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  • At Urnes Stave Church, Norway, Viking Age animal art meets Christian architecture..Urnes stavkirke (or stavkyrkje), the oldest Stave Church in Norway, stands at Ornes farm on Lustrafjord in Luster municipality, Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. The church was built around 1135 AD and links Christian architecture with animal-ornamentation of the Viking Age. In 1979, Urnes Stave Church was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Fortidsminneforeningen (Society for the Preservation of Norwegian Ancient Monuments) has owned it since 1881.
    11NOR-3644.jpg
  • A sea lily (crinoid) animal fossil at Redwall Cavern in Marble Canyon at River Mile 33.3, seen on day 2 of 16 days rafting 226 miles down the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, USA. Crinoids are marine animals that make up the class Crinoidea, one of the classes of the phylum Echinodermata, which also includes the starfish, brittle stars, sea urchins and sea cucumbers. Those crinoids which, in their adult form, are attached to the sea bottom by a stalk (shown here) are commonly called sea lilies, while the unstalked forms are called feather stars or comatulids, being members of the largest crinoid order, Comatulida.
    2103SW-B0035.jpg
  • A happy seller leaves Otavalo animal market with an empty rope, Ecuador, South America. The culturally vibrant town of Otavalo attracts many tourists to a valley of the Imbabura Province of Ecuador, surrounded by the peaks of Imbabura 4,610m, Cotacachi 4,995m, and Mojanda volcanoes. The indigenous Otavaleños are famous for weaving textiles, usually made of wool, which are sold at the famous Saturday market and smaller markets during the rest of the week. The Plaza del Ponchos and many shops tantalize buyers with a wide array of handicrafts. Nearby villages and towns are also famous for particular crafts: Cotacachi, the center of Ecuador's leather industry, is known for its polished calf skins; and San Antonio specializes in wood carving of statues, picture frames and furniture. Otavaliña women traditionally wear distinctive white embroidered blouses, with flared lace sleeves, and black or dark over skirts, with cream or white under skirts. Long hair is tied back with a 3cm band of woven multi colored material, often matching the band which is wound several times around their waists. They usually have many strings of gold beads around their necks, and matching tightly wound long strings of coral beads around each wrist. Men wear white trousers, and dark blue ponchos. Otavalo is also known for its Inca-influenced traditional music (sometimes known as Andean New Age) and musicians who travel around the world.
    09ECU-1408_Otavalo-Ecuador.jpg
  • Kyoto Shibori Museum opened in 2001 to protect and pass down the knowledge of the shibori traditional fabric dyeing technique, in Kyoto, Japan. Their displayed artwork "Sport in the forest", or "Shibori Manga Choju-jinbutsu-giga", shows Monkeys, frogs and rabbits enjoy sports on a piece of 40 meter silk scroll completed using shibori dyeing and tujiga-hana techniques. Originally drawn in the Heian period around the 1100s-1200s, these caricatures are derived from the scroll of Choju-jinbutsu-giga ("Animal-person Caricatures" or 'Choju-giga' for short), well-known as one of the oldest manga (cartoon) in Japan. Toba Sojo and others created the historic Choju-giga or "Scrolls of Frolicking Animals and Humans".  The coming 2020 Tokyo Olympics helped inspired the modern 40 meter silk artwork shown in Kyoto Shibori Museum.
    1810JPN-7038.jpg
  • A hippopotamus or hippo (Hippopotamus amphibius scientific name; from the Greek hippopotamos, hippos meaning horse and potamus meaning river), is a large, mostly plant-eating African mammal, one of only two extant species in the family Hippopotamidae (the other being the Pygmy Hippopotamus). The hippo is semi-aquatic, inhabiting rivers and lakes in sub-Saharan Africa in groups of 5-30 hippos. During the day they remain cool by staying in the water or mud; reproduction and childbirth both occur in water, where territorial bulls preside over a stretch of river. They emerge at dusk to graze on grass. While hippos rest near each other in territories in the water, grazing is a solitary activity and hippos are not territorial on land. Despite their physical resemblance to pigs and other terrestrial even-toed ungulates, their closest living relatives are cetaceans (whales, porpoise, etc.). The common ancestor of whales and hippos split from other even-toed ungulates around 60 million years ago. The earliest known hippopotamus fossils, belonging to the genus Kenyapotamus in Africa, date to around 16 million years ago. The hippopotamus is recognizable for its barrel-shaped torso, enormous mouth and teeth, hairless body, stubby legs and tremendous size. Hippos have been clocked at 30 mph (48 km/h) while running short distances, faster than an Olympic sprinter. The hippopotamus is one of the most aggressive animals in the world, and are often regarded as the most dangerous animal in Africa. There are an estimated 125,000 to 150,000 hippos remaining throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, of which Zambia (40,000) and Tanzania (20,000-30,000) have the largest populations. They are still threatened by poaching for their meat and ivory canine teeth, and by habitat loss. Photographed in the Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle, Washington.
    0809ZOO-226.jpg
  • A Galápagos Hawk (Buteo galapagoensis) rests at Suaraz Point, a wet landing location on Española (Hood) Island, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. Their numbers have been wiped out by human-caused disturbance, and only 150 mating pairs of this rare hawk exist. As the most recent natural animal arrival on the Galápagos archipelago 300,000 years ago, and as the only original predator, this endemic raptor is known for its fearlessness towards humans and authority over other birds. Females are noticeably larger than males as in many species of birds of prey. Mature adults are generally a sooty brownish black with a slightly darker crown. Pale brown, grey, or buff feathers line the edge of the mantle, and the tail is a silvery grey. Their grayish black bill contrasts with a yellow cere, legs and feet. Juveniles are a blackish brown, mottled with buff and white and a black streak extending from the corners of their mouth. Unlike adults, juveniles’ bills are blue-grey at the base, their cere a grey-green (a soft, fleshy swelling found on the beak), and their feet a pale yellow-green.
    09ECU-5183_Galapagos.jpg
  • Marmots are large ground squirrels in the genus Marmota. This animal lives atop Alpe di Seceda, in the Geisler/Odle Group, above Ortisei, in South Tyrol, the Dolomites, Italy, Europe. The beautiful ski resort of Selva di Val Gardena (German: Wolkenstein in Gröden; Ladin: Sëlva Gherdëine) makes a great hiking base in the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol (South Tyrol) region of Italy. For our favorite hike in the Dolomiti, start from Selva with the first morning bus to Ortisei, take the Seceda lift, admire great views up at the cross on the edge of Val di Funes (Villnöss), then walk 12 miles (2000 feet up, 5000 feet down) via the steep pass Furcela Forces De Sieles (Forcella Forces de Sielles) to beautiful Vallunga (trail #2 to 16), finishing where you started in Selva. The hike traverses the Geisler/Odle and Puez Groups from verdant pastures to alpine wonders, all preserved in a vast Nature Park: Parco Naturale Puez-Odle (German: Naturpark Puez-Geisler; Ladin: Parch Natural Pöz-Odles), including the deeply glaciated U-shaped valley of Vallunga (Langental). UNESCO honored the Dolomites as a natural World Heritage Site in 2009.
    13ITA-20934_marmot_Dolomites.jpg
  • Pacific sea nettle, or Ortiga de mar (Chrysaora fuscescens), Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, Oregon, USA. Although commonly named "jellyfish," jellies are plankton, not fish. Jellies (class Scyphozoa) lack the backbone (vertebral column) found in fish. Jellies have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, making them the oldest multi-organ animal. A sea nettle hunts by trailing long tentacles covered with stinging cells to paralyze tiny plankton and other prey. Stung prey is moved to the frilly mouth-arms and on to the jelly's mouth.
    08ORC-315_Sea-Nettle_Chrysaora.jpg
  • Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument, Utah, USA. The cliffs that enclose the upper end of Indian Creek Canyon are covered by hundreds of ancient Indian petroglyphs (rock carvings), one of the largest, best preserved and accessible groups in the Southwest USA. The petroglyphs have a mixture of human (feet, figures), animal (deer, pronghorn, buffalo, horse), abstract and material forms of uncertain meaning. Starting about 2000 years ago, humans have chipped away the dark natural desert varnish to reveal lighter colored Wingate sandstone beneath.
    06UT_3083-Newspaper_Rock.jpg
  • Pacific sea nettle, or Ortiga de mar (Chrysaora fuscescens), Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, Oregon, USA. Although commonly named "jellyfish," jellies are plankton, not fish. Jellies (class Scyphozoa) lack the backbone (vertebral column) found in fish. Jellies have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, making them the oldest multi-organ animal. A sea nettle hunts by trailing long tentacles covered with stinging cells to paralyze tiny plankton and other prey. Stung prey is moved to the frilly mouth-arms and on to the jelly's mouth. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    08ORC-330_Sea-Nettle_Chrysaora.jpg
  • The crown jelly (scientific name Cephea cephea, Spanish: Medusa coronada) lives in Indo-Pacific oceans and has a purple bell above lacy mouth-arms. Exhibited at Monterey Bay Aquarium, California, USA. Although commonly named "jellyfish," jellies are plankton, not fish. Jellies (class Scyphozoa) lack the backbone (vertebral column) found in fish. Jellyfish have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, making them the oldest multi-organ animal. The Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) was founded in 1984 on the site of a former sardine cannery on Cannery Row along the Pacific Ocean shoreline. Fresh ocean water is circulated continuously from Monterey Bay, filtered for visibility during the day and unfiltered at night to bring in food. Monterey was the capital of Alta California from 1777 to 1846 under both Spain and Mexico. In 1846 the US flag was raised over the Customs House, and California was claimed for the United States.
