31, 2009 was a true "Blue" moon, the second full moon in the month of December. We will not have another Blue moon until August of 2012. The next time a Blue moon falls on New Year's Eve will be the year 2028 and I hope to be around to photograph it. With all of the changes happening so rapidly in digital photography, I wonder just how I will be making photographs 19 years from now!

In the meantime this has been one of the best moonrise experiences I have ever had the privilege to photograph. A special thanks goes to Preston Carnahan, the second officer of the National Geographic Explorer who allowed me to position the ship to best align the moon with the icebergs of my choice. It only happens once in a Blue moon, and I was there with my camera to capture the magic. I hope the images convey the majesty of the moment!

To see more of my photography please go to http://www.wildlifeimages.net/

Smithsonian weighs in on Mother Nature in Tears

2009-12-06T06:52:00.002-07:00

December 6, 2009

For those of you following the fun and games surrounding my image "Mother Nature in Tears" here is a link to the latest in the continuing saga, this time from the Smithsonian. Who knew this image would cause so much controversy? I am honored (and still a little surprised) at the response to this image. Feel free to e-mail any thoughts or comments you might have concerning this image! Enjoy the latest...

- Michael

http://blog.photography.si.edu/2009/11/25/is-mother-nature-in-tears/

Please visit www.wildlifeimages.net to see more of my photography.

Nature's Best Photo Contest

2009-11-30T08:57:00.007-07:00

The image above was recently chosen by Nature's Best Magazine in the Windland Smith Rice International photo contest from tens of thousands of submitted images as highly honored in the people in nature category. The magazine comes out in November, 2009. Of course I am very happy to have one of my images selected in this prestigious photo contest, but I am especially excited that this image is of my good friend (and excellent photographer in his own right) Carlos Navarro. The real icing on the cake for me, however, is that this image was taken by a mere point-and-shoot camera! It is shot with a Canon S70 in a Canon underwater housing. I have been teaching photography all over the world for many years now, alongside some of the top National Geographic photographers out there, and I always smile when one of my students claims they can't get a great image with a small camera like this. So this award really is shared by all the folks who have an aim-and-create camera, go out there and shoot to your heart's content!

- Michael

To see more of my photography please visit http://www.wildlifeimages.net/

Lindblad and National Geographic Photography Webinar

2009-10-18T13:44:00.003-07:00

On September 24, 2009 I had the pleasure and privilege to co-host a photography webinar for Lindblad Expeditions and the National Geographic Society. My good friend and co-host Ralph Lee Hopkins and I spoke live on the internet to photographers from all over the world for just about an hour. Over a thousand people signed up to hear the presentation and view images that Ralph and I have taken on Lindblad Expeditions all over the world. If you missed the live presentation here is the link to the archived show. Enjoy!

http://www.expeditions.com/Theater17.asp?Media=1152

- Michael

Mother Nature in Tears

2009-09-28T21:05:00.010-07:00

July 16, 2009 - Austfonna ice cap located on Nordaustlandet in Svalbard, Norway

Sometimes an image just seems to be too good to true! The image above has caused quite a stir around the world in so many ways. When I took the image early in the morning on July 16, 2009 from the bow of the National Geographic Explorer I was struck by the unmistakable likeness of the face of a woman crying. In fact once my mind locked onto the face it was hard to see any other pattern in the ice cap. I was moved to photograph this particular waterfall several different ways with a couple of different lenses. It was one of the best examples of a human likeness I have ever witnessed in nature.

All well and fine but now comes the controversy. The image was picked up by one of my best stock agencies in the U.K. and the face was likened to Mother Nature. I loved the stylized look of the waterfall as it formed the pool of tears, and think it is strikingly similar to what a thoughtful yet mournful Mother Nature might appear to look like, and what better place to appear than on the face of the largest (by area) retreating ice cap in all of Europe?

Of course folks on one side of the climate change issue took it as a sign, while folks on the other side of this same issue were sure the image was fabricated. "Photoshop Experts" started weighing in on how the image was manipulated or downright faked all together. From my perspective as the photographer who took the image I am amazed at what strong sentiments this image has provoked, and the ensuing attacks on the authenticity of the face. So here it is, as simply and plainly as I can say it:

This image was shot on July 16, 2009 with a Canon 50D digital camera body and a Canon 70-200mm f2.8L lens. The camera settings were 1/640 second at f5.6, handheld. The image was shot in Canon Camera Raw (CR2) file format. The ONLY things done to this image in Photoshop were a slight crop (to straighten the horizon), color correction (to match the blue of the glacier to what I saw), and sharpening (which RAW photos all require). That's it. Nothing was added or taken away, altered, fabricated, or manipulated.

Is this Mother Nature in Tears? If you want it to be then I say absolutely!

Is it a sign of climate change? Of course, the ice cap is retreating and has been for many years now.

Is this a beautiful stylized look of a woman's face in the Austfonna ice cap? This thought is exactly what moved me to create the image.

Was the image fabricated, manipulated, altered, or down right faked? Absolutely not. The image is exactly as it appeared to me (or as close as minor adjustments in Photoshop could make it). I have the RAW file to prove it, and if you chose to believe otherwise that is of course your right. It is just sad (and pitiful) that anyone would choose to make accusations against someone they don't even know about something they weren't even around to witness for themselves. Really, don't you have anything constructive or positive to do in your life? No? Try a little harder!

Enough already. I encourage everyone to go and experience Mother Nature for themselves, wherever (and however) you can find her! Perhaps she will change your life, as she has changed mine. I have hope for even the most ardent unbelievers. The beauty is all around you, you just have to open your eyes (and heart).

The Austfonna ice cap from the bow of National Geographic Explorer.

Waterfalls formed in the melting ice cap.

A black-legged kittiwake on the wing in front of the ice cap.

To see more of my photography please visit http://www.wildlifeimages.net/

"I don't know boo-boo, what's a bear to do?"

2009-05-04T22:28:00.010-07:00

September 2008
Brown bear antics! With personalities and curiosity comes some truly wonderful moments, I almost can't "bear" to share the images with you! The lighter side of bears is presented here...
"Hmmm...tastes like chicken!"

"I can't believe I ate the whole thing..."

"They left the door open for me, they MUST want me to take this baby for a spin. I could buzz all my buddies and scare the blueberries right out of them!"

"ooh, busted! I almost made it too...!"

"These life jackets need a little more meat on (in) them..."

"I've always dreamed of having my own boat..."

"Insert key and turn clockwise. Pull choke lever up, push to engage propeller, add throttle to bring up to speed..."

"So much for my dream of sailing the high seas!"

"If I wait here long enough, maybe the ranger will bring me a picinic basket"!

Anthropomorphism - the inability to stop assigning silly captions to cute bear antics! I do apologize for the captions, but I hope you enjoy the images!

Look for the bear necessities...

2009-05-04T19:20:00.012-07:00

September 2008
It's late September and I have left Southeast Alaska to head to the Katmai Peninsula to watch and photograph brown bears around Brooks Camp on the Brooks River. These bears will all be going into hibernation in only a matter of weeks so what becomes a bear necessity is to eat as much salmon as each bear can possibly stomach!

It is fascinating to me to watch a huge Alaskan brown bear daintily peel the skin off a salmon with only a set of claws as "silverware". The dexterity of bears as they pull off their favorite parts of the fish is a joy to watch and photograph.

In my 5 days camping here alone along the river I saw a total of 38 different bears! Many were content to spend the entire day patrolling the waters for dead salmon that have already spawned.

