Capturing the Moment

Team Georgia A family that plunges together... All week I threw in little blurbs and hints about a possible ‘polar plunge’ later in the trip. The suspense, excitement, and anxiousness built up within the group as our final day neared. Finally I told them that today was the day, and it just so happens to coincide with us being in front of a glacier. So as ice floated by us we put on our game faces to challenge ourselves with the coldest of polar plunges. High Flying Aussie Me backflipping in front of a glacier   Dawes glacier has been active this year. We saw it calve several times during the morning kayak so we could understand why there was so much ice floating around the boat. The ice, coupled with the imposing Dawes glacier in the background, made for a pretty incredible scene for the polar plunge.  About ¾ of the 21 guests onboard the Safari Quest this week strolled out in their robes with towels and worried looks. Excitement quickly took over as Carol...

Whale Pics at www.daimarsphotos.com   I had seen bubble net feeding humpback whales before, but never like this. I was leading a skiff tour in one of our small 12 person zodiacs when I spotted multiple whale blows out in the distance. I had planned on staying near the Sitkoh bay, where the Safari Quest was anchored, but the possibility of seeing whales from almost water-level was too much of a draw. I checked in with the guests who non surprisingly all wanted to go out for a closer look. Luckily it was a rare flat calm day in Chatham Strait so out we went. This shot and more for sale here .   I knew we were getting close, but I didn't know how close until I saw the ring of bubbles. We stopped the boat just in time to witness half a dozen whales burst through the surface of the water with mouths wide open . We found ourselves looking up at the whales as they towered above the skiff. They were still about 200 yards away but it felt like we were right next to them. ...

    The hunting trifecta is an almost mythical goal to set for a trip to Alaska. This natural spectacle includes bubble net feeding humpback whales, bears catching salmon, and transient orcas taking down a marine mammal. Just seeing these three animals on one trip would be considered a lucky success. So you can imagine how surprised the crew of the Safari Quest was this week…when we got the hunting trifecta! Orca High Resolution Pictures   First on the list was the hardest and rarest of the trifect, hunting transient orca. Also known as killer whales because of their ability to kill other whales, this family of orca was hunting dall’s porpoise. We watched the speedy porpoise kicking up a rooster tail of water moments before a huge orca would appear right on its tail. The orca corralled the porpoise and let the young orcas chase them. They made it look almost too easy. The chase culminated in an orca exploding out of the water knocking the porpoise sideways in th...

Hanging with Sea Otters Sea Otter Photographs for Sale   On the tours that I lead up in Alaska the wildlife is often a big draw. Every week we come across a plethora of charismatic megafauna, aka really cool big animals. Encounters with humpback whales, bald eagles, killer whales , and brown bears are usually at the forefront of everyones mind when the trip starts. And when we come across those animals it is easy to fall under the spell of their charisma. However it is a slightly smaller marine mammal that can melt the heart of just about everyone who encounters it…the sea otter ( Enhydra lutris ).   Covered in extremely dense fur, about a million hairs per square inch, these aquatic mammals of the weasel family stay warm by trapping air underneath their coat. But it is this same feature that drove early settlers to hunt these sea otters to the brink of extinction. Russia fur traders were prevalent in Alaska’s forming years because of the number of otters. Howeve...

Glacier Hikers on top of the Ice Cave   If you want the ultimate mind-blowing experience in Juneau and you are a bit adventurous then the ice cave hike is the answer. These caves are slowly changing all the time so my suggestion is to go see them while they last. In just a year's time Mendenhall Glacier has receeded quite a bit, and even though the caves are different than last year they are every bit as beautiful. Imagine the bluest ice forming a dome over you with a river running through it, all underneath a glacier. I can't help but feel like I have been transported to another world, or superman's ice fortress while surrounded by the ice caves. And the beauty of this being in wild Alaska is that you don't have to pay anything to get here. There are some organized tours that kayak or canoe across the lake from the visitors center, but if you make it to the west glacier trailhead a 2.5hr hike across changing terrain will lead you right to the caves and the glacier ...

This crow wouldn't stand a chance 'Here's looking at you'  Many people are amazing at the number of Bald Eagles encountered when they visit Alaska. During the summer, especially when the salmon start returning to the rivers, eagles are probably the most abundant bird species that one sees. In fact, on many of my weeklong trips that I run I often have guests who stop taking pictures of eagles towards the end, because they have so many pictures already. For Eagle Fans   But for me, there is just something regal about bald eagles. It makes it easy to understand why they were chosen as our National bird. Every once in a while they will be acting up, and the pictures come out looking more comical than regal. Here are a few of those pictures from my most recent photo shoot with these interesting birds. You can check out a post from a year ago from my favorite eagle photo session up near Homer, Alaska.   I am quite pleased that these eagles have survived in s...

City Market There is a lot of history in downtown Savannah. Built on a high bluff overlooking the Savannah river back in 1733, it is a perfect arena for a walking photo safari. The old cobblestone streets and brick buildings are coupled with tourist tasting salt water taffy and modern art galleries.   The city was organized around beautiful squares and a bustling waterfront. The squares still remain with beautiful oak trees, spanish moss, fountains, and statues. They are a great place to start. The fountain in Forsyth Park is perhaps the most photogenic. Walking north through the squares will bring you to the boutique and restaurant filled Broughton Street. Beyond that City Market looms as the place to go. Old town trolleys and pedestrians rule here along with one of my favorite pizza joints, Vinnie Van Go-Gos. Diners staying cool   This is where I started my photo walk. We tried to stick to the shade since the typical Savannah heat wave was beating down o...