    1212CAC-1103.jpg
  • Pacific sea nettle, or Ortiga de mar (Chrysaora fuscescens), Monterey Bay Aquarium, California, USA. Although commonly named "jellyfish," jellies are plankton, not fish. Jellies (class Scyphozoa) lack the backbone (vertebral column) found in fish. Jellyfish have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, making them the oldest multi-organ animal. A sea nettle hunts by trailing long tentacles covered with stinging cells to paralyze tiny plankton and other prey. Stung prey is moved to the frilly mouth-arms and on to the jelly's mouth. The Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) was founded in 1984 on the site of a former sardine cannery on Cannery Row along the Pacific Ocean shoreline. Fresh ocean water is circulated continuously from Monterey Bay, filtered for visibility during the day and unfiltered at night to bring in food. Monterey was the capital of Alta California from 1777 to 1846 under both Spain and Mexico. In 1846 the US flag was raised over the Customs House, and California was claimed for the United States.
    1212CA-1085.jpg
  • Pacific sea nettle, or Ortiga de mar (Chrysaora fuscescens), Monterey Bay Aquarium, California, USA. Although commonly named "jellyfish," jellies are plankton, not fish. Jellies (class Scyphozoa) lack the backbone (vertebral column) found in fish. Jellyfish have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, making them the oldest multi-organ animal. A sea nettle hunts by trailing long tentacles covered with stinging cells to paralyze tiny plankton and other prey. Stung prey is moved to the frilly mouth-arms and on to the jelly's mouth. The Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) was founded in 1984 on the site of a former sardine cannery on Cannery Row along the Pacific Ocean shoreline. Fresh ocean water is circulated continuously from Monterey Bay, filtered for visibility during the day and unfiltered at night to bring in food. Monterey was the capital of Alta California from 1777 to 1846 under both Spain and Mexico. In 1846 the US flag was raised over the Customs House, and California was claimed for the United States.
    1212CA-1114.jpg
  • Pacific sea nettle, or Ortiga de mar (Chrysaora fuscescens), Monterey Bay Aquarium, California, USA. Although commonly named "jellyfish," jellies are plankton, not fish. Jellies (class Scyphozoa) lack the backbone (vertebral column) found in fish. Jellyfish have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, making them the oldest multi-organ animal. A sea nettle hunts by trailing long tentacles covered with stinging cells to paralyze tiny plankton and other prey. Stung prey is moved to the frilly mouth-arms and on to the jelly's mouth. The Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) was founded in 1984 on the site of a former sardine cannery on Cannery Row along the Pacific Ocean shoreline. Fresh ocean water is circulated continuously from Monterey Bay, filtered for visibility during the day and unfiltered at night to bring in food. Monterey was the capital of Alta California from 1777 to 1846 under both Spain and Mexico. In 1846 the US flag was raised over the Customs House, and California was claimed for the United States.
    1212CA-1099.jpg
  • In a large painting in St Giles' Cathedral, a Scottish unicorn paired with an English lion defines the coat of arms of James VI, as the first king of Great Britain and Ireland. What's with the unicorn? Unicorns were first depicted in 2600 BC in ancient seals of the Indus Valley Civilization and were mentioned by the ancient Greeks. In Celtic mythology the unicorn symbolized purity, innocence, masculinity and power. The proud, haughty unicorn was chosen as Scotland's national animal because it would rather die than be captured, just as Scots would fight to remain sovereign and unconquered. The unicorn was first used on the Scottish royal coat of arms by William I in the 1100s, and two unicorns supported the shield until 1603. When James VI became James I of England and Ireland in 1603, he replaced one unicorn with the national animal of England, the lion, to demonstrate unity. Believed to be the strongest of all animals, wild and untamed, the mythical unicorn could only be humbled by a virgin maiden. However, Scotland's unicorn in the coat of arms is always bounded by a golden chain, often shown around its neck and body, symbolizing the power of the Scottish kings, strong enough to tame a unicorn. Today, the version of the royal coat of arms used in Scotland emphasizes Scottish elements, placing the unicorn on the left and giving it a crown, whereas the version used in England and elsewhere places the unicorn on the right and gives English elements more prominence. The Scottish version uses the motto "Nemo me impune lacessit," meaning "No one wounds (touches) me with impunity." The English version says "Dieu et mon droit," meaning "God and my right," the motto of the Monarch of the United Kingdom. St Giles' Cathedral (High Kirk of Edinburgh) is the principal place of worship of the Church of Scotland in Edinburgh.
    17SC1-4398_Scotland.jpg
  • Red fox (Vulpes vulpes), Denali National Park, Alaska, USA. The red fox is one of the most widely distributed members of the order Carnivora, found across the entire Northern Hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to North Africa, North America and Eurasia. It comes in many colorings and sub-species. This versatile animal has colonized many suburban and urban areas.
    1906AKH-2318.jpg
  • Red fox (Vulpes vulpes), West Dawson, Yukon, Canada. The red fox is one of the most widely distributed members of the order Carnivora, found across the entire Northern Hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to North Africa, North America and Eurasia. It comes in many colorings and sub-species. This versatile animal has colonized many suburban and urban areas.
    1906AKH-1405.jpg
  • Red fox (Vulpes vulpes), West Dawson, Yukon, Canada. The red fox is one of the most widely distributed members of the order Carnivora, found across the entire Northern Hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to North Africa, North America and Eurasia. It comes in many colorings and sub-species. This versatile animal has colonized many suburban and urban areas.
    1906AKH-1401.jpg
  • Displayed at Quarry Exhibit Hall in Dinosaur National Monument, this Allosaurus fragilis skeleton is cast from bones of the Jurassic Period (149 million years ago) dug from the Cleveland-Lloyed Quarry in east-central Utah, USA. Allosaurus was the most common predatory animal in the Morrison Formation's ancient ecosystem. The theropod (meaning "beast-footed") dinosaurs are a diverse group of bipedal saurischian ("lizard-hipped") dinosaurs. Therapods include the largest carnivores ever to have walked the earth. Not all dinosaurs are extinct, since birds are actually the descendants of small nonflying theropods.
    1503SW-2229_Allosaurus-cast-skeleton.jpg
  • Inside Stirling Castle, unicorns in the Scottish King's Bedchamber symbolize royal purity & strength. What's with the unicorn? Unicorns were first depicted in 2600 BC in ancient seals of the Indus Valley Civilization and were mentioned by the ancient Greeks. In Celtic mythology the unicorn symbolized purity, innocence, masculinity and power. The proud, haughty unicorn was chosen as Scotland's national animal because it would rather die than be captured, just as Scots would fight to remain sovereign and unconquered. The unicorn was first used on the Scottish royal coat of arms by William I in the 1100s, and two unicorns supported the shield until 1603. When James VI became James I of England and Ireland in 1603, he replaced one unicorn with the national animal of England, the lion, to demonstrate unity. Believed to be the strongest of all animals, wild and untamed, the mythical unicorn could only be humbled by a virgin maiden. However, Scotland's unicorn in the coat of arms is always bounded by a golden chain, often shown around its neck and body, symbolizing the power of the Scottish kings, strong enough to tame a unicorn. Most of Stirling Castle's main buildings date from the 1400s and 1500s, when it peaked in importance. Scotland, United Kingdom, Europe.
    17SC1-2102_Scotland.jpg
  • Pacific sea nettle, or Ortiga de mar (Chrysaora fuscescens), Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, Oregon, USA. Although commonly named "jellyfish," jellies are plankton, not fish. Jellies (class Scyphozoa) lack the backbone (vertebral column) found in fish. Jellies have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, making them the oldest multi-organ animal. A sea nettle hunts by trailing long tentacles covered with stinging cells to paralyze tiny plankton and other prey. Stung prey is moved to the frilly mouth-arms and on to the jelly's mouth. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    08ORC-330_Sea-Nettle_Chrysaora.jpg
  • On a plaster replica of the Easby Cross at the parish church at Easby Abbey, the rear face has a continuous vine scroll inhabited with beasts, an early appearance of this motif in Anglo-Saxon art. The original of this sandstone standing cross from AD 800–820 from the Kingdom of Northumbria is now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Visit Easby Abbey on the River Swale, on the outskirts of Richmond, in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire county, England, United Kingdom, Europe. The cross was erected just as the golden age of Northumbrian art was ending with devastating Viking raids, which began with the attack on Lindisfarne in 793. Picturesque Easby Abbey (Abbey of St Agatha) was founded in 1152, but was suppressed by King Henry VIII in 1536-7 and fell into ruin. This Premonstratensian abbey was home to canons (ordained priests), rather than monks. England Coast to Coast hike day 9 of 14. [This image, commissioned by Wilderness Travel, is not available to any other agency providing group travel in the UK, but may otherwise be licensable from Tom Dempsey – please inquire at PhotoSeek.com.]