It's usually not the bear that I see that worries me (well OK, a little) but a bear like this, that I never saw but had to be right next to me. I had walked past this muddy spot to get a clear look at the river and had returned only minutes after going past this spot. Imagine my surprise when fresh bear tracks were in the exact spot I had been only minutes before. That's a size 12 muck boot to give you an idea of the size of the bear (the one I didn't see, hear, smell, or feel). Upon seeing the track I have to say my senses sharpened a bit...

Not only the adults need to get as many calories as they can gobble, but cubs need to eat salmon too! This is a 2-year old dining on a fish with mom who is content with sharing dinner.

Moms will sometimes play-fight with a quarrelsome cub to sharpen skills the cub will need later in life. Here the cub (on the left, notice the clean, white teeth) seems to have the upper hand, but mom can quickly put it in its place if it gets a little too rambunctious.

With all that eating and life lessons there is still ample time for a cub to play and learn about the world around it outside of mom's attention. Here a cub chases a magpie that got a little too close to the salmon it was feeding on beside the lake.

Sometimes a good back scratch is a welcome diversion. This cub just couldn't seem to get to that exact spot...

But perhaps the best playmate is a sibling cub. Here two coy (cubs-of-year) wrestle and push each other while mom is content to save her energy and build her reserves with more salmon.

The wrestling match continues and while it looks like fun it is honing important skills that these cubs will need later in life. Watching a day in the life of bears is such a privilege to me and I will be back here in September of 2009 to spend more time with these beautiful bears!

Please visit my website at www.wildlifeimages.net to see more of my photography.

Southeast Alaska critters

2009-05-04T10:51:00.012-07:00

September 2008
So just what might a photographer expect to see and film on a one week trip aboard either the National Geographic Sea Bird or National Geographic Sea Lion in Southeast Alaska? Tons of animals (literally!) Everything from the small, like this rough-skinned newt...

... to birds of all different feathers (like these black-legged kittiwakes on ice).

Five types of Pacific salmon, like this sockeye spawning...

... or animals that feed on all of that fish like the lovable face of a Steller sea lion.

You want bears? We got 'em! Up close and VERY personal, like this black bear photographed with my 24-105mm lens right at my feet.

And of course brown bears in abundance feeding on those very same salmon.

Lots of whales and dolphins live in the waters surrounding all these islands, like these killer whales swimming in pod formation...

...or these humpback whales cooperatively bubble-net feeding off Chichagof Island.

In fact you might just be surprised at how many animals you can find here in Southeast Alaska...

... if you only look! So come and see for yourself. I would be happy to share the beauty and wonder of Southeast Alaska with you and your camera(s) in August and September this year. Call 1.800.EXPEDITION for details!

Magnificent Tracy Arm

2009-05-04T09:51:00.008-07:00

September 2008
Tracy Arm is an ice carved fjord about 45 miles south of Juneau, Alaska. The fjord ends in two beautiful glaciers, the north and south Sawyer Glaciers. Both of these glaciers are extremely active, and each is receding visibly between our visits. Huge icebergs as well as lots of bergy bits and growlers are constantly being deposited into the ocean from the glaciers as they calve ice into the sea. The bergs themselves are often deep blue with an ethereal light that seems to come from within the ice itself.

To see a calving event is a matter of patience and timing. Often huge sections of the glaciers face will break off and crash into the sea with a thunderous sound.

Possibly even more amazing, though much less cacophonous an event, is when a huge piece of ice breaks off the glaciers' face from below the sea surface where we can't see or hear it until the detached iceberg launches itself into the air from below. These bergs are called "shooters" and can also be enormous, creating large waves that threaten small boats too near the face.

For several years now I have returned each summer to witness the retreat of the two Sawyer Glaciers in Tracy Arm. This waterfall and exposed rock were covered in ice by South Sawyer Glacier only four short years ago.

Being up-close and personal in our Zodiacs really gives the sense for how small we humans really are in the geological events that surround us here in this fjord. How ironic that it is the very way we are choosing to live our lives here in the 21st century that is accelerating the climate change that is directly (and visibly) forcing the retreat of these glaciers!

A small harbor porpoise swims among the bergy bits deep in the fjord next to Sawyer Glacier, perhaps the very first animal to swim in this newly opened section of the fjord. Glaciers are in a constant state of change all over the world, and most are retreating at an alarming rate. It will be a sad day indeed if we lose them altogether here in Southeast Alaska. Better come and enjoy them while you can...

Otterly-ridiculous Southeast Alaska

2009-05-04T06:34:00.008-07:00

September 2008
Early morning in Idaho inlet and this sea otter is out cruising looking for breakfast. Sea otters might reach 100 pounds, and they need to eat almost 35% of their body weight each and every day to feed their incredibly high metabolism. Though they seem like they might be related to seals and sea lions, sea otters are actually the largest and heaviest member of the weasel family.

This otter is working on a Dungeness crab in typical otter fashion; lying on its back in the water and using its belly for the breakfast table!

This pair of otters has scored a HUGE meal...a Giant Pacific Octopus! This is the largest octopus species in the world, with a record weight of over 150 lbs confirmed. It takes two otters just to keep the thing at the surface! Mmmm... a little sushi to start the day!

Grace, beauty, curiosity and of course their incredibly dense fur (almost a million hairs per square inch!) got these animals into all sorts of trouble when they were "discovered" by Georg Steller in 1741. From an historical population of between 150,000 and 300,000 otters they were quickly culled down to less than 2,000 individuals to feed the fur trade. Seems it doesn't pay to have the densest fur of any mammal on the planet.

With good management and protected status sea otter populations are on the rise here in Southeast Alaska. Here is a very rare sight indeed; a mother sea otter nursing her young while hauled out on land in the South Marble Islands. Many sea otters never come to shore at all, spending their entire lives at sea!

Please visit http://www.wildlifeimages.net/ to see more of my photography!

A Steller Day in Southeast Alaska!

2009-05-04T05:49:00.011-07:00

September 2008
It is almost a full moon and the spring tide is racing into Icy Strait through Inian Pass from Cross Sound in the Gulf of Alaska. The Steller (Northern) Sea Lions lie in wait to catch salmon as they return to their natal streams through the only access salmon have to inside waters in this part of Alaska. But wait! What are these curious creatures in bright orange vests doing in our feeding grounds? Larry Hobbs is the first to encounter the welcome committee.

A few false charges and some territorial displays let us know just whose fishing grounds we are visiting. Hmmm...they don't look so bad after all! Once we are determined not to be a threat to sea lion lunch, curiosity takes over and the inspections begin.

Soon a game of "I dare you" starts. You remember this game from your childhood right? It goes something like this: "I dare you to get closer to that boat" and then the reply "I double dare you", usually followed by "I double dog dare you".

Soon the sea lions are right alongside, much to the delight of us all!

Video chronicler Beau Sylte gets some in-your-face shots as the games continue.

Soon all the youngsters on the block have us surrounded and are checking us out. Curiosity may have killed the cat, but here in Southeast Alaska it just makes for a Steller day!

Visit http://www.expeditions.com/ for more information on how you can join me in August and September of 2009 to see and film Steller sea lions in Southeast Alaska.

Alaska is...

2009-04-30T11:38:00.018-07:00

September, 2008
Southeast Alaska is simply a wonderful pallet of textures, pattern, hues, shades, and colors. For a photographer the challenge is to capture the essence of a place that is constantly changing it's light and line. How to visually describe and capture the magic here in Southeast Alaska? Perhaps by starting with a sunrise over Admiralty Island...

