I have a soft spot for these animals most people find ugly and wide-eyed. But despite their obese weight, they can be attentive and shy, contradicting their imprecise moves. Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus), morse.Wrangel Island, Russia.August 2018.
Category: Digital photography
A beautiful killer whale spotted from the boat, while cruising far from the coast. Orca, or killer whale (Orcinus orca), orque, ou épaulard.Wrangel Island, Russia.August 2018.
When you want to see polar bears in the wild, there is a name that keeps popping up: Wrangel Island. It is quite famous for having the highest density of bear dens where female congregate to give birth to polar cubs in December. It is definitely difficult to reach (less than 6 expeditions are reaching… Read More
A shy bird. Long distances. Somewhat insufficient light. A couple of nice shots. Snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus), Harfang des neiges.Wrangel Island, Russia.August 2018.
A few rodents from the Sciuridae family, very similar to tree squirrels and marmots. Ground squirrels (Sciuridae family), marmottins.Wrangel Island, Russia.August 2018.
Those little rodents are thought to be nearer to rabbits than to mice and rats. I have to admit that scientists noticed the large ears and long feet. Pika (Ochotona princeps), pika, ou ochotone.Wrangel Island, Russia.August 2018.
The whale whose song is so elaborate, the humpback whale, is the easiest to observe in the cold waters of North-Eastern Russia (it lives in all oceans and seas of the world). It is quite easy to approach humpbacks, which makes them a nice and easy subject for wildlife photography. But we were very lucky… Read More
Pelagic cormorant (Phalacrocorax pelagicus), Cormoran pélagique.Wrangel Island, Russia.August 2018.
Gray whales have been hunted to extermination in the Atlantic Ocean. But you can still find some in the Pacific Ocean (and the Behring Straits). These very quiet monsters may even jump out of the water (Is it a game? Is it communication? Nobody really knows). Gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus), Baleine grise.Wrangel Island, Russia.August 2018.
Dunlin (Calidris alpina), bécasseau variable.Wrangel Island, Russia.August 2018.
Kittiwakes always stay out at sea, and only approach coasts for breeding. There, in large colonies perched in high cliffs, they will be recognizable to their constant noisy calls. Black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla), mouette tridactyle.Wrangel Island, Russia.August 2018.
I never saw that before:
Who would not admire the stunningly white fur of those arctic foxes you see in the BBC documentary films? But this species is not systematically white. However, all of these foxes are remarkably agile and active. Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus), renard arctique.Wrangel Island, Russia.August 2018.
Summer is a short season when plants need to hurry and flower.
Belugas are not too difficult to find (much less than the elusive narwhal). But, like all whales, they are often hard to catch in action. Here, a group of the white whales was hunting slamon. The grey one is just a young which did not yet grow its porcelain-colored skin. Beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas), Béluga, ou… Read More
These last days, there was a lot of talk about traffic ajms obsevred on the road to Mount Everest summit. They were the cause of several dramatic accidents in 2019, like in the previous years. Most people would not imagine how challenging survival is at high-altitude, without even counting on the huge physical exhaustion from… Read More
Too many people still believe that the main cause of wildlife disappearance in Africa is poaching. But, in many countries (when they are sensitive to the issue, like in Eastern or Southern Africa), poaching has receeded significantly or even nearly dispapeared. And this is the continuous human expansion which become the engine driving wildlife extinction:… Read More
1st of January, time for good resolutions. For me, this year, I would like to take a photo challenge. 52 photos in 52 weeks, this should not be too easy. But 52 photos according to pre-set constraints ; this could be a serious personal challenge. I believe that the rule of the Dogwood 52 week… Read More
Let’s admit that it won’t be easy to see such a whale shark baby playing (or discovering how to play) with the bubbles produced by scuba divers. So cute a baby! Source: Requin-Blanc.
Birds, squirrel, pine marter