    17UK-3804_England.jpg
  • In Argentina, Cueva de las Manos (Spanish for Cave of Hands) displays some of the earliest known human art in the Americas. Located in a scenic canyon of the Pinturas River, Cave of Hands is reached by remote paved and steep gravel roads, 169 km (105 miles) south of the town of Perito Moreno, in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, in the South American region of Patagonia. This striking artwork is honored on UNESCO's World Heritage List. Dating to around 5000 BCE, the silhouette paintings of mostly left hands were sprayed using a bone pipe held in the right hand. The age of the paintings was calculated from pigments found in layers of charcoal from human fires and bone remains of the spraying pipes. The hunting scenes (mostly guanaco) and representations of animals and human life all date older than the stenciled hands, to around 7300 BCE. A favorite hunting tool was the bola, where interconnected cords with weights on either end were thrown to trap animal legs. The site was last inhabited around 700 CE, possibly by ancestors of the Tehuelche people. Cueva de las Manos was first explored by researchers in 1949, followed by more extensive studies done in the 1960s. Varying paint colors come from different mineral pigments: iron oxides for red and purple, kaolin for white, natrojarosite for yellow, and manganese oxide for black.
    2002PAT-0527.jpg
  • In Argentina, Cueva de las Manos (Spanish for Cave of Hands) displays some of the earliest known human art in the Americas. Located in a scenic canyon of the Pinturas River, Cave of Hands is reached by remote paved and steep gravel roads, 169 km (105 miles) south of the town of Perito Moreno, in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, in the South American region of Patagonia. This striking artwork is honored on UNESCO's World Heritage List. Dating to around 5000 BCE, the silhouette paintings of mostly left hands were sprayed using a bone pipe held in the right hand. The age of the paintings was calculated from pigments found in layers of charcoal from human fires and bone remains of the spraying pipes. The hunting scenes (mostly guanaco) and representations of animals and human life all date older than the stenciled hands, to around 7300 BCE. A favorite hunting tool was the bola, where interconnected cords with weights on either end were thrown to trap animal legs. The site was last inhabited around 700 CE, possibly by ancestors of the Tehuelche people. Cueva de las Manos was first explored by researchers in 1949, followed by more extensive studies done in the 1960s. Varying paint colors come from different mineral pigments: iron oxides for red and purple, kaolin for white, natrojarosite for yellow, and manganese oxide for black.
    2002PAT-0483.jpg
  • A woman with purple head covering sells a cow at the bustling Saturday animal market in Otavalo, Ecuador, South America. The culturally vibrant town of Otavalo attracts many tourists to a valley of the Imbabura Province of Ecuador, surrounded by the peaks of Imbabura 4,610m, Cotacachi 4,995m, and Mojanda volcanoes. The indigenous Otavaleños are famous for weaving textiles, usually made of wool, which are sold at the famous Saturday market and smaller markets during the rest of the week. The Plaza del Ponchos and many shops tantalize buyers with a wide array of handicrafts. Nearby villages and towns are also famous for particular crafts: Cotacachi, the center of Ecuador's leather industry, is known for its polished calf skins; and San Antonio specializes in wood carving of statues, picture frames and furniture. Otavaliña women traditionally wear distinctive white embroidered blouses, with flared lace sleeves, and black or dark over skirts, with cream or white under skirts. Long hair is tied back with a 3cm band of woven multi colored material, often matching the band which is wound several times around their waists. They usually have many strings of gold beads around their necks, and matching tightly wound long strings of coral beads around each wrist. Men wear white trousers, and dark blue ponchos. Otavalo is also known for its Inca-influenced traditional music (sometimes known as Andean New Age) and musicians who travel around the world. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    09ECU-1430.jpg
  • Historically, humans have mined the Paint Pots, natural ochre beds in Kootenay National Park, British Columbia, Canada. The Paint Pots formed by the accumulation of iron oxide around the outlets of three cold mineral springs. The Ktunaxa (formerly Kootenay), Stoney, and Blackfoot tribes collected ochre here for important ceremonies and trade. The yellow ochre was cleaned, kneaded with water into walnut sized balls, then flattened into cakes and baked. The red powder was mixed with fish oil or animal grease to paint their bodies, tipis, clothing or pictures on the rocks.  In the early 1900s, Europeans hand-dug and sacked the ochre for hauling 24 kilometers via horse-drawn wagons to the Canadian Pacific Railway line at present-day Castle Mountain, where it was shipped by train to Calgary and became a pigment base for paint.
    1807CAN-464.jpg
  • Blue Mountains National Park is a deeply incised sandstone plateau (with basalt outcrops on the higher ridges) in the Great Dividing Range, 81 km west of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The highest point in the park is Mount Werong (1215 m), and the low point is on the Nepean River (20 m) as it leaves the park. The plateau provided refuge from climatic changes during recent geologic history and enabled survival of a rich diversity of plant and animal life. The Greater Blue Mountains Area was honored as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.
    04AUS-10539_Blue-Mountains-NP.jpg
  • "Hunt of the Unicorn" replica tapestries in the Scottish Queen's Inner Hall in the Royal Palace at Stirling Castle, in Scotland, United Kingdom, Europe. The Royal Palace was childhood home of Mary Queen of Scots. The palace's lavish design drew on European Renaissance fashions to show off James V's power and good taste. Historic Scotland has recreated the palace interiors as they may have looked when the Scottish king's grand scheme was complete. The "Hunt of the Unicorn" tapestries in the Queen's Lodgings are replicas hand-loomed from 2001-2014, inspired from the seven original tapestries made in Brussels between 1495-1505 (now in the Cloisters museum of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art). Why a unicorn? In Celtic mythology the unicorn symbolized purity, innocence, masculinity and power. The proud, haughty unicorn was chosen as Scotland's national animal because it would rather die than be captured, just as Scots would fight to remain sovereign and unconquered. Once the capital of Scotland, Stirling is visually dominated by Stirling Castle. Most of Stirling Castle's main buildings date from the 1400s and 1500s, when it peaked in importance. This image was stitched from several overlapping photos.
    17SC1-2123-26-Pano_Scotland.jpg
  • A lava lizard rests on the toothy grinning head of a dead Galápagos Sea Lion (Zalophus wollebaeki) carcass drying on Punta (Point) Espinoza on Fernandina (Narborough) Island, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. Collectively known as lava lizards, seven ground lizard species of the reptile genus Tropidurus are endemic to the Galápagos Islands (and commonly placed in the genus Microlophus). All seven most likely evolved from a single ancestral species, demonstrating the principal of adaptive radiation that is typical of the inhabitants of the Galapagos archipelago. One lava lizard species occurs on all the central and western islands, which were perhaps connected during periods of lower sea levels, while one species each occurs on six other more peripheral islands. Males and females of all Tropidurus species are marked differently. The male is usually much larger than the female, and its body is more brightly colored and distinctly patterned. Markings vary considerably, even within an individual species. Animals living mainly on dark lava are darker than ones which live in lighter, sandy environments. Like many lizards, they show changes of color with mood and temperature. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    09ECU-3547_Galapagos.jpg
  • Deer cross Kolob Terrace Road at entrance to Zion National Park, Springdale, Utah, USA. The North Fork of the Virgin River carved spectacular Zion Canyon through reddish and tan-colored Navajo Sandstone up to half a mile (800 m) deep and 15 miles (24 km) long. Uplift associated with the creation of the Colorado Plateaus lifted the region 10,000 feet (3000 m) starting 13 million years ago. Zion and Kolob canyon geology includes 9 formations covering 150 million years of mostly Mesozoic-aged sedimentation, from warm, shallow seas, streams, lakes, vast deserts, and dry near-shore environments. Mormons discovered the canyon in 1858 and settled in the early 1860s. U.S. President Taft declared it Mukuntuweap National Monument in 1909. In 1918, the name changed to Zion (an ancient Hebrew name for Jerusalem), which became a National Park in 1919. The Kolob section (a 1937 National Monument) was added to Zion National Park in 1956. Unusually diverse plants and animals congregate here where the Colorado Plateau, Great Basin, and Mojave Desert meet.
    1303UT-1118.jpg
  • Sally Lightfoot or red lava crab (Grapsus grapsus) at Puerto Egas on Santiago (or San Salvador, or James) Island, in the Galápagos archipelago, a province of Ecuador, South America. Grapsus grapsus is one of the most common crabs along the western coast of South America, and can also be seen along the entire coast of Central America and Mexico and nearby islands. This crab has five pairs of legs, the front two bearing small, blocky, symmetrical chelae. The other legs are broad and flat, with only the tips touching down. The crab's round, flat carapace is just over 8 cm (3 inches) in length. Young crabs are black or dark brown in color and camouflage well on the black lava coasts of volcanic islands. Adults are quite variable in color. Some are muted brownish-red, some mottled or spotted brown, pink, or yellow. The ones seen on photographs of tropical island fauna are often bright orange or red with stripes or spots dorsally, blue and green ventrally, and sporting red claws and pink or blue eyes. This crab lives amongst the rocks at the often turbulent, windy shore, just above the limit of the seaspray. It feeds on algae primarily, sometimes sampling plant matter and dead animals. It is a quick-moving and agile crab, and hard to catch, but not considered very edible by humans. It is used as bait by fishermen. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    09ECU-4287_Galapagos.jpg
  • Starfish come in red, orange, purple and magenta colors at the Seattle Aquarium, Washington. Starfish or sea stars are any echinoderms belonging to the class Asteroidea. The "star fish" usually hunt for shelled animals such as oysters and clams. They have two stomachs, one used for digestion, and the other stomach can be extended outward to engulf and digest prey much larger than its mouth. Most starfish have 5 arms, which can be regenerated if lost.