Or by capturing the mists of a temperate rain forest.

The repeating patterns of the mountain ranges reaching for the sea...

or with frozen water being pulled by gravity to the sea as well. There are over 100,000 glaciers in Alaska many which end with their "toes" in the ocean!

It is a constant push and pull that forces the glaciers to finally calf and the water trapped in the glacier itself to return to the sea.

Ethereal blue light trapped in frozen water, marching towards the sea.

Literally thousands of tiny islands and islets dot the seascape of Southeast Alaska.

Making it a kayakers paradise as well as a photographers dream.

Perhaps more than any other physical feature to define the area is the nearly constant water that falls from the skies.

With no rain there would be no rainbows, so let it rain!

Glass-flat inside passage waters yield amazing patterns in the sea's surface!

And occasionally a sleepy little Southeast Alaska town will give a sense of what it is like to live here in this remote part of the United States.

Fiercly independent folks still make a living as their fathers and grandfathers before them did...fishing!

For many Southeast Alaska comes from the deck of a huge cruise ship. With over a million people visiting Alaska each year (almost twice the number of people visit as actually live in the state) the high-impact areas see a lot of tourist influence, like here in the state capital in Juneau.

Icebergs in Greenland?

2009-03-27T07:35:00.011-07:00

August 2008
First Ice! Here is the very first bit of ice that the newly christened National Geographic Explorer encounters as she crosses the Denmark Strait, the body of water that separates Iceland from Greenland.

Beautiful icebergs by Zodiac near Skjoldungesund, Greenland.

Sculpted formations that seem to defy building codes. The blues are simply ethereal.

Warm summer days are constantly melting the bergs right in front of us, slowly changing their form and shape in an infinite variety of ways.

Sometimes more dramatic changes occur in a heartbeat. Watch as this iceberg just outside the tiny town of Tasiilaq fractures and calves with a thunderous clap.

Locals say that this huge berg has been grounded here in the harbor for weeks now, quiet and unassuming as it slowly melts away in the summer heat.

We are just lucky enough to be here when the quiet is shattered by the sound of the berg exploding from within.

Huge chunks of ice are thrown skyward and then fall into the awaiting arms of the sea.

A massive wave forms, one that actually swept into the harbor and violently rocked all the boats docked there. All grew quiet once again, at least until the next time this berg decides to self-destruct!

Photography in higher latitudes!

2009-03-27T06:53:00.011-07:00

August 2008
How could you possibly spend a better summers day than to wander in the Valley of the Flowers on Ammassalik Island in Greenland? The answer of course is not only to stop and smell the flowers, but to stop and photograph them as well. Nice form Robert!

A self-portrait overlooking the picturesque town of Qaqortoq, formerly Julianhåb, in Greenland. Color, leading lines, and shadows for drama were all coming together nicely for this photo. Smile!

At these high latitudes the golden hour for photography can come quite late. Here is a glimpse of the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) just before midnight off the stern of the National Geographic Explorer.

Amanda frames a different view of the ship at dock in Qaqortoq, Greenland. Using a "framing" technique can be fun and give a nice window into your photographic subject.

Even our Videographer got into the action. Kevin, you look so intent!

CT wandering among Arctic cotton above the town of Tasiilaq, Greenland.

Dewdrops on this flower frame Deb as she concentrates on her photography.

Of course photography in the summer here can come with its own special challenges. Puffins and terns are not the only "birds" out in force in this area, as Jen demonstrates!

But the quiet and solitude can make for a relaxing and enjoying afternoon composing shots. While this area is not a target-rich wildlife spot, fun images can be made for those who look!

Iceland is for the birds!

2009-03-27T06:11:00.005-07:00

August 7, 2008
This morning we find ourselves in the very dramatic fjords of northwest Iceland in the Hornstrandir peninsula. Atlantic puffins wheel past, their beaks full of a tasty meal for their waiting chicks, snuggled deep into burrows excavated in the ground.

Not to be outdone by a mere puffin, an Arctic tern gets into the action as well!

Nothing is more comical than watching these fat little birds trying to come in for a landing with a beak full of fish. The wings flare, the feet come out as brakes, and they literally just fall out of the sky onto the grassy hills!

In contrast to the puffins, the Arctic tern is sleek and aerodynamic. Long lines, graceful wings and tail, with a long and narrow beak. These birds are elegant in flight!

What the puffin lacks in grace it makes up for with brute strength. Such a chunky and stout little bird, but you have to admit that its pretty cool to carry so many fish in your beak at once!

Visit www.wildlifeimages.net to see more of my photos.

National Geographic Explorer launches!

2009-03-10T13:38:00.008-07:00

August 6, 2008
The inaugural voyage of the National Geographic Explorer began yesterday evening in Reykjavik, the capital city of Iceland. This morning glasses were raised as Sven Lindblad toasted to the health and long life of the newest expedition ship in the Lindblad fleet!

The National Geographic Explorer is rated for ice-filled polar waters and will sail the world at high latitudes in the respective hemispheres summer time in search of everything from polar bears to penguins. I wish her a long and distinguished career and hope to call her my new home for many expeditions into the future!

A head on view of the National Geographic Explorer.

Her she is at anchor in Hvalsey Kirke, Southwest Greenland, the first time for this ship to visit Greenland!

The National Geographic Explorer circumnavigating the island of Skjoldungen in the very remote part of southeast Greenland.

Alone with only a Zodiac to confirm soundings, the National Geographic Explorer will often find herself in very remote parts of the world, with no other expedition ship for hundreds of miles around! May she always bring adventure and excitement to those who travel on her. Skol!

The Maui Spin Zone

2008-11-25T01:12:00.008-07:00

June 2008
I have spent literally hundreds of hours over the years with spinner dolphins here on Maui, usually from a small inflatable boat as I parallel the group traveling along the coast.

But it is here, in the water, that I can really come to appreciate the social structure and dynamics of the entire pod.

Swimming out to deeper water from the shore along the west side of Maui will often yield these brief glimpses into spinner dolphin life.

As with so many marine animals the best approach is often to allow the animals themselves to approach you. After all, you are not going to out swim a dolphin! Hanging motionless invites a closer inspection. It really is a case of being there and allowing the choice to be made by the dolphins.

Often times I simply hang out in deep waters and enjoy the blues, but when a pod comes near it really makes my day! Here a mom keeps her calf snuggled close against her body in the "echelon" position.

I can't think of a better way to simply hang out on Maui!

Visit www.wildlifeimages.net for more dolphin photos.

Sweet Greens and Blues of Maui

2008-11-25T00:42:00.008-07:00

June 2008
Green Sea Turtles in clear blue water here on Maui. In my dreams I am often floating suspended in warm, salty water, surrounded by these ancient animals. Scientist believe marine turtles to have been here on our planet for about 450 million years.

Such a privilege to hang suspended in late afternoon light, a little tune by James Taylor lightly playing in the back of my mind...

Sweet greens and blues

Are the colors I choose

Won't you let me go down in my dreams?

Just like CT, green sea turtles must return to the surface to breath air...

Reflected light off a beautiful carapace on the sea's surface.

Hovering motionless invites a curious pass, just what odd creatures we "youngsters" (evolutionarily speaking) must seem to a green sea turtle!

Here is evidence that the seemingly slow and stately lifestyle of turtles isn't always so carefree...every now and then a shark comes by and jolts a turtle back into reality!

Visit www.wildlifeimages.net to see more of my marine photography.

I'd like to be...

