Over the Arctic Plains

Posted by Florian – June 23, 2009

Our support plane above the migrating Caribou

After flying hours below the layer of fog we see a silver lining at the horizon. We need to put the plane down on a gravel bar and set up camp for the night. My pilot Ken wants to look for a spot where we can get out of the wind. We are fighting a stiff breeze of 20 – 30 nots on the nose of the plane.

As we are flying further inland, the sun finally breaks through the layers of fog. In the far distance I see the brooks range. Dark clouds are hugging the mountains and create a dramatic backdrop for photographs. We follow a river drainage south as I see a group of caribou in the riverbed heading to climb a steep snowbank  to join their group up on the extended plains, where food is plentiful.

We swing around with the plane while I keep an eye on the group running up the step snowbank seemingly without effort. I am trying to caputre the images struggling to keep the horizon straight in the viewfinder while the pilot goes into  a steep bank and balances out the gusts of wind. After hours of flying through bad weather, there it is: A few seconds of action in wonderful golden arctic light.

Overflying Alaska in a Wilga, a bush plane!

Posted by Emil – June 15, 2009

Shot with the Nikon D3 and 14-24mm lens

Came back to Anchorage few days ago after a short overflight on a bush plane. We started in Anchorage flying towards Katmai Park, covering Cook Inlet, along the Chigmit Mountains, and in between landing in Urus Cove and Bruin Bay to document the incredible views that volcano Augustin offers from most of the places we explored. We found lots of harbor seals, grizzly bears and black brants flying over the mud flats. It is just so incredible to see, how the landscape takes up on a complete different shape when seeing it from the air. 

Exploring Alaska with a Wilga. Emil short after landing, takes a good stretch. Volcano Agustine in the background viewed from Ursus Cove.

Augustine Volcano - Nikon D3x with 24-70mm F2.8 lens

We also covered Lake Iliamna and on the way back Florian took some interesting abstract pictures of Lake Clark and its mixed glacial and fresh water patterns. Stayed tuned for more updates on the aerial work that Florian will be doing in the north!

ESPAÑOL

Y como buena Mexicana, no me puede faltar de vez en cuando, una traducción breve sobre nuestras aventuras en el Norte.

Regresamos a Anchorage hace unos dias. Fue una experiencia increible poder sobrevolar una parte de la costa sur de Alaska, especificamente Cook Inlet, que esta escoltado por las montañas Chigmit. Fue un vuelo innolvidable porque vimos mucha vida salvaje desde el aire, y la manera en la que el paisaje cambia cuando lo ves desde esta perspectiva es fascinante. Descubrimos un grupo de focas anilladas, osos grizzlies y un tipo de ganso negro, bellisimo que estaban migrando al norte. 

En estas fotos me pueden ver volando en una avioneta Wilga, con unas ventanas panoramicas increibles que te dejaban ver para todos lados. Sí vamos a estar apretados, mejor no sentirse claustrofobicos, no? Florian viajo siempre en la parte de atras para poder abrir la ventana y yo venia de aeromoza repartiendo bebidas y alimentos… y encargada de la foto familiar. Ja! Mas abajo, pueden verme estirar mis piernas con la hermosa vista del Volcán Agustin, en la Bahia del Oso. Y por ultimo un piloncito de foto que Florian tomo mientras yo tomaba la foto familiar en la avioneta.

Mantenganse al tanto para nuevo material que estaremos subiendo de nuestras proximas expediciones.

Ballerinas of the Sea – Espiritu Santo Island

Posted by Emil – April 18, 2009

Staring at the enchanting waters surrounding Espiritu Santo Island, I keep thinking what might be awaiting under its blueish surface. Even though is a windy day and the waters start to build up, we jump in the panga that will bring us to the island. The ride is wild and we are soaked and salted all the way through. We finally reach calmer waters on the easter side of the island, and we can better appreciate the interesting geological features, characteristic of Espiritu Santo Island   

 A unique site with the most intact ecosystem in the region, withholding several endemic species, including the blacktailed jack rabbit, five species of marine turtles, resident sea lions, migratory and regional bird species and a ring-tailed nocturnal mammal famous for visiting kayakers at night. For its relevance as one of the most ecologically significant islands in the Sea of Cortez, we are here to document a place that not very long ago, was almost sold to private investors for housing and tourist development. Its designation as a protected area by the Mexican government, has allowed the process of slow recovery for a terrestrial and marine ecosystems heavily impacted by unregulated fishing and habitat destruction from tourism.

After gliding over the turquoise waters of its numerous “ensenadas” and exploring some of its hidden coves, we finally arrive to our most awaited destination: La Lobera. A medium size rockery found north of the island that shelters a Californian sea lion colony year round.

As we get closer, the water becomes clearer and shallower. I can see giant rocks beneath the surface, surrounded by pending jewels: tiny colorful fish feeding on the coral beds. Once in a while with unexpected elegance, a golden silhouette spins gracefully under my hanging feet. I want to submerge, fill my senses with that marine joy happening below.

I am finally able to fit in my wet suit and finish struggling with the mask and my long hair. Soon the cold water of the Sea of Cortez runs down my spine. It  awakes me with a sudden heart beat, urging me to get a deep breath.

