Northern Gannet, a summer breeding colony that is spectacular to observe on the cliffs and northern part of Bonaventure island, Quebec. A gannetry. Gannets mate for life. Young birds reach maturity at 4-5 years. The parents share incubation duties for six weeks. The material for creating and maintaining the nest is gathered and continuously attended to. When feeding on fish such as sardines and squid, they can dive as deep as 24m. Billing display is a mutual greeting gesture of the northern gannet. There are aggressive fights between them, of the same sex, while the birds are nesting and defending their territory.
The largest bear in the world and the Artics top predator: Polar Bears of Churchill Manitoba are abundant in October/November as they gather and wait for the ice on the Hudsons Bay to form. The ice forms along the western coast of Hudson Bay first and the bears know it. They are anxious to get back on some ice and start hunting for seals for the next 8 months. The polar bears of the Hudsons Bay are in grave danger as global warming has sea ice vanishing to alarming levels. Polar Bears are powerful symbols of strength and endurance…..truly remarkable to witness.
Atlantic Puffins are amazing seabirds to watch and photograph. With their penguin like colouring and sporting a colourful beak. On the north shore of the Gulf of St Lawrence there are some 30 limestone islands and more than 1000 granite islets and reefs. The Mignan Archipelago is a National Park Reserve where whales and seals frolic at large. Puffins spend most of their lives at sea but come to form breeding colonies during spring and summer. Puffins returning to their burrows to feed their pufflings with sand eels and capelin are fun to photograph . They are expert divers, and they use their wings to fly through the water, chasing down prey with their razor-sharp beaks. They can dive up to 60m and hold their breath for up to a minute.
Great Bear Rainforest is a beautiful natural utopia, a largely untouched and wild section of the northern British Columbia coast. As the salmon return to their natal streams the unique and rare Spirit Bear, black bear, grizzly bears and wolves harvest on the salmon. Humpback whales and other marine mammals and birds are plentiful. Absolutely stunning biological diversity in this region.
Owls are a favourite bird of mine. Here is a variety from British Columbia, India, and Botswana.
Khutzeymateen is a provincial park and Grizzly Sanctuary south of the Alaska panhandle on British Columbia’s north coast. This spectacular fjord and river estuary lie within the earths last remaining intact-coastal temperate rainforest.
Here there is a healthy and indomitable population of coastal Grizzly Bears that live within traditional territory of the Tsimshian Nations. This place is a unique treasure to Canada and British Columbia, the bears and the valley are magical.
During the spring, the grizzly bears make their way to freshwater estuaries to graze on sedge grass. As protein rich as salmon, this sedge grass is a staple in their diet after a long hibernation.
Most of the time grizzly bears are solitary animals, however in the spring it is mating season. There are a great variety of behaviours to observe, like courting and mating, dominance struggles between young males and older ones, mother and cub interactions.
Exploring the Okavango Delta in the Kalahari Desert with my Canon camera. It’s a maze of sparkling lagoons, meandering channels and overgrown islands teeming with wildlife.
There are around 700 Gorillas remaining in the world. They live in 3 countries, Uganda, Rwanda, and DR of Congo. Majority live in Volcano National Park Rwanda & Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, southwest Uganda, on the edge of the Rift Valley. I trekked 3 days in Bwindi and find it impossible to put into words what it is like to see these majestic animals in the wild.
Chilko – a beautiful and unique area of British Columbia, in Tsylos Provincal Park live another healthy population of Grizzly bears – west central BC on the Chilcotin Plateau. It has one of the most beautiful mountain scenery on earth. Truly a Canadian experience and privilege to get up close and experience these magnificent wild animals feeding on chinook and sockeye salmon in the fall before going into hibernation.
The Taku River and its tributaries are located in northwestern British Columbia Canada. It is as wild and remote as it comes, very few people get in there. I visited a 'bear camp' that is open for 3 weeks a year while the salmon are running. There is a very healthy number of grizzlies that frequent this area between late July to mid August because of the spawning pink and chinook salmon.
The agility and skill of a grizzly bear fishing for these salmon is very impressive given their size. They feed non stop for hours, then sleep, then back at it for weeks.
Rub trees are like spa days for Grizzlies
Barred owls mating call. Female on the left and male on the right. Lower Mainland, British Columbia, Canada.
Varanasi. often referred to as Benaras.
“Benaras is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together.” Mark Twain
The land of Varanasi has been the ultimate pilgrimage spot for Hindus for ages. Located on the river Ganges, the river is believed to have the power to wash away the sins of mortals. Hindus believe that those who are graced to die on the land of Varanasi would attain salvation and freedom from the cycle of birth and re-birth.
Varanasi is a street photographers dream. My guide for my 3 days here was Abhishek Hajela (#imagesbyabhishek) outstanding guide and photographer.
Early morning light inspired colour and calmer of pilgrims bathing and performing puja, young priests performing a ritualistic ceremony honouring ‘Agni””, the Lord of Fire, amongst chants and music.
5:15am walk I saw 50 young kids in red robes practising yoga, doing the laughing pose, just down from them the crematorium that goes 24/7. Open air, right by the main promenade where everyone walks. No reservations required. They come on foot through the city or by boat on the river with the dead body on a bamboo stretcher covered with flowers.
Boats arriving full of people coming to dip in the Ganges, and pay their respects to their ancestors that never got here. Children ages 1,3,& 5 years were having their heads shaved as it is a ritual believed to enhance the spiritual life for the child.
Varanasi is the most fascinating place….a portrait of a civilization.