2008-11-25T00:22:00.007-07:00

June 2008
What a pleasant find! An adult day (or Cyanea octopus) changing color and texture in the marine preserve at Honolua Bay on the northwest side of Maui. The Hawaiian name for this octopus is he‘e.

This is the same octopus as above, only now going for its "textured" look! Day octopus are unusual because they are active during daylight hours (diurnal) and extremely adept at camouflage.

This octopus grew so comfortable with us that it actually seemed curious about CT's waving blond hair!

Octopus exhibit rapid growth, an early age at first maturity, and a short lifespan – living approximately one year and dying after spawning. Octopuses are the most intelligent invertebrates, with mental capabilities comparable to that of the average house cat.

Maze and problem-solving experiments show that they have both short- and long-term memory, although their short lifespans limit the amount they can ultimately learn.

I'd like to be

under the sea

In an octopuses garden

in the shade!

He's let us in

knows just where we've been

in his little hideaway

beneath the waves.

We could be so happy you and me

no one there to tell us what to do

I'd like to be

under the sea

in an octopuses garden

with you!

Goodbye to the good ship Polaris

2008-11-23T07:04:00.004-07:00

May 2008
The one constant in life is inevitable change, and here in the Galapagos there is no exception to that rule. After a life time of plying the ocean's of the world, and then spending the last ten years here in the Galapagos exclusively, the Lindblad expedition ship Polaris will retire in April of 2009.

What better legacy than the tens of thousands of people from around the world that the good ship Polaris has introduced to the "Enchanted Isles?" Under her tenure literally millions of dollars have been raised in conservation efforts for the protection and preservation of the Galapagos. She will be sorely missed from these waters.

But of course the closing of one chapter is always the opening of a new one. Lindblad Expeditions will reposition the National Geographic Endeavour to the Galapagos to replace the Polaris in May of 2009. I will have the pleasure and privilege to sail on the very first two voyages in the Galapagos on board the NG Endeavour, both expeditions will be photo expeditions and I would love to join you there. Please check out the details at www.expeditions.com. See you in 2009!

Galapagos underwater Ballet

2008-11-23T06:50:00.006-07:00

May 2008
With so many animals to chose from in this "target rich" photographic dream world it would be hard for me to pick one animal that is my favorite photographic subject, but I would have to say it is hard to beat the pure energy and curiosity exhibited by Galapagos sea lions!

Endlessly curious about snorkeling photographers and the absolute epitome of speed and grace underwater I often feel I am at the ballet rather than a remote island archipelago hundreds of miles off the coast of Ecuador.

So come and join the fun, you can be part of the choreography and swim with stars, just as Juan Carlos is doing here!

We must seem so ungainly and sluggish in the world of sea lions, but they delight in our presence anyway (and where else are you going to find that combination?)

Yep, for pure unbridled energy and curiosity it has to be Galapagos sea lions!

Taking flight in the Galapagos

2008-11-22T06:05:00.008-07:00

May 2008
A juvenile great frigatebird so close you can almost touch it in flight!

Juvenile great frigatebirds vying for fish on the wing on north Seymour Island.

Pink flamingo grace and beauty reflected in afternoon light.

Pink patterns on a blue canvas.

Waved albatross having an animated discussion about current events on Espanola Island.

Adult waved albatross exhibit a very intricate behavioral activity when courting potential mates. This species of albatross is endemic to the Galapagos Islands.

Faces of the Galapagos

2008-11-22T05:16:00.011-07:00

May 2008
With so many different types of animals in the Galapagos to choose from, it is often hard to decide just which subject warrants your attention. Now on my fifth voyage here in the islands I am still fascinated by the many "faces" of this enchanted place - like this nestled blue-footed booby.

A messy but content giant tortoise at lunch time!

I recently purchased a Canon G9 point-and-shoot camera and have to say that it is an absolute blast to find macro subjects like this small spider and pose it so that it looks HUGE (and scary!)

The ubiquitous and very curious lava lizard is to be seen everywhere here.

A Sally lightfoot crab make for a dramatic splash of color on the dark volcanic shoreline.

The whimsical "face" of the endemic giant apuntia cactus, found only here in the Galapagos.

National Geographic collection editor Steve St. John at sunrise from the Zodiac.

Pink flamingos posing in late afternoon light.

So come to the Galapagos and satisfy your own curiosity. I will again be leading photo expeditions here in May of 2009. For more details go to www.expeditions.com

Furry critters in the Galapagos!

2008-11-22T05:00:00.008-07:00

May 2008
With such a plethora of critters running, swimming, and soaring in the Galapagos it is so very nice to find some "lazy" but VERY cute Galapagos sea lions hauled out and sleeping on the sugar sand beach at Gardner Bay on Espanola Island.

In the late spring moms and pups find each other after mom returns from a foraging trip out to sea.

Lindblad photo team member Jennifer Davidson practicing her sea lion yoga!

With seemingly not a care in the world and plenty of time to bask in the sun these sea lions show us the meaning of "siesta"!

Not as mellow as a Galapagos sea lion this Galapagos fur seal is a much more feisty critter!

IN fact when you put two males in close proximity to each other a boisterous mock battle may ensue!

Looking more like Sumo wrestlers these fur seals push and shove, throwing their body weight into the contest as they try to establish just who is top seal on the lava hill!

Please visit www.wildlifeimages.net to see more of my photography.

Galapagos below the surface

2008-11-10T17:53:00.010-07:00

May 2008
A green sea turtle glides over the reef off the west side of Isabella Island.

The strangely shaped oceanic sunfish (Mola mola) in deep waters off the NW side of Isabella Island.

Here a pair of mola molas glide by my underwater housing.

While they look so comical above water, the true grace and purpose of penguins become obvious underwater. Here is the only penguin species in the northern hemisphere!

Trying to follow this Galapagos penguin as it zips through this school of bait fish is almost impossible with my large and heavy camera housing!

White-tipped reef shark patrolling the reef.

Snorkeling with a curious white-tipped reef shark.

I just absolutely LOVE these Galapagos sea lions! I promise they will get their own section here on my blog soon. Here's to putting your foot in its mouth!

Iguanamania in the Galapagos!

2008-11-10T17:08:00.010-07:00

May 2008
The endemic Galapagos marine iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) on Punta Espinosa on Fernandina Island in the Galapagos Island Archipelago, Ecuador.

Reflected sunrise light on a group of resting marine iguanas in calm waters near Cerro Dragon (dragon hill) on Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos.

Sunset over a group of marine iguanas gathered together to absorb the sun's heat on black lava.

This iguana is unique among all iguanas worldwide to feed exclusively underwater on algae.

Watching an iguana forage in the ocean is a unique experience indeed!

Reflected sunrise in calm water lagoon.

A marine iguana surfacing after foraging for algae.

A marine iguana pulling itself up onto a lava flow after going to sea to feed on algae.

Sunrise an a group of sleeping marine iguanas (lower right side of photo).

Visit www.wildlifeimages.net to see more of my wildlife photography.

Alaskan critters

2008-11-10T10:33:00.010-07:00

May, 2008
Curious harbor seals hauled out on a submerged log inspect the Zodiac as slip past. My what BIG eyes you have!

An adult bull Orca encountered in Inian Pass traveling towards Dundas Bay.

Fast and slick, a river otter scampers from the water to take cover in the forest.

Looking for early vegetation on Gloomy Nob, this mountain goat doesn't seem too interested in our passing ship.

Steller sea lions hauled out and NOISY on South Marble Island.

An adult (L) and juvenile (R) bald eagle on pilings just outside of Sitka.