When I plunge my eyes under the water, the cold goes away. Underneath, there is a world beyond my imagination. Huge rocks fill the area all adorned with fish and corals of all sizes. Down, below the rocks, I discover a pair of inquisitive glowing eyes: a group of sea lions hiding underneath the rocks, looking at me. 

I miss the words to describe what an incredible feeling it is to have a close encounter with sea lions under the water. Playful and full of curiosity, they approach carefully to inspect you thoroughly. If you turn and dive with quick moves, they get excited and follow you closer to see what might be happening next.

Once in a while I stay still and contemplate in awe their play. Twists, turns and swirls. Ballerinas of the sea, dancing an harmonious underwater performance. 

I once belonged to the city, yesterday I fell in love with the wildness of the mountains. Today, if I continue to submerge in the waters of this fascinating ocean, I might soon start growing scales and turn into a mermaid.

Encounters with the Giant Blue

Posted by Emil – April 9, 2009

It is a windless day. Not a single breeze dares to disturb this enchanted late afternoon. Like a mercurial liquid, the glare of a lower sun blinds me when I glance over the water surface. It is one of our first journeys in the Sea of Cortez and we are nervous, anxious to see and discover.  

Rudder tighten up, engines off, we stop to listen. Only the pure quietness of a still day rises the possibility of us finding a whale if it happens to be in the vicinity. We’ve searched with the binoculars, but haven’t found anything yet.

We’ve been here for a while,  awaiting patiently. I am taken by the stillness of the place, hypnotized by the infinite blue of this waters and my imagination telling me what might be hidden beneath. Every slight movement over the water is carefully studied by the corner of my eyes.

And then, unexpectedly, like a volcanic eruption reaping the water apart, an immeasurable amount of air awakes me violently. Florian is nervous and we jump out of our place excited, shaky. It is a blue whale and she is few feet from the boat. Stepping into each other’s feet and hesitant as what to do, we stop for a moment to realize what we are truly contemplating. After few seconds of  shock, Florian is finally able to find his camera. 

The sun is setting, faster than we are used to. Here in the south the sun sets faster than in nordic lands, where we have spent more time.Running out of light and few minutes to enjoy the sight of a Blue, Florian needs to make fast decisions. A close up of the fluke is a most, but that is the last you will see of a whale before it disappears again.

Florian loves combining the subject within the landscape: the blow from the distance, with the mountains in the background would make a beautiful composition.

When the Blue Whale comes up to the surface to breath, they don’t stay very long, and when they disappear, it is for at least 20 to 30 minutes. We are here because we have seen blues before from the air traveling this waters. Only from that far one can truly appreciate their sheer size. Her body is three or four times longer than our boat. Yet, she gently swims by our boat like if we weren’t there.

I hear the rushing train of the camera, trying to capture this moment that escapes our eyes by the second. After this we will be anchoring at night, but been with a blue whale is worth everything.

I have seen the giant, I could not be happier with such a wonderful end of the day.

An icon of hope and survival: The Grey Whale

Posted by Emil – April 7, 2009

During the first expeditions to the southern part of the B2B region, Florian concentrated on the most important stop-overs for whales in southern Baja California. The peninsula offers only few protected areas where the Grey Whale can find calm waters to give birth and feed its young before returning to the north.

Ojo de Liebre, San Ignacio and Magdalena Bay are the most important calving lagoons for grey whales in the Baja Peninsula, and documenting them in these places was key to understand the importance of maintaing the sanctuaries protected. Magdalena Bay is famous for its large complex system of mangroves that shelters large stocks of fish, many resident and migratory birds and offers a unique sanctuary for hundreds of grey whales. 

And it is here where only few centuries ago Grey Whales were slaughtered without mercy, and were brought to the brink of extinction.

The grey whale has a along story of survival, it represents an icon of hope for the future of other whale populations. It is difficult to believe that today, one can glide over the waters of Magdalena Bay and have close encounters with this enigmatic, gentle creatures. 

One early morning, right before sunrise, Florian rides on a panga and goes searching for whales. Soon he realizes, it was his lucky day. A calm windless morning welcomes him over the water as they approach the mouth of the bay. There, he tells me, blows of many whales fill the horizon in a unique harmony of silence and blow. 

They turned off the engines, drifting quietly, awaiting for the whales. And just like that, after a short period of time the whales swam toward the boat. One whale soon became three… and more! Up to six whales were counted surrounding the panga. With an inquisitive behavior that makes of these mammals the most sociable and curious of all, the whales went gliding sideways right below the boat to take a closer look. Swinging their flukes slowly, they approach the boat with care. 

Once called “devilish” because of their fierce behavior while protecting their young during the massive hunting of the 1800’s, it is astounding that today this incredible being is able to forget -or shall I say, forgive- our terrible behavior and reward us once again with their trust.

There are many ecological issues that could threaten the future of Magdalena Bay, thus jeopardizing the future of the whales. The most concerning one is the large scale housing development the peninsula has experienced in the last decade. If it continues to grow at today’s rate, the bay might be facing serious ecological problems and whales could be confronting difficult challenges to survive.