    0803AQU-27.jpg
  • Horse drawn carriage ride. Ballenberg Swiss Open-Air Museum, near Brienz, Canton of Bern, Switzerland, Europe. Founded in 1978, Ballenberg displays traditional buildings and architecture from all over the country, making it a Swiss heritage site of national significance. Over 100 original buildings have been transported from their original sites. Some of the industrial and crafting buildings give demonstrations of traditional rural crafts, techniques and cheesemaking, and farmyard animals are raised.
    22ALP-12272.jpg
  • The Mammoth Site is a fascinating museum and active paleontological site in the town of Hot Springs, in the Black Hills, South Dakota, USA. It is the largest collection of in-situ mammoth remains in the world. Sheltered within the building is an ongoing excavation of a prehistoric sinkhole filled with the remains of animals and plants preserved by entrapment and burial around 140,000 years ago, in the Late Pleistocene. Since mammoth bones were found here accidentally in 1974, the remains of 61 mammoths have been recovered (including 58 North American Columbian and 3 woolly mammoths as of 2021). Due to geological conditions after the animals were trapped, the excavated "fossil" bones are not petrified or turned to stone, so are very brittle, requiring professional handling. The Pleistocene, often referred to as the Ice Age, is the geological epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. The most recent glaciation period reached peak conditions some 18,000 years ago before yielding to the interglacial Holocene epoch 11,700 years ago.
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  • Sinbad is a life-sized replica skeleton of a Columbian mammoth at the Mammoth Site, a fascinating museum and active paleontological site in the town of Hot Springs, in the Black Hills, South Dakota, USA. The Mammoth Site is the largest collection of in-situ mammoth remains in the world. Sheltered within the building is an ongoing excavation of a prehistoric sinkhole filled with the remains of animals and plants preserved by entrapment and burial around 140,000 years ago, in the Late Pleistocene. Since mammoth bones were found here accidentally in 1974, the remains of 61 mammoths have been recovered (including 58 North American Columbian and 3 woolly mammoths as of 2021). Due to geological conditions after the animals were trapped, the excavated "fossil" bones are not petrified or turned to stone, so are very brittle, requiring professional handling.
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  • The giant short-faced bear (Arctodus sumus) was the largest land carnivore in North America during the Ice Age. See this full-scale skeleton in the the Mammoth Site, a fascinating museum and active paleontological site in the town of Hot Springs, in the Black Hills, South Dakota, USA. Sheltered within the building is an ongoing excavation of a prehistoric sinkhole filled with the remains of animals and plants preserved by entrapment and burial around 140,000 years ago, in the Late Pleistocene. The Pleistocene, often referred to as the Ice Age, is the geological epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. The most recent glaciation period reached peak conditions some 18,000 years ago before yielding to the interglacial Holocene epoch 11,700 years ago.
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  • Caribou are large, wild, elk-like animals which live on lichen and vegetation above tree-line in arctic North America and Greenland. Photographed in Denali National Park, Alaska, USA. Reindeer and caribou look different, but they are probably the same species of deer (Rangifer tarandus) which are well adapted to Arctic and Subarctic regions. Both sexes grow antlers, which are typically larger in males. Reindeer are well known from the Christmas myth where flying reindeer pull Santa Claus's sleigh, as popularized since the early 1800s in America. Reindeer are slightly smaller and were domesticated in northern Eurasia about 2000 years ago. Today, reindeer are herded by many Arctic peoples in Europe and Asia including the Sami in Scandinavia and the Nenets, Chukchi, and others in Russia. Reindeer and caribou have unique hairs which trap air for excellent insulation and flotation for swimming cold rivers.
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  • Carancho, or southern caracara (Caracara plancus, in the family Falconidae), at Pampa Linda, in Nahuel Huapi National Park, in the southern Andes, near Bariloche, in the Lake District of Argentina, in the Patagonia region of South America. A bold, opportunistic raptor, the carancho is often seen walking around on the ground looking for food. It mainly feeds on carcasses of dead animals, but will steal food from other raptors, raid bird nests, and take live prey such as insects.
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  • Jefferson's Ground Sloth (Megalonyx jeffersoni) was endemic to North America from 10 million–11,000 years ago, and became extinct in Yukon 75,000 years ago. Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, in Whitehorse, capital and largest city of the Yukon, Canada. During the ice ages, Beringia's climate alternated between warm interglacial and cold glacial periods. During glacial periods, sea levels dropped 120 meters, exposing a land bridge that was up to 1000 kilometers (620 miles) wide. Beringia, like most of Siberia and all of North and Northeast China, was a grassland steppe. Fossils found on both sides of the Bering Land Bridge show that since the time of the dinosaurs, it was a major route for the exchange of plants and animals between Asia and North America. Swedish botanist Eric Hultén coined the term Beringia in 1937. Beringia is the land and ocean area bounded on the west by the Lena River in Russia; on the east by the Mackenzie River in Canada; on the north by 72 degrees north latitude in the Chukchi Sea; and on the south by the tip of the Kamchatka Peninsula. It includes the Chukchi Sea, the Bering Sea, the Bering Strait, the Chukchi and Kamchatka Peninsulas in Russia plus Alaska in the United States.
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  • Honored in a stylized statue, this tanuki, or Japanese raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides viverrinus) is a subspecies of Asian raccoon dog, in the canid family. In Japanese folklore, the legendary tanuki is reputed to be mischievous and jolly, a master of disguise and shapeshifting, but somewhat gullible and absentminded. The tanuki is a common theme in Japanese art and statuary. "Tanuki" is often mistakenly translated into English as "badger" or "raccoon" (as used in the US version of the movie Pom Poko and outlined in Tom Robbins' book Villa Incognito), two unrelated types of animals with superficially similar appearances.  The city of Takayama ("tall mountain") lies in the heart of the Japan Alps, in the Hida region of Gifu Prefecture. Commonly differentiated as Hida-Takayama, city has the largest geographic area of any municipality in Japan.
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  • Hikers walk a dog along a rock face near Northgate Peaks trail, Zion National Park, Springdale, Utah, USA. The North Fork of the Virgin River carved spectacular Zion Canyon through reddish and tan-colored Navajo Sandstone up to half a mile (800 m) deep and 15 miles (24 km) long. Uplift associated with the creation of the Colorado Plateaus lifted the region 10,000 feet (3000 m) starting 13 million years ago. Zion and Kolob canyon geology includes 9 formations covering 150 million years of mostly Mesozoic-aged sedimentation, from warm, shallow seas, streams, lakes, vast deserts, and dry near-shore environments. Mormons discovered the canyon in 1858 and settled in the early 1860s. U.S. President Taft declared it Mukuntuweap National Monument in 1909. In 1918, the name changed to Zion (an ancient Hebrew name for Jerusalem), which became a National Park in 1919. The Kolob section (a 1937 National Monument) was added to Zion National Park in 1956. Unusually diverse plants and animals congregate here where the Colorado Plateau, Great Basin, and Mojave Desert meet.
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  • The Wetterhorn or "Weather Peak" (12,143 feet) rises above a cow pasture at Kleine Scheidegg in the Berner Oberland, Switzerland, the Alps, Europe. A hiker pets a large cow. The Bernese Highlands are the upper part of Bern Canton. In 2001, UNESCO honored Jungfrau-Aletsch-Bietschhorn as a World Heritage Area. UNESCO lists “Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch” as a World Heritage Area (2001, 2007). Published in Wilderness Travel 2013 Catalog.
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  • Emu eyes glow in the sun, at Emu Park Holiday Park, in the beautiful Wartook Valley, in the Northern Grampians region, Victoria, Australia. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
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  • This aboriginal art design by Danny Eastwood was painted by the youth and people of Woolloomooloo in August 1998 on a public wall in Sydney, New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Published for educational purposes in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
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  • A moth (order Lepidoptera) is attracted to night lights at Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, Tandayapa Valley, near Quito, Ecuador, South America. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    09ECU-1803_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • Leafy sea dragon / Phycodurus eques, Monterey Bay Aquarium, California, USA.  Phycodurus eques is a marine fish in the family Syngnathidae, which includes the seahorses. Its long leaf-like protrusions serve as camouflage in its native habitat  along southern and western coasts of Australia. The Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) was founded in 1984 on the site of a former sardine cannery on Cannery Row along the Pacific Ocean shoreline. Fresh ocean water is circulated continuously from Monterey Bay, filtered for visibility during the day and unfiltered at night to bring in food. Monterey was the capital of Alta California from 1777 to 1846 under both Spain and Mexico. In 1846 the US flag was raised over the Customs House, and California was claimed for the United States.