Common mergansers "running" across the water to take flight.

A gorgeous male Harlequin duck decked out in his finest breeding plumage.

A pair of Barrow's goldeneyes at the beginning of breeding season.

Canada geese on the wing over snow and ice.

Spring is in the (Alaskan) air!

2008-11-10T10:05:00.009-07:00

April, 2008To take a boat from Seattle, Washington to Juneau, Alaska along the inside passage is always a treat. To be among the very first expedition ships of the season is absolutely wonderful! The National Geographic Sea Lion left Seattle on April 29 to run north to Alaska.

The advantages of early season are numerous, but among the best is to see winter's grip slowly being released on the landscape.

Early season brings unexpected discoveries like these herring roe on kelp leaves.

Snow and ice retreat from glacier-carved valleys in Glacier Bay National Park.

Views of Grand Pacific glacier from the National Geographic Sea Lion in Glacier Bay National Park, Southeast Alaska, USA.

What a treat...having U.S. Customs come to us! Here our agents arrive at the ship via float plane in Kynoch Inlet.

CT gets a little kayaking session in.

Reflected light in perfect conditions!

At journey's end beautiful Mendenhall Glacier awaits us!

Whales and Dolphins of the Gulf of California

2008-11-09T07:15:00.014-07:00

Spring 2008
This magical place called the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez) is home to over 30 species of whales and dolphins. It is absolutely one of the best places in the world to come and see everything from the largest whale (shown here, a blue whale surfacing) to the smallest (the endemic Vaquita, a tiny porpoise that lives in the extreme upper Gulf). So what are you waiting for? This is the place and the time is NOW!

Approaching 60 feet this fin whale is the second largest animal on the planet, after the blue whale shown above. Here in the Gulf there is a unique population of over 400 resident individuals that live in these waters year round. How can you tell that it is a fin whale? Easy, the right side lower jaw is white where the upper is dark.

Even from a distance and not fully out of the water that white lower jaw is easy to spot!

Short-finned pilot whales are often seen in large pods here as well.

With their bulbous heads and huge, rounded dorsal fins (especially noticeable in adult bulls), pilot whales roam the entire length and breadth of the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez.)

What a pleasure to see them in glass-flat conditions, here just north of Santa Rosalia.

A head-on look at an adult male in clear waters!

A joyful bottlenose dolphin gives us a look as it leaps in the bow wake.

Long-beaked Common Dolphins happen to be the most common of all dolphins here in the Gulf, and we often encounter them in our travels. Notice the two remoras attached firmly to the flank and belly of this leaping long-beaked!

Side-by-side and racing along the ship. I particularly love the reflections!

Motion blur on the bow while surfacing in tandem.

So perfectly hydrodynamic! Notice how this dolphin is "lifting" the water as it gets ready to surface.

Jorobadas saltan!

2008-11-09T06:46:00.006-07:00

Spring 2008
Although humpback whales (called jorobadas in Spanish) can be found within the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez) in every month of the year, it is in the winter and springtime that newborn calves are abundant. From January until April are the best viewing months, and here on the Gorda Banks off San Jose del Cabo is one of the best places to see them breach (Salta!)

These two adult humpback whales are just outside Puerto Escondido ("hidden port" in Spanish) and are exhibiting classic courtship behaviour. Males will often perform all sorts of aerial displays when courting females...awesome!

Here a young calf, probably less than two months old, learns how to breach in waters just off Cabo san Lucas in the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez.)

Sunset over the Baja Peninsula and this young humpback is really arching its way over backwards. Baja is such an amazing place to get to see jorobadas...que les vayan bien!

Please visit http://www.wildlifeimages.netto see more of my photos., Gracias!

Touch of Gray

2008-10-31T21:58:00.009-07:00

Spring 2008
In the warm water lagoons of Baja California baby Gray Whales often approach excited whale watchers seemingly to initiate human contact. I am quite sure that this newborn Gray Whale calf has no idea that the human touching its nose is Serge Dedina, author of the book Saving the Gray Whale and one of the early proponents of stopping the plans by Mitsubishi to build a salt mining operation within San Ignacio Lagoon.

In fact calves seem to seek out human touch below as well as above the water.

These encounters often last for many minutes, sometimes even hours, as curious Gray Whales seem to be as interested in humans as we are in whales. That they seem to actually seek out contact is what makes the experience so unique.

I have had the please and privilege to watch this young man grow up in San Ignacio lagoon. I first met Daniel Aguilar when he was a young boy who loved two things: soccer and whales. Now he has followed in his fathers footsteps and is one of the best panga drivers and whale guides in the lagoon!

Gray Whale calves seem to have a fascination with outboard motors as well, often rubbing their rostrums against the propeller or the hull itself.

Here is Antonio Aguilar, one of the first pangeros to embrace interactions with people and Gray Whales showing that these encounters were neither dangerous or aggressive for humans or whales. In the space of only three or four generations we have gone from hunting and killing Gray Whales here in these lagoons to the idea of protecting and saving them. An amazing transition for man and whale both!

Visit http://www.wildlifeimages.netto see more of my photography.

Catching air!

2008-10-31T16:52:00.007-07:00

March, 2008
Spring is in the air and Gray Whales here in the lagoons are jumping for joy! It is especially fun to watch as newborn calves learn how to properly breach - throwing their bodies out of the sea and into the air. This sub-adult is also adding a half-twist to the breach!

This 4 to 6 week old has finally gotten the hang of it and managed to breach half a dozen times in a row!

This calf has learned a new twist in its efforts to breach. It may not be catching the air that some of the other young whales are getting, but it has learned to fill its mouth with water and let it stream out as it leaps! That certainly qualifies for extra style points...

Look at the arching back and height that this calf is achieving...nice form!

Adult Gray Whales will occasionally breach, but spy-hopping let's them get their bodies into the air without all the energy requirements of a breach. The added benefit is that they can lift their bodies high enough out of the water to get a good look around...

Just whom is watching whom here? A question I have asked myself over an over again!

Seeing Gray

2008-10-31T09:54:00.008-07:00

Spring 2008
Eye to eye with a curious California Gray Whale. It is magical moments like this that have kept me coming to these warm water lagoons since 1988 to interact and film such amazing whales!

When it all comes together, when the whale is as interested in me as I am in it, this is where the connection is created.

Why would an animal that was hunted to near extinction twice in the last 150 years in these exact same lagoons now trust and even initiate an encounter with humans?

Using the same types of boats (without the outboard motors of course) that Gray Whales were hunted from in the 1800's and early 1900's people now come from all over the world to witness the power and grace of these creatures.

These whales were so violent and dangerous towards humans trying to hunt them that they were often called "devil fish." Today these gentle giants have apparently forgotten (or forgiven) and their curiosity about us leads to spectacular encounters.

The curiosity of a calf makes people of all ages and backgrounds scream and laugh out loud with delight!

Just try and contain yourself when a Gray Whale chooses your boat to inspect...I dare you! Even the most jaded observer can't help but get caught up in the exuberance of the moment. So come on down and see for yourself! I will be with these marvelous creatures again in 2009 on a Remarkable Journey starting March 28. For details go to www.expeditions.com for details of how you can get caught up in the excitement too!

The wild and magical side of Baja

2008-09-16T09:51:00.011-07:00

Spring, 2008
Screaming northwesterly winds drive huge waves onto a California sea lion colony at Los Islotes, just a taste of how wild things can get in the Baja!

A waxing moon setting over the Pacific Ocean from Bahia Magdalena.

