Galleries
Antarctic (Images from the Falkland Islands, South Georgia Island, South Shetland Islands, and the Antarctic Peninsula) – The Southern Ocean circumnavigates the continent of Antarctica unencumbered by land its entire circumference. Antarctica is a continent surrounded by water. The narrowing of this massive body of water between the southern tip of South America, or the fabled Cape Horn, and the Northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula is composed of some of the richest waters found on this planet. Nutrient rich deep bottom water is forced upward by oceanic circulation and feeds millions of sea birds, marine mammals and all creatures inhabiting this vast seascape. The areas visited through my travels in this biodiverse region are full of wonder and exploration. Giant tabular icebergs the size of small European countries, thousands of breeding pairs of penguins, seal populations so thick it is almost impossible to land a boat on many beaches . . . and whales, hundreds of whales, cruising the waters once so key to their historic success. … this is Antarctica!
Arctic (Images from the Arctic regions of Russia's Chukotka Peninsula, Bering Strait, Wrangle Island UNESCO World Heritage Site, The Northwest Passage, Canada's High Arctic including Tanquary Fjord, and Greenland) – The Arctic basin is a vast network of island archipelagos, large and small, with vast stretches of continent connected by the frozen Arctic Ocean. This area is often frequently impassable and even the world’s most powerful icebreakers get stuck. The Arctic is home to indigenous peoples originating from a central Asian ancestor. Moving east they adapted to survive in this seemingly desolate place. The sea ice supports an impressive amount of biomass creating a very simple ecosystem hinged of the success of this unstable substrate. With concerns of climate change the Arctic is the literal “Hot Zone” in the climate story. Even with current changes in the Arctic, an ocean surrounded by continents, it is an area teeming with life. 200 years ago it would have seemed impossible to ever affect its abundance.
Coastal B.C. (Images from Vancouver Island and surrounding archipelagos, including the Gulf and San Juan Islands, Georgia Straight and the Fraser River Delta) – The coast of British Columbia stretches for mile upon mile with endless islands, channels and intermingling ecosystems. Often isolated and a haven for wildlife, these waters are nourished by the constantly moving water of the tides and currents. Marine species that inhabit this seasonally productive coastline include transient and resident orca, dolphin and porpoise species, baleen whales, seals and sea lions, as well as numerous sea bird and fish species. This temperate coast also supports some of the largest forests in the world, and is home to the world’s largest biomass. Huge river systems snake their way from deep inland to the fiords and river deltas along the coast. The constant flow of water from the forests to the ocean permits salmon to return to these shores and swim up the rivers to spawn. This act replenishes the forest with the bodies of the old and the sea with the life of the new. I have had the privilege to explore these waters as an Orca guide spending multiple hours a day with these intelligent, amazing animals.