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  • A Galápagos giant tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra, formerly Geochelone elephantopus) rests in a pool of water at the Charles Darwin Research Station (CDRS, operated by the Charles Darwin Foundation) in Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos islands, Ecuador, South America. This species is the largest living tortoise and is native to seven islands of the Galápagos archipelago. Fully grown adults can weigh over 300 kilograms (661 lb) and measure 1.5 meters (5 feet) over the curve of the shell. They are long-lived with a life expectancy of up to 100-150 years in the wild. Populations fell dramatically because of hunting and the introduction of predators and grazers by humans since the 1600s. Only ten subspecies of the original twelve exist in the wild. Since Galápagos National Park and the Charles Darwin Foundation were established, hundreds of captive-bred juveniles have been released back onto their home islands.
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  • A Six-spot Burnet moth (Zygaena filipendulae, a black insect with 6 red wing spots, in the Zygaenidae family) sips nectar from a Knapweed (Centaurea genus) flower in the Dolomites, Italy, the Alps, Europe. Geisler/Odle Group, near St. Magdalena (Santa Maddalena). See the valley and municipality of Funes (Villnöss) in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol (South Tyrol), Italy. Enjoy great hiking here in the vast Nature Park of Parco Naturale Puez-Odle (German: Naturpark Puez-Geisler; Ladin: Parch Natural Pöz-Odles). The Dolomites are part of the Southern Limestone Alps, Europe. UNESCO honored the Dolomites as a natural World Heritage Site in 2009.
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  • Horses graze in Krma Valley, Triglavski narodni park, near Mojstrana, Slovenia, Europe. Glacially-carved Krma Valley, extends from Mojstrana village to Mount Triglav, in Triglavski narodni park, Slovenia’s only national park. In Krma Valley, hike 5-6 hours/6.3miles one way on a non-technical former packhorse hut-supply route (now supplied by helicopter) from trailhead at 950m to scenic Dom Valentina Stanica / Stanicev Dom hut (2332 meters elevation), 20 km round trip, gaining 4658 feet/1420 meters, or a bit further to spectacular Kredarica Hut (aka Triglav hut / Triglavski dom na Kredarici, Slovenia’s highest hut, 2515 meters). Reservations are highly recommended. Hike to Kredarica Hut via Konjsko Sedlo pass from Krma valley 6 hrs one way, non-technical, 1650m gain, well marked with red signs. Ascent of Mount Triglav is non-technical, but is not recommended for those who fear heights: 1.5 hours up from Kredarica (contrary to 1-hour sign, due to waiting for descenders) and 1 hour back. Or stay in scenic Planika hut, 2401m. In 1991, Slovenia declared full sovereignty from Yugoslavia. 80% of its 2 million people speak Slovene. In 2004, Slovenia joined NATO and the EU (European Union), and later adopted the Euro € currency. Slovenia is the richest Slavic nation per capita.
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  • The endemic Galápagos Dove (Zenaida galapagoensis, Columbidae family) lives at Suaraz Point, a wet landing location on Española (Hood) Island, the oldest of the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. Galápagos Dove habitats include subtropical or tropical dry forests and dry shrubland. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
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  • A Common Wombat (Vombatus ursinus) is shown at Bonorong Wildlife Park, Briggs Road, Brighton, Tasmania, Australia. Wombats are burrowing grass eaters, and can be thought of as the marsupial ecological equivalent of a bear. Wombats are found in forested, mountainous, and heathland areas of southeast Australia including Tasmania, plus an isolated group in Epping Forest National Park in central Queensland. The three living species of wombats are marsupial mammals in the Vombatidae family. They dig extensive burrow systems with rodent-like front teeth and powerful claws. Their unusual backwards-facing pouch avoids gathering dirt onto its young. Although mainly crepuscular and nocturnal, wombats also venture out to feed on cool or overcast days. Wombats are herbivores, mostly eating grasses, sedges, herbs, bark and roots. Published on Australian geocaching coin 2010, displayed in support of Wilder Foundation 2009, 2010, and exhibited at Oceanario de Lisboa, Portugal 2007. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
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  • Tom Dempsey photographed this male White-necked Jacobin (Florisuga mellivora; or Great Jacobin; or Collared Hummingbird) hummingbird at the lower elevations (about 1400 meters) of Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, in the "Mindo Area of International Importance for Birds," Tandayapa Valley, near Quito, Ecuador, South America. This large and attractive hummingbird ranges from Mexico south to Peru, Bolivia and south Brazil. The approximately 12 cm long male White-necked Jacobin is unmistakable with its white belly and tail, a white band on the nape and a dark blue hood. Immature males have less white in the tail and a conspicuous rufous patch in the malar region. Females are highly variable, and may resemble adult or immature males, have green upperparts, white belly, white-scaled green or blue throat, and white-scaled dark blue crissum, or have intermediate plumages, though retain the white-scaled dark blue crissum. Females are potentially confusing, but the pattern on the crissum is distinctive and not shared by superficially similar species. These birds usually visit flowers of tall trees and epiphytes for nectar, and also hawk for insects. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
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  • A moth with blue wings and orange head contrasts with red and orange window drapes at Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, Tandayapa Valley, near Quito, Ecuador, South America. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
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  • The Booted Racket-tail (or Racquet-tail; or Racquet-tailed Hummingbird; Latin name Ocreatus underwoodii) in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, in the "Mindo Area of International Importance for Birds," Tandayapa Valley, near Quito, Ecuador, South America. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
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  • Nazca Booby male and female birds preen each other on the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. The Nazca Booby (which has an orange beak) was formerly regarded as a subspecies of the Masked Booby (which has a yellow beak) but is now recognized as a separate species. Nazca and Masked Booby species differ in size, nesting habits, and mtDNA cytochrome b sequence data.
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  • A Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) displays red and greenish breeding colors on the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. Marine Iguanas, the world’s only sea-going lizard species, are found nowhere else on earth. Marine Iguanas feed almost exclusively on marine algae, expelling the excess salt from nasal glands while basking in the sun, coating their faces with white. Marine Iguanas live on the rocky shore or sometimes on mangrove beaches or marshes. Most adults are black, some grey, and the young have a lighter colored dorsal stripe. The somber tones allow the species to rapidly absorb the warm rays of the sun to minimize the period of lethargy after emerging from the frigid water, which is cooled by the Humboldt Current. Breeding-season adult males on the southern islands are the most colorful and will acquire reddish and teal-green colors, while Santa Cruz males are brick red and black, and Fernandina males are brick red and dull greenish. The iguanas living on the islands of Fernandina and Isabela (named for the famous rulers of Spain) are the largest found anywhere in the Galápagos. The smallest iguanas are found on Genovesa Island. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus.
    86GAL-10-09_Sea-Iguana.jpg
  • The endemic Galápagos Dove (Zenaida galapagoensis, Columbidae family) lives at Suaraz Point, a wet landing location on Española (Hood) Island, the oldest of the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. Galápagos Dove habitats include subtropical or tropical dry forests and dry shrubland.
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  • A Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) basks at Suaraz Point, a wet landing on Española (Hood) Island, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. The Marine Iguana is the world’s only sea-going lizard and is found only on the Galapagos Islands. They feed almost exclusively on marine algae, expelling excess salt from nasal glands while basking in the sun. Most adults are black, some grey, and the young have a lighter colored dorsal stripe. The somber tones allow the species to rapidly absorb the warm rays of the sun to minimize the period of lethargy after emerging from the frigid water, which is cooled by the Humboldt Current. Breeding-season adult males on the southern islands are the most colorful and will acquire reddish and teal-green colors, while Santa Cruz males are brick red and black, and Fernandina males are brick red and dull greenish. The iguanas living on the islands of Fernandina and Isabela (named for the famous rulers of Spain) are the largest found anywhere in the Galápagos. The smallest iguanas are found on Genovesa Island.
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  • The Russian River drains Sonoma and Mendocino counties  in Northern California, USA and flows into the Pacific Ocean at Russian River State Marine Conservation area and Sonoma Coast State Park near Jenner.
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  • Gentoo Penguins (Pygoscelis papua) emerge from iceberg bejeweled waters of the Southern Ocean to waddle to their summer colony on Cuverville Island, Antarctica. The adventure cruise ship M/S Explorer anchors offshore in 2005. An adult Gentoo Penguin has a bright orange-red bill and a wide white stripe extending across the top of its head. Chicks have grey backs with white fronts. Of all penguins, Gentoos have the most prominent tail, which sweeps from side to side as they waddle on land, hence the scientific name Pygoscelis, "rump-tailed." As the the third largest species of penguin, adult Gentoos reach 51 to 90 cm (20-36 in) high. They are the fastest underwater swimming penguin, reaching speeds of 36 km per hour. Cuverville Island is in Errera Channel off the west coast of Graham Land, the north portion of the Antarctic Peninsula. Reuters News Pictures Service published this image in stories on the M/S Explorer, which sank after hitting an iceberg in 2007 and now lies sunk 600 meters deep in the Southern Ocean. The Explorer, owned by Canadian travel company GAP Adventures, took on water after hitting ice at 12:24 AM EST on Friday November 23, 2007. 154 passengers and crew calmly climbed into lifeboats and drifted some six hours in calm waters. A Norwegian passenger boat rescued and took them to Chile's Antarctic Eduardo Frei base, where they were fed, clothed, checked by a doctor, and later flown to Punta Arenas, Chile. The ship sank hours after the passengers and crew were safely evacuated.