A nearly full moon rising over cardon cactus on Isla Catalina.

Sunset on organ pipe cactus from the Gulf of California.

Hazy sunset on the lower Baja Peninsula around La Fortuna.

Patterns in the sand dunes at sand dollar beach on Isla Magdalena.

The sun peeking past the "trunk" of elephant rock on Isla Catalina.

Gulls on cardon cactus at sunrise at the arroyo on Isla San Esteban.

The beautiful sandstone cliffs at Punta Colorado (Red Point) on Isla San Jose in the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez).

I have traveled to this part of the world for over 30 years now and I still am in awe at the beauty and dichotomy of this magical place called Baja. With the Sonoran desert nudging the Gulf of California it is the absolute best of both worlds. There are still places to discover, hidden coves to explore, mountains to climb, and islands to land upon. The ecosystems here are tough, used to huge temperature swings daily as well as throughout the year. The very fragility and tenuous nature of life here is what makes the place one of my favorite spots on the planet to return to as the photographic possibilities seem endless. I would love to share the experience with you, please join me On March 28, 2009 for a remarkable journey into the Baja. Details can be found at www.expeditions.com

Things to do in the Baja

2008-09-15T23:22:00.011-07:00

February, March, and April 2008

Manuelito, Manuel Vasquez, and Linda Burback with bottlenose dolphins near Puerto Escondido.

So with so much wild beauty where the Sonoran Desert meets the Gulf of California, just what is there to do in this magical place called Baja? To show us how to enjoy the water undersea specialist Carlos Navarro gets chummy with a California sea lion at Los Islotes Islets in the Bay of La Paz.

Exploring caves by Zodiac at Isla San Pedro Martir, the most isolated island in the entire Gulf of Califonia (Sea of Cortez.)

Even the groupers think they can fly during elegant tern nesting times on Isla Rasa in the upper Gulf of California. Actually, this leopard grouper is leaping out of the water for the exact same prey that has the terns diving into the water; sardines!

National Geographic Traveler photo editor Dan Westergren contemplates sunset over the Baja Peninsula from on top Isla Catalina in the lower Gulf of California.

Expedition Leader Sue Perin surveys the National Geographic Sea Bird from Isla Monserrate.

Early morning photo sessions on Isla San Esteban in the midriff region of the Gulf.

Kayaker Jan Mitchell in Puerto Don Juan near Bahia de los Angeles.

Walking the docks in the sleepy French-influenced port town of Santa Rosalia.

So much of the Baja Peninsula is still wild and remote. The offshore islands are yet untouched and untramelled. The magic lingers everywhere...

And then comes a dose of reality (below).

Please visit http://www.wildlifeimages.net/to see more of my photos.

Baja: Just an illusion?

2008-09-15T22:31:00.009-07:00

Winter, 2008
So has Baja become just an illusion after all? Has it lost it's charm and beauty, it's sense of wildness? To travel to the once-sleepy area of Cabo san Lucas is truly a rude awakening. The famous finisterra ("Land's End") arches at the very tip of the Baja Peninsula seem difficult to place at the end of one of the most rugged areas in all of North America. It is as if the area has gone through a time warp into the 21st century...and even beyond! It is not the change that I bemoan so much, as change seems inevitable, but it seems to me to be the rate of that change; unchecked, unheralded, unprecedented.

I first visited here in 1981 and slept on the very beach that this hotel is being built upon. The construction is absolutely out of control, the devastation to the area is absolutely irrational. Do we really need another hotel, set of condos, or golf course so close to the ocean? Where will all the fresh water for these projects come from? How will we handle the waste? Is this the final destiny for all the wild and beautiful places whose only crime is to be located too close to civilization?

History is bound to repeat itself here; on August 31, 1967 hurricane Katrina made landfall on the southern tip of the peninsula, sinking 60 ships and later leaving 2500 homeless after it partially destroyed the city of San Felipe in the northern part of the Baja Peninsula. On September 22, 2003 hurricane Marty made landfall near San Jose del Cabo. A total of 4000 houses were destroyed and five deaths were reported. What will be the impact of the next hurricane to make landfall in the Cabo area? It is not really a question of "If", but only "When". Do we ever really learn from these events?

The harbor itself has been dredged out and expanded to hold literally thousands of vessels large and small. Each morning hundreds of fishing boats disgorge from the small mouth of the harbor and race at full speed towards offshore fishing grounds in search of billfish and dorados to quench the seemingly unending need to show mastery and dominion over cold blooded fish.

And as if to add insult to injury Cabo san Lucas now plays host to large cruise ships who disgorge hundreds of touristas onto the scene. To a casual observer like myself I can only say that I am so happy to have known this area in earlier times, before the madness and mayhem. I have to wonder what John Steinbeck might write about this area today...

For my part I could skip the area all together, but I suppose that it absolutely drives home this point; there are no sacred places left in this part of the world. if you are going to get out and enjoy what is wild and wonderful about the Baja Peninsula then do it now, before the whole thing goes the way of the Cabos. My friends, THESE are the good 'ol days in Baja...enjoy them while you can!

Split green soup

2008-08-03T11:54:00.004-07:00

January 13, 2008
An overcast day at Olowalu on the west side of Maui - a perfect day to capture an above-and-below type of image since the contrast is not as great as on a sunny day. It actually is a lot harder than it looks to make an image like this inside the camera!

After seeing a lot of above-and-below photos I am quite convinced that many images are the product of two separate photos, each split in half in Photoshop and then brought together. I rather like the results here, within the camera.

Curiosity killed the cat!

2008-08-03T08:20:00.011-07:00

January, 2008
Well it may have killed the cat, but curiosity in the form of a humpback whale can be one of the most exciting moments of your lifetime! Here in the AuAu Channel between Maui and Lanai a curious humpback lifts its head and eye out of the sea to get a better look at all the commotion on board this commercial whale watching boat!

I have always wondered what these whales think of us when they spend hours and hours inspecting us. This whale went from boat to boat to boat for almost four hours, never seeming to lose interest in all the different forms and shapes we must represent to them.

With a final fluke-up dive the show came to an abrupt halt and this whale went back to a "normal" humpback routine.

If you are patient and willing to put in the time, mother humpback whales will often bring their calves right to a drifting boat for a closer inspection. Here I am in a 17' inflatable boat just drifting with the motor off and the camera in its housing held over the side of the boat, no threat whatsoever to this cow/calf pair.

Another mother with her newborn baby on slow approach to inspect the boat.

A lone male makes a pass after completing his singing routine.

This humpback almost seems drawn to the camera, curious about the reflected light perhaps?

After studying the camera intently for a few moments he lets out a bubble blast from his blow holes, aimed no doubt at the odd creature with the big eyes in front of him. Just who is watching whom here? It is encounters just like this one that keep me coming back year after year to watch and film humpback whales. You could say that my curiosity gets the best of me!

Visit http://www.wildlifeimages.net/to see my other photos.

Rounding Cape Horn!

2008-08-03T05:05:00.006-07:00

December, 2007
A welcome sight at last! Raising land aboard the National Geographic Endeavour after crossing the Drake passage from the Antarctic Peninsula to Cape Horn in a moderate sea. This passage covers the “Roaring Forties” and “Furious Fifties” degrees of latitude, where westerly winds build unimpeded and can create HUGE seas!

I have now crossed the Drake passage fourteen times and have to admit that at times I ask myself is it really worth putting yourself through the tossing and turning, all to visit the coldest, highest, and windiest continent on the planet. In a word...YES! There is no way around it, you just have to go through it. The Drake Passage is the cost of admission to the wonderland of Antarctica. Here an adult black-browed albatross on the wing in the Drake passage.

So go ahead...roll the dice! You might get to cross on one of those marvelous flat-calm runs where you are on the "Drake Lake", and think to yourself "I wonder what all the fuss is about!" It is on these crossings that you truly get to enjoy all the seabirds following the ship, like this southern fulmar and these cape (pintado) petrels.

Or you might get a wild ride where the beauty of the Drake is even more magestic. Watching seabirds like this wandering albatross dip and soar on the waves can take your mind off your own imbalances. Photographically speaking, the challenge of capturing a good image of a bird in high seas on a pitching boat has got to be one of the greatest challenges you can face. Just throw in the mixture of wind, spray, salt, and your own naseau and the challenge is complete!

They say misery loves company and I am no exception. If things go as planned I will be crossing the Drake another 12 times in the 2008/2009 Antarctic season and would love to share the wild ride with you! Visit http://www.expeditions.com for more details.

Grumpy Old Men

2008-08-01T16:46:00.007-07:00

December, 2007
Newborn southern elephant seal pups on the beach at President Head on Snow Island in the South Shetland Island Group, Antarctica. Newborns exhibit a dark brown "lanugo" coat for about three weeks, which is then replaced by a silver-grey coat.

With their huge, expressive, and dark eyes and their natural curiosity these pups are absolutely a joy to photograph.

Who couldn't love the playful nature and child-like wonder of these pups?

Stretching out on the beach who could know that these cute and cuddly elephant seals will grow into the largest pinnipeds on the planet (even surpassing walrus in size and weight)?

Morphing from beauty to beast an adult male will attain a length of 21 feet and a weight of more than 8,000 lbs! A remarkable diver, adult males have been recorded to depths of 4600 feet with almost 2 hour times submerged.

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Penguin Antics!

2008-08-01T12:58:00.016-07:00

December, 2007

Anthropomorphism - the act of assigning human attributes to animal behaviors. With penguins it is almost impossible not to come up with little human captions when you see fun images of penguins. Here are a few of my favorites. E-mail me any suggestions for captions and I may just use them!
"Peek-a-boo" - this chinstrap penguin is actually buried in snow during a gale!

"Maybe if we go by REALLY fast they won't notice us!" - porpoising gentoo penguins with kayakers in the Errera Channel.

"Hey look everybody...I can FLY...PLOP!" - gentoo returning to the sea to feed.

"Penguin piracy - gone in 60 seconds" - while his buddy keeps look out, this gentoo penguin literally leaps into the Zodiac for a quick getaway!

"Hey Mister, watcha doin'?" - expedition leader Bud Lenhausen with a new friend.

"Preaching to the choir" - the cacophony of a chinstrap colony on Barrentos Island.

"Maybe someday I can grow up big and strong too!" - three Adelie penguins with a pair of much larger emperor penguins on an ice floe.

"Lost boy" - this king penguin is over 800 miles from the nearest king penguin colony on South Georgia Island. Perhaps the chinstraps are giving directions home!

"Are you looking at ME?" - Lindblad staff Annie Guill with friendly gentoo photo opp.

"The penguins go marching one by one...hurrah!" - chinstrap colony at Bailey Head.

I will leave this one blank and look forward to your anthropomorphic comments!

Cue music - theme song to "Chariots of Fire" (running in slow motion). These gentoo penguins are actually returning to the sea to feed along "penguin highways" created by constant usage.

"WHEW! He scared the heck out of me...I thought it was a leopard seal!" - Weddell seal slowly cruising by gentoo penguins who leaped onto the ice in a panic when the seal swam close.

Delightful? Absolutely!

Silly? Unquestionably!

Photogenic? Incredibly!

Human? Never!

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Leopards in Antarctica!

2008-08-01T07:54:00.011-07:00

December, 2007

Leopards? In Antarctica? Absolutely! And just like the leopards on the savannas of Africa, these leopards are top end predators who can ambush small prey like penguins and other sea birds, as well as even taking on much larger prey like crabeater seals!

This one has gone into stealth mode, looking for that unsuspecting penguin on ice.

Gotcha!! No wonder penguins always appear nervous when they enter or exit the water from ice floes. Leopard seals are masters of ambushing penguins like this unlucky gentoo.

What's to be done after a nice penguin snack? A power nap of course! Leopard seals will spend hours and hours hauled out on an ice floe and resting after a nice meal.

This sleeping leopard didn't even deign to wake up at our slow approach in the Zodiac!

Here's another leopard caught on camera yawning (my, what a HUGE gape and BIG teeth you have!)

Even pups have relatively large teeth and mouth, this one is almost ready to be weened from mom.

The lighter side of Endeavour

2008-07-29T00:08:00.011-07:00

December, 2007

After such a harrowing and emotional event such as the sinking of the Explorer, the officers and crew of the National Geographic Endeavour have a little fun by running the ship hard "aground" on fast ice in order to stretch out and play!

Captain Oliver Kruess and First Officer Bernd "warp" the ship onto the ice!

An exciting game of soccer breaks out among the crew, just as it did among the crew of Sir Ernest Shackleton of the Endurance in the winter of 1914/1915. Great save Tove!

First officer Bernd doing his best imitation of Goalie Oliver Kahn!

Lindblad Expeditions guests get in on the fun as well, hamming it up for the camera!

The galley crew come out to give the ship a hand...

National Geographic Endeavour inside the caldera on Deception Island with a leopard seal and Adelie penguin.

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Goodbye to the "Little Red Ship!"

2008-01-10T22:53:00.000-07:00

Friday, November 23, 2007 at 07:40 LT

With the rescue of all guests and crew now complete, the National Geographic Endeavour approaches the heavily listing Explorer. It is a very stunning and emotional moment as we watch the very first ship ever specifically designed for Antarctic expedition travel in her final death throws. She would manage to stay afloat for several more hours before finally succumbing to the sea.

It is really rather sad to watch (and film) the entire event. Of course many of the staff on board our ship had worked and known the Explorer throughout her almost 40 years in polar travel. Some thought that it was a fitting end to a ship that had carried so many people to the ends of the Earth; much better to die at sea (after safely delivering all her passengers for rescue) than to end up as scrap metal in a shipyard somewhere.

Our entire ship was silent as we slowly circled the dying Explorer. Captain Oliver Kruess of the National Geographic Endeavour gave a farewell set of blasts on our ship's horn in tribute to the "Little Red Ship."

A final view of the sinking Explorer with her passenger rescuer the Nordnorge behind. All passengers were safely transferred to a research base on King George Island and then flown to their various homes around the world, none the less for the wear, but with an amazing story to share!

For my part I got a glimpse of what it would be like to be a news reporter covering a world-wide breaking story. I sent images via satellite to one of my agencies in London, who quickly got them out on the BBC wire service. The images were immediately picked up and distributed worldwide to television stations and newspapers everywhere. My images were on CNN news, BBC news, several of their affiliates and even the AP. On Saturday November 24 my images graced the cover of the Saturday edition of the London Times, as well as being published in the New York Times and many other newspapers worldwide! Friends sent copies of papers with my images in them from as far away as New Zealand, Australia, Scotland, and Ireland. Literally hundreds of newspaper publications form this single event.

And now my fifteen minutes of fame have come and gone, captured in a few moments on a CF card at the bottom of the world. I can peacefully go back to doing what I do best, capturing moments of wildlife doing incredible things in amazing places. I guess it really isn't so different after all...