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  • A Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) displays red and greenish breeding colors on the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. Marine Iguanas, the world’s only sea-going lizard species, are found nowhere else on earth. Marine Iguanas feed almost exclusively on marine algae, expelling the excess salt from nasal glands while basking in the sun, coating their faces with white. Marine Iguanas live on the rocky shore or sometimes on mangrove beaches or marshes. Most adults are black, some grey, and the young have a lighter colored dorsal stripe. The somber tones allow the species to rapidly absorb the warm rays of the sun to minimize the period of lethargy after emerging from the frigid water, which is cooled by the Humboldt Current. Breeding-season adult males on the southern islands are the most colorful and will acquire reddish and teal-green colors, while Santa Cruz males are brick red and black, and Fernandina males are brick red and dull greenish. The iguanas living on the islands of Fernandina and Isabela (named for the famous rulers of Spain) are the largest found anywhere in the Galápagos. The smallest iguanas are found on Genovesa Island. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus.
    94GAL-11-24_sea-iguana-claws.jpg
  • This Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) is at Puerto Egas, visited via a wet landing on Santiago (or San Salvador; or James Island), in the Galápagos Islands archipelago, a province of Ecuador, South America. The Marine Iguana is the world’s only sea-going lizard and is found only on the Galapagos Islands (spread throughout the archipelago). They feed almost exclusively on marine algae, expelling the excess salt from nasal glands while basking in the sun, coating their faces with white. Marine Iguanas live on the rocky shore or sometimes on mangrove beaches or marshes. Most adults are black, some grey, and the young have a lighter colored dorsal stripe. The somber tones allow the species to rapidly absorb the warm rays of the sun to minimize the period of lethargy after emerging from the frigid water, which is cooled by the Humboldt Current. Breeding-season adult males on the southern islands are the most colorful and will acquire reddish and teal-green colors, while Santa Cruz males are brick red and black, and Fernandina males are brick red and dull greenish. The iguanas living on the islands of Fernandina and Isabela (named for the famous rulers of Spain) are the largest found anywhere in the Galápagos. The smallest iguanas are found on Genovesa Island. Santiago is equivalent to Saint James in English; and its alternative name San Salvador refers to the island discovered by Columbus in the Caribbean Sea. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
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  • The Red-footed Booby (Sula sula) is a large seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae. Photo is from Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island, or Bird Island), a shield volcano in the Galápagos Islands, in the eastern Pacific Ocean, Ecuador, South America. Sula sula breeds in colonies and is found widely on tropical islands. The Red-footed Booby is the smallest of all boobies at 71 cm in length and with a 137 cm wingspan, and has red legs with pink and blue bill and throat pouch. They are powerful and agile fliers but clumsy in takeoffs and landings. The brown morph of this species is brown with a white belly, rump, and tail. The white morph is mostly white with black on the flight feathers. Young birds are greyish with browner wings and pink legs. The sexes appear similar. National Park visitors follow licensed guides up the steep path of Prince Philip’s Steps (up a cliff 25 meters vertically) to seabird colonies full of life amidst a thin palo santo forest growing in a rocky desert plain.
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  • Tom Dempsey photographed this fawn-breasted brilliant (Heliodoxa rubinoides) hummingbird in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, in the "Mindo Area of International Importance for Birds," Tandayapa Valley, near Quito, Ecuador, South America.
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  • The Blue-footed Booby (Sula nebouxii) nests on North Seymour Island, part of the Galápagos archipelago, a province of Ecuador 972 km offshore west of the continent of South America. The Sulidae family comprises ten species of long-winged seabirds. The name “booby” comes from the Spanish term bobo, which means "stupid" or "fool/clown," which describes its clumsy nature on land. Like other seabirds, they can be very tame. Blue-footed Boobies breed in tropical and subtropical islands of the Pacific Ocean.
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  • A bee gathers nectar and pollinates a purple knapweed flower (Centaurea genus), at Passo Cibiana, Dolomites, part of the Southern Limestone Alps, Italy, Europe. Centaurea is a genus of hundreds of species of herbaceous thistle-like flowering plants (commonly called knapweed, starthistle, centaury, or centory) in the family Asteraceae. Centaurea are found only north of the equator. UNESCO honored the Dolomites as a natural World Heritage Site in 2009.
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  • Cattle graze a green field high in the Dolomite mountains. See the Sorapiss Group (right, 3205m/10,515 ft) across a pasture just south of Lake Misurina (address: 32041 Auronzo di Cadore), in the Province of Belluno, Veneto region, Italy. Lago di Misurina is only 14 km from Cortina d’Ampezzo. The Dolomites are part of the Southern Limestone Alps, in northern Italy, Europe. UNESCO honored the Dolomites as a natural World Heritage Site in 2009.
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  • A duck swims across an intricate pattern of leaves reflected in the emerald and blue waters of Lake Bled (Blejsko jezero), in the Julian Alps, Slovenia, Europe. Lake Bled hosted the World Rowing Championships in 1966, 1979, 1989, and 2011. The lake is 35 kilometers from Ljubljana International Airport.
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  • Monterey Bay Aquarium, California, USA. The Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) was founded in 1984 on the site of a former sardine cannery on Cannery Row along the Pacific Ocean shoreline. Fresh ocean water is circulated continuously from Monterey Bay, filtered for visibility during the day and unfiltered at night to bring in food. Monterey was the capital of Alta California from 1777 to 1846 under both Spain and Mexico. In 1846 the US flag was raised over the Customs House, and California was claimed for the United States.
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  • A man in red clothing photographs Gentoo Penguins (Pygoscelis papua) on Aicho Island, Antarctica. "Don't approach penguins closer than 15 feet," says an Antarctic tourism rule in 2005. But if you lie down on the ground more than 15 feet away, a curious Gentoo Penguin chick may approach you. An adult Gentoo Penguin has a bright orange-red bill and a wide white stripe extending across the top of its head. Chicks have grey backs with white fronts. Of all penguins, Gentoos have the most prominent tail, which sweeps from side to side as they waddle on land, hence the scientific name Pygoscelis, "rump-tailed." As the the third largest species of penguin, adult Gentoos reach 51 to 90 cm (20-36 in) high. They are the fastest underwater swimming penguin, reaching speeds of 36 km per hour. This photo was licensed to the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC) for publication in the scientific journal Antarctic Science and for use in a poster for the June 2011 Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting. For licensing options, please inquire.
    05ANT-10638_Gentoo-Penguins_Aitcho-I...jpg
  • Colored tassels on a friendly llama mark ownership as it grazes on communally managed land at Lake Surasaca, in the Cordillera Raura, Peru, at the end of our Huayhuash trek, in the Andes Mountains, South America. Published in 2009 on Swedish trekking company site www.adventurelovers.se and in 2009 on a Peruvian tour company web site.
    03PER-41-16_Llama_tassles-mod.jpg
  • Trekkers camp in tents in a green pasture at 13,600 feet elevation in the Cordillera Huayhuash, Andes Mountains, Peru, South America. Yerupaja Grande (left, east face, 6635 m or 21,770 ft) is the second-highest peak in Peru, highest in Cordillera Huayhuash, and highest point in the Amazon River watershed. At center is Yerupaja Chico (20,080 feet). On right is Mount Jirishanca ("Icy Beak of the Hummingbird," 6126 m or 20,098 feet). Up to 4 million copies of this image are agreed to be published in print and electronic media by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (formerly Scholastic Inc) from 2009-2034 for the System 44 classroom paperback, "Left to Die." Also published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
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  • A metallic green Cetonia aurata (rose chafer or goldsmith beetle) crawls on a magenta/pink thistle in Aoos River Valley, in Vikos-Aoos National Park, Zagoria, Epirus/Epiros, Greece, Europe. Green and magenta hues are "complements" of Color Theory. Zagori (Greek: ΖαγÏŒρι) is a region and a municipality in northwestern Greece containing 45 villages collectively known as Zagoria (Zagorochoria or Zagorohoria). Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    01GRE-39-30_Beetle-thistle_Aoos-Vall...jpg
  • A polar bear (Ursus maritimus) in the Alaska Zoo, Anchorage, Alaska, USA. Polar bears live mostly within the Arctic Circle, Arctic Ocean, and surrounding land. It is the world's largest land carnivore and the largest bear, together with the similar sized Kodiak Bear. Published in the book "On Thin Ice: The Changing World of the Polar Bear" by Richard Ellis 2009, from Alfred A. Knopf and Random House.
    06AK_8045-Polar-bear_Alaska-Zoo.jpg
  • A Steller Sea Lion (Eumetopias jubatus, or northern sea lion) plays with a firehose in an aquarium tank at the Alaska Sealife Center, Seward, Alaska. Steller Sea Lions are an endangered species in parts of Alaska and threatened elsewhere in the Pacific Northwest USA.
    06AK_7119-Steller-sea-lion_AK-Sealif...jpg
  • The Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae) is a carnivorous bird in the Kingfisher family (Halcyonidae). It is native to eastern mainland Australia and has also been introduced to Tasmania, Flinders Island, and Kangaroo Island. Kookaburra is a loanword "guuguubarra" (from the now extinct Aboriginal language Wiradjuri). Kookaburras (genus Dacelo) include four known species of large terrestrial kingfishers native to Australia and New Guinea, best known for their unmistakable call, like loud echoing, hysterical human laughter. They can be found in habitats ranging from humid forest to arid savanna, but also in suburban and residential areas near running water and food. Wilson's Promontory National Park (or "the Prom"), in Victoria, Australia, offers magnificent and secluded beaches, cool fern gullies, great views, spectacular rock formations and an abundance of wildlife. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    04AUS-11263_Kookaburra_Wilson's-Prom...jpg
  • Three Australian Pelicans walk in line on Coalmine Beach, Walpole-Nornalup National Park, in southern Western Australia. The Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus), also known as the Goolayyalibee, is widespread on the inland and coastal waters of Australia and New Guinea. Compared to other pelican species, they are medium-sized: 1.6 to 1.8 m (5.25 to 6 ft) long with a wingspan of 2.3 to 2.5 m (7.6 to 8.25 ft) and weighing between 4 and almost 7 kg (9 to 15 lbs). They are predominantly white, with black and white wings and a pale, pinkish bill which, like that of all pelicans, is enormous, particularly in the male.
    04AUS-10772_Australian-Pelican_Walpo...jpg
  • Three Australian Pelicans preen on Coalmine Beach, Walpole-Nornalup National Park, in southern Western Australia. The Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus), also known as the Goolayyalibee, is widespread on the inland and coastal waters of Australia and New Guinea. Compared to other pelican species, they are medium-sized: 1.6 to 1.8 m (5.25 to 6 ft) long with a wingspan of 2.3 to 2.5 m (7.6 to 8.25 ft) and weighing between 4 and almost 7 kg (9 to 15 lbs). They are predominantly white, with black and white wings and a pale, pinkish bill which, like that of all pelicans, is enormous, particularly in the male. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    04AUS-10760_Australian-Pelican.jpg
  • The jagged, sharp spine of a Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) displays red and greenish breeding colors on the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. Marine Iguanas, the world’s only sea-going lizard species, are found nowhere else on earth. Marine Iguanas feed almost exclusively on marine algae, expelling the excess salt from nasal glands while basking in the sun, coating their faces with white. Marine Iguanas live on the rocky shore or sometimes on mangrove beaches or marshes. Most adults are black, some grey, and the young have a lighter colored dorsal stripe. The somber tones allow the species to rapidly absorb the warm rays of the sun to minimize the period of lethargy after emerging from the frigid water, which is cooled by the Humboldt Current. Breeding-season adult males on the southern islands are the most colorful and will acquire reddish and teal-green colors, while Santa Cruz males are brick red and black, and Fernandina males are brick red and dull greenish. The iguanas living on the islands of Fernandina and Isabela (named for the famous rulers of Spain) are the largest found anywhere in the Galápagos. The smallest iguanas are found on Genovesa Island. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus.
    94GAL-11-31_Sea-iguana-spines.jpg
  • A Waved Albatross (Phoebastria irrorata; or Galapagos Albatross) roosts at Suaraz Point, a wet landing on Española (Hood) Island, the oldest of the Galapagos Islands, which are a province of Ecuador, South America.  The Waved Albatross is the only tropical member of the Albatross family (Diomedeidae). During the non-breeding season, Waved Albatross mostly reside in the coastal areas of Ecuador and Peru. The Waved Albatross breeds primarily on Española Island in the Galápagos archipelago (and maybe some on Genovesa Island and Isla de la Plata). Waved Albatross have blue feet and distinctively yellowish-cream neck and head, which contrasts with their mostly brownish bodies. The very long, bright yellow bill looks disproportionately large in comparison to the relatively small head and long, slender neck. They have chestnut brown upper parts and underparts, except for the breast, with fine barring, a little coarser on the rump. They have brown upper-wings, back, and tail, along with a whitish breast and underwings. Their axillaries (armpit feathers) are brown. Chicks have brown fluffy feathers. Juveniles are similar to adults except for more white on their head. Their lifespan may reach 40 to 45 years. Diomedeidae (the Albatross family) come from the Procellariiformes order (along with Shearwaters, Fulmars, Storm-petrels, and Diving-petrels). In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001. Panorama was stitched from 2 overlapping photos.
    09ECU-5292+98_Waved-albatross.jpg
  • A Galapagos Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis, subspecies: urinator) spreads its wings to dry at Suaraz Point, a wet landing location on Española (Hood) Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. The Brown Pelican species lives strictly on coasts from Washington and Virginia south to northern Chile and the mouth of the Amazon River. Some immature birds may stray to inland freshwater lakes. Although large for a bird, the Brown Pelican is the smallest of the eight species of pelican. Adults are 106-137 cm (42-54 inches) in length, weigh from 2.75 to 5.5 kg (6-12 pounds), and have a wingspan from 1.83 to 2.5 m (6 to 8.2 feet). After nesting, North American birds move in flocks further north along the coasts, returning to warmer waters for winter. Their young are hatched in broods of about 3, and eat around 150 pounds of fish in the 8-10 month period they are cared for. The Brown Pelican bird differs from the American White Pelican by its brown body and its habit of diving for fish from the air, as opposed to cooperative fishing from the surface. It eats mainly herring-like fish. The nest location varies from a simple scrape on the ground on an island to a bulky stick nest in a low tree. Pelicans can live more than 30 years.
    09ECU-5136_Galapagos.jpg
  • A Galapagos Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis, subspecies: urinator) preens feathers at Suaraz Point, a wet landing location on Española (Hood) Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. The Brown Pelican species lives strictly on coasts from Washington and Virginia south to northern Chile and the mouth of the Amazon River. Some immature birds may stray to inland freshwater lakes. Although large for a bird, the Brown Pelican is the smallest of the eight species of pelican. Adults are 106-137 cm (42-54 inches) in length, weigh from 2.75 to 5.5 kg (6-12 pounds), and have a wingspan from 1.83 to 2.5 m (6 to 8.2 feet). After nesting, North American birds move in flocks further north along the coasts, returning to warmer waters for winter. Their young are hatched in broods of about 3, and eat around 150 pounds of fish in the 8-10 month period they are cared for. The Brown Pelican bird differs from the American White Pelican by its brown body and its habit of diving for fish from the air, as opposed to cooperative fishing from the surface. It eats mainly herring-like fish. The nest location varies from a simple scrape on the ground on an island to a bulky stick nest in a low tree. Pelicans can live more than 30 years. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    09ECU-5125_Galapagos.jpg
  • Blue-footed Booby (Sula nebouxii) parents swap nesting duty on two eggs on North Seymour Island, part of the Galápagos archipelago, a province of Ecuador 972 km offshore west of the continent of South America. A dark pigment surrounding the female's eye pupil makes it look larger than the male's. .The Sulidae family comprises ten species of long-winged seabirds. The name “booby” comes from the Spanish term bobo, which means "stupid" or "fool/clown," which describes its clumsy nature on land. Like other seabirds, they can be very tame. Blue-footed Boobies breed in tropical and subtropical islands of the Pacific Ocean.
    09ECU-4548_Galapagos.jpg
  • A Blue-footed Booby (Sula nebouxii) nests with two eggs on North Seymour Island, part of the Galápagos archipelago, a province of Ecuador 972 km offshore west of the continent of South America. The Sulidae family comprises ten species of long-winged seabirds. The name “booby” comes from the Spanish term bobo, which means "stupid" or "fool/clown," which describes its clumsy nature on land. Like other seabirds, they can be very tame. Blue-footed Boobies breed in tropical and subtropical islands of the Pacific Ocean. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    09ECU-4498_Galapagos.jpg
  • Galapagos Marine Iguanas (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) rest in a tide pool at Puerto Egas, which can be visited via a wet landing on Santiago (or San Salvador; or James Island), in the Galápagos Islands archipelago, a province of Ecuador, South America. The Marine Iguana is the world’s only sea-going lizard and is found only on the Galapagos Islands (spread throughout the archipelago). They feed almost exclusively on marine algae, expelling the excess salt from nasal glands while basking in the sun, coating their faces with white. Marine Iguanas live on the rocky shore or sometimes on mangrove beaches or marshes. Most adults are black, some grey, and the young have a lighter colored dorsal stripe. The somber tones allow the species to rapidly absorb the warm rays of the sun to minimize the period of lethargy after emerging from the frigid water, which is cooled by the Humboldt Current. Breeding-season adult males on the southern islands are the most colorful and will acquire reddish and teal-green colors, while Santa Cruz males are brick red and black, and Fernandina males are brick red and dull greenish. The iguanas living on the islands of Fernandina and Isabela (named for the famous rulers of Spain) are the largest found anywhere in the Galápagos. The smallest iguanas are found on Genovesa Island. Santiago is equivalent to Saint James in English; and its alternative name San Salvador refers to the island discovered by Columbus in the Caribbean Sea. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    09ECU-4256_Galapagos.jpg
  • The leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx), also referred to as the sea leopard, is the second largest species of seal in the Antarctic region. It is most common in the southern hemisphere along the coast of Antarctica and on most sub-Antarctic islands, but can also be found on the coasts of southern Australia, Tasmania, South Africa, New Zealand, Lord Howe Island, Tierra del Fuego, the Cook Islands, and the Atlantic coast of South America. Along with all of the other earless seals, it belongs to the family Phocidae, and is the only species in the genus Hydrurga. The name hydrurga means "water worker" and leptonyx is the Greek for "small clawed". The leopard seal is large and muscular, with a dark grey back and light grey on its stomach. Its throat is whitish with the black spots that give the seal its common name.