Visit http://www.wildlifeimages.netto see my other photos.

The Rescue of 154 Explorer Guests and Crew

2008-01-10T22:29:00.000-07:00

Friday, November 23, 2007

While the Chilean Navy helicopter continued to film the sinking of the Explorer, the rescue continued of all 154 guests and crew.

These images were taken from the bow of the National Geographic Endeavour as all guests were transferred to Zodiacs and then on to the Nordnorge.

Miraculously not a single person was injured or suffered from hypothermia during the roughly three and a half to four and a half hours that they were in the lifeboats and Zodiacs.

The rescue went smoothly and efficiently.

It was quite a traumatic event for all the guests and crew, but I cannot stress how lucky it was for everyone involved that the weather was calm and the seas relatively flat, not always the case in this part of Antarctica! In less than eight hours a raging gale would hit the area! A difference of a few hours could have spelled disaster for so many folks...

The ship had drifted clear of most ice floes, with only an occasional iceberg to be seen in the area.

All of the orange bags shown here are personal thermal protection devices that act similar to a sleeping bag that is slipped on over all outer clothing to maintain body heat.

As the lifeboats were emptied they were left to drift in the open seas. The Chilean navy would return later in the day to retrieve the empty lifeboats.

Quite a surreal scene to see the empty lifeboats floating among the ice near the still heavily listing Explorer.

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The Cruise vessel Explorer hits an Iceberg

2008-01-10T21:38:00.000-07:00

Friday, November 23, 2007 06:30 Local Time

Here in Antarctica we were in for a huge surprise today. At roughly 01:30 local time (LT) the National Geographic Endeavour received a telex distress message from MV Explorer, call sign ELJD8, via Valparaiso Playa Ancha Radio. The nature of distress was “flooding." The ship had evidently hit an iceberg that had punctured the hull. The officers of the National Geographic Endeavour fixed the position of the Explorer at 62.24 S, 057.71 W, a distance of roughly 60 miles from our ship. The Endeavour immediately turned and started steaming at full power towards the stricken Explorer.

Just before 03:00 LT contact was again made with the Explorer, receiving a position update (62.23.5 S, 057. 15.1 W) and the message that the ship was without propulsion drifting towards the ice. The evacuation of all 154 people on board the ship was in progress. Fifteen crew members had initially stayed behind to try and manage the flooding, but by 04:50 LT all 154 guests and crew had abandoned ship.

Both the National Geographic Endeavour and the Norwegian cruise ship Nordnorge arrived on the scene at roughly 06:30 LT. People had been in lifeboats for roughly three and a half hours. As these photos show, the sea conditions were relatively calm and ice-free.

Immediately upon arriving the scene the crew from the Explorer began towing the passenger filled lifeboats towards the Nordnorge. I was on the bow of the National Geographic Endeavour filming the whole event. The Chilean Navy was also on the scene in a helicopter watching over (and filming) the entire rescue.

The rescue went smoothly and efficiently. Guests were transferred from the large and ungainly lifeboats into the Explorer Zodiacs and then taken on board the Nordnorge.

There was no panic and very little confusion as the transfers went smoothly and efficiently.

Guests on board the Nordnorge watched and filmed the whole event from the upper decks.

In very short order all 154 people were safely transferred to the Nordnorge. By 07:30 LT all guests and crew were safely aboard the Nordnorge. These images were taken from the bow of the National Geographic Endeavour. The Explorer continued listing and taking on water, finally sinking later that day.

Goodbye to the Hayden Wolf Pack

2008-01-09T01:40:00.001-07:00

October 26, 2007
The last photo I took on this day, of one of the pups with the backbone from the elk kill. Only four days later the pack would suffer the deaths of both alpha male and female wolves and near total destruction of the rest of the pack at the fangs of the Mollies...

The last shot I have of alpha female 540F and alpha male 541M working the elk carcass side by side. We are all reminded now and then that life can be a dog-eat-dog event, it's not how many breaths you take, but how many moments take your breath away. Better get going!

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Wolves and Ravens

2008-01-09T01:22:00.001-07:00

October 26, 2007
Some 8 or 10 years ago I attended an inspirational wolf lecture by photographer Jim Brandenburg who had filmed wolves on Ellesmere Island in northern Canada. I came away with an incredible respect for what it took to be near wolves, but one of Jim's statements given then has stayed with me even now; this was the idea that ravens would lead wolves to prey in the harshness of winter. The ravens were the far-reaching eyes for the predator and the reward of course was a shared prey.

Yellowstone wolves, particularly the Hayden Pack, don't seem to have the same appreciation for ravens as the Canadian wolves Jim had studied and filmed. Time and again I would see a member of the pack break loose and chase ravens off of the carcass, evidently not willing to share just yet.

The first image in this series is of alpha male 541M chasing ravens off his elk leg bone and here is the alpha female 540F seemingly unhappy with the ravens on this elk carcass. She not only chased, but barked and howled as the birds lifted off the carcass as she approached.

Often a great deal of energy seems to be spent on the "defense" of the carcass!

Here one of the pups chases ravens off... When the wolves had finally gorged and left the ravens swooped in and began feeding for themselves...

Goodbye Grizzly Bear!

2008-01-06T08:35:00.000-07:00

October 26, 2007 at 07:24:14

What a time to have to change CF cards! I missed the push around the carcass to move the grizzly off, but just managed to get the final photos of the bear being chased into the woods!

Now maybe this bear was full, or just tired of defending this carcass against attacking wolves. In any event, off he scampers into the forest!

The last sighting of this bear before he is chased off. Time is 07:24:14, just 4 minutes and 14 seconds from when he showed up on the carcass. Not much time to enjoy a hearty breakfast!

And this ends one of the most amazing encounters of any wildlife I have ever been privileged to witness. These images have gone out to several of the wolf researchers in Yellowstone, but they are available to any others who might find them useful. So many of you fine folks who study and watch wolves have given so much to CT and I in our three years in the park that it is a pleasure to finally be able to give a little back. I will post a few more of the fun images of the pack feeding on this carcass and chasing ravens soon, I promise!

Of course these images are all the more poignant in that both the Hayden Pack alpha male and female, as well as several of their pups, were killed on October 30, 2007 by the Molly pack. This is certainly one of the last feeding events in the lives of these incredible wolves, only days before their deaths. I was in Antarctica when CT e-mailed me with the news of their deaths, and I can honestly say that the news affected me profoundly. What a moment in time...

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Haydens Regroup with Alpha Male 541M!

2008-01-06T08:24:00.000-07:00

October 26, 2007 at 07:22:48

Time to regroup! Four pups surround alpha male 541M, who has not been involved at all up to this point in the bear defense. He has been busy with this elk leg...

Seemingly still uninterested he busily gnaws the bone...

But the alpha female 540F gathers the whole pack together...

Here there are eight members of the Hayden pack, including alpha male 541M...

And 540F leads the pack back in against the bear. This image is taken at 07:23:38.

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Hayden Alpha Female 540F Harasses Grizzly Bear

2008-01-06T08:07:00.000-07:00

October 26, 2007 at 07:21:18AM

So what is to be done with this darn bear? The Hayden Pack still wants to feed, but this grizzly is really putting a damper on their efforts.

The alpha female 540F takes it upon herself to circle the bear and try to force it off the carcass.

She is yelping and trying to gain the attention of the bear...

She continues coming in to draw attention from the bear...

But this is a BIG bear and she doesn't seem to be able to force it to leave...

The rest of the pack has just about given up but she has better ideas. Time is 07:22:11.