    05ANT-11086.jpg
  • A ranch gate frames the Sawtooth Mountains near Stanley, Idaho, USA. A horse stands behind fencing. The Sawtooth Range (part of the Rocky Mountains) are made of pink granite of the 50 million year old Sawtooth batholith. Panorama stitched from 2 overlapping photos.
    07SAW-1156-57pan_Sawtooth-Mountains_...jpg
  • The Booted Racket-tail (or Racquet-tail; or Racquet-tailed Hummingbird; Latin name Ocreatus underwoodii) in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, in the "Mindo Area of International Importance for Birds," Tandayapa Valley, near Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2063_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • A Buff-tailed Coronet (Boissonneaua flavescens) hummingbird lives in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, in the "Mindo Area of International Importance for Birds," Tandayapa Valley, near Quito, Ecuador, South America. This species is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela.
    09ECU-1659_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • On an Antarctic island, a visitor watches Gentoo penguins walk to the ocean to retrieve food for chicks. In 2005, the M/S Explorer cruise ship took us to this remote wilderness. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    05ANT-20133.jpg
  • Crabeater seals (Lobodon carcinophaga) rest on an ice floe in Antarctica. Ecotourists in a Zodiac boat cruise nearby. Crabeater seals are the most numerous large species of mammal on Earth, after humans and cattle. Contrary to their name, Crabeater seals primarily eat krill, using  finely-lobed teeth adapted to filtering their tiny crustacean prey. Published in Wilderness Travel Antarctica Brochure 2009, 2010.
    05ANT-11053_Crabeater-seals.jpg
  • Chinstrap Penguin (Pygoscelis antarcticus), Aitcho Island, Antarctica. A narrow black band under their heads looks like a chin strap for their black "helmet." Chinstrap Penguins swim up to 80 km (50 miles) offshore each day to eat krill, shrimp, and fish. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    05ANT-10672_Aitcho-Island.jpg
  • A koala rests in a tree at Koala Conservation Centre, Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia. The koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia, and the only surviving member of the family Phascolarctidae. The koala is found in coastal regions of eastern and southern Australia, from Adelaide to the southern part of Cape York Peninsula, extending inland where enough moisture supports suitable woodlands. The koalas of South Australia were mostly exterminated during the early 1900s, but have been repopulated with Victorian stock. The koala is not found in Tasmania or Western Australia. The koala is one of the few mammals (other than primates) that has fingerprints. It is generally silent, but males have a very loud advertising call that can be heard from almost a kilometer away during the breeding season. The koala requires large areas of healthy, connected forest and will travel long distances along tree corridors in search of new territory and mates. Human encroachment cuts these corridors with agricultural and residential development, forestry, and road-building, marooning koala colonies in decreasing areas of bush.
    04AUS-20053_Koala-Conservation-Centr...jpg
  • A green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) grazes underwater at Tagus Cove, on Isabela (Albemarle) Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. The "green sea turtle" name comes from its greenish fat and flesh. The hues of its shell range from olive-brown to black in Eastern Pacific green turtles. The green turtle belongs to the family Cheloniidae and is the only species in the genus Chelonia. The species lives in tropical and subtropical seas around the world, with two distinct populations in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It has a flattened body covered by a large, teardrop-shaped carapace and a pair of large, paddle-like flippers. Unlike other members of its family such as the hawksbill and loggerhead turtles, Chelonia mydas is mostly herbivorous (plant eating). The adults are commonly found in shallow lagoons, feeding mostly on various species of seagrass. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    09EQUCIMG_3436_Galapagos.jpg
  • A Waved Albatross (Phoebastria irrorata; or Galapagos Albatross) flaps wings at Suaraz Point, a wet landing on Española (Hood) Island, the oldest of the Galapagos Islands, which are a province of Ecuador, South America.  The Waved Albatross is the only tropical member of the Albatross family (Diomedeidae). During the non-breeding season, Waved Albatross mostly reside in the coastal areas of Ecuador and Peru. The Waved Albatross breeds primarily on Española Island in the Galápagos archipelago (and maybe some on Genovesa Island and Isla de la Plata). Waved Albatross have blue feet and distinctively yellowish-cream neck and head, which contrasts with their mostly brownish bodies. The very long, bright yellow bill looks disproportionately large in comparison to the relatively small head and long, slender neck. They have chestnut brown upper parts and underparts, except for the breast, with fine barring, a little coarser on the rump. They have brown upper-wings, back, and tail, along with a whitish breast and underwings. Their axillaries (armpit feathers) are brown. Chicks have brown fluffy feathers. Juveniles are similar to adults except for more white on their head. Their lifespan may reach 40 to 45 years. Diomedeidae (the Albatross family) come from the Procellariiformes order (along with Shearwaters, Fulmars, Storm-petrels, and Diving-petrels).
    09ECU-5246_Galapagos.jpg
  • A pair of male and female Blue-footed Boobies (Sula nebouxii) do a sky pointing mating dance at Suaraz Point, a wet landing location on Española (Hood) Island, part of the Galápagos archipelago, a province of Ecuador, located 972 km west of the continent of South America. The Blue-footed Booby is a bird in the Sulidae family which comprises ten species of long-winged seabirds. The name “booby” comes from the Spanish term bobo, which means "stupid" or "fool/clown," which describes its clumsy nature on land. Like other seabirds, they can be very tame. The natural breeding habitat of the Blue-footed Booby is tropical and subtropical islands off the Pacific Ocean. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    09ECU-5151_Galapagos.jpg
  • A lava lizard mounts a Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) at Punta (Point) Espinoza, on Fernandina (Narborough) Island, Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, South America. Marine Iguanas, the world’s only sea-going lizard species, are found nowhere else on earth. Marine Iguanas feed almost exclusively on marine algae, expelling the excess salt from nasal glands while basking in the sun, coating their faces with white. Marine Iguanas live on the rocky shore or sometimes on mangrove beaches or marshes. Most adults are black, some grey, and the young have a lighter colored dorsal stripe. The somber tones allow the species to rapidly absorb the warm rays of the sun to minimize the period of lethargy after emerging from the frigid water, which is cooled by the Humboldt Current. Breeding-season adult males on the southern islands are the most colorful and will acquire reddish and teal-green colors, while Santa Cruz males are brick red and black, and Fernandina males are brick red and dull greenish. The iguanas living on the islands of Fernandina and Isabela (named for the famous rulers of Spain) are the largest found anywhere in the Galápagos. The smallest iguanas are found on Genovesa Island. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    09ECU-3557_Galapagos.jpg
  • People regard a mass of Galapagos Marine Iguanas (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) on Punta (Point) Espinoza, on Fernandina (Narborough) Island, Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, South America. Marine Iguanas, the world’s only sea-going lizard species, are found nowhere else on earth. Marine Iguanas feed almost exclusively on marine algae, expelling the excess salt from nasal glands while basking in the sun, coating their faces with white. Marine Iguanas live on the rocky shore or sometimes on mangrove beaches or marshes. Most adults are black, some grey, and the young have a lighter colored dorsal stripe. The somber tones allow the species to rapidly absorb the warm rays of the sun to minimize the period of lethargy after emerging from the frigid water, which is cooled by the Humboldt Current. Breeding-season adult males on the southern islands are the most colorful and will acquire reddish and teal-green colors, while Santa Cruz males are brick red and black, and Fernandina males are brick red and dull greenish. The iguanas living on the islands of Fernandina and Isabela (named for the famous rulers of Spain) are the largest found anywhere in the Galápagos. The smallest iguanas are found on Genovesa Island. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001.
    09ECU-3518_Galapagos.jpg
  • A curious Gentoo Penguin  (Pygoscelis papua) chick cuddles onto a warm tourist on Aicho Island, Antarctica. "Don't approach penguins closer than 15 feet," says an Antarctic tourism rule in 2005. But if you lie down on the ground more than 15 feet away, a curious Gentoo Penguin chick may approach you. An adult Gentoo Penguin has a bright orange-red bill and a wide white stripe extending across the top of its head. Chicks have grey backs with white fronts. Of all penguins, Gentoos have the most prominent tail, which sweeps from side to side as they waddle on land, hence the scientific name Pygoscelis, "rump-tailed." As the the third largest species of penguin, adult Gentoos reach 51 to 90 cm (20-36 in) high. They are the fastest underwater swimming penguin, reaching speeds of 36 km per hour. For licensing options, please inquire.
    05ANT-10713_penguin-cuddle-Aitcho-Is...jpg
  • A woman reaches for a Steller Sea Lion (Eumetopias jubatus, or northern sea lion) playing with a firehose in an aquarium tank at the Alaska Sealife Center, Seward, Alaska. Steller Sea Lions are an endangered species in parts of Alaska and threatened elsewhere in the Pacific Northwest USA. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    06AK_7118-Steller-sea-lion_AK-Sealif...jpg
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