Thermal Imaging for Wildlife Spotting

In the 1987 science fiction film Predator, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, the predator uses thermal imaging to see the body heat of humans. This technology exists in real life. There are cameras and spotting scopes that focus on the infrared spectrum of light allowing users to see heat signatures of objects, rather than visible light. These […]

Lunge feeding in the American Alligator

Whales are the largest mammals on earth. Amongst whales, those with the largest body size are a group of baleen whales called Rorquals that includes the blue whale, fin whale, and humpback whale. The defining feature of this group is a series of longitudinal skin folds that run from the chin to the stomach; these […]

Notes on Species Identification

One of the challenges of taking lots of photos of different animals (i.e. mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, insects) is later identifying all the species you photographed. This can be a time-consuming task. On my Flickr page I have uploaded over 6,500 photos, mostly of wildlife, and I have attempted to identify all of them […]

Alligator camouflage and stick display

Crocodilians are largely ambush predators that rely upon stealth and patience to capture prey. They typically don’t chase down mobile prey by running or swimming for long distances, but instead sit and wait for prey to come within striking distance before lunging. Concealment and the choice of strategic ambush point play a big role in […]

The Wildlife of Costa Rica

Costa Rica is a biodiverse country with 215 amphibian species, 895 birds, 1151 fish, 252 mammals, and 269 reptiles. This ranks as the 27th most biodiverse country in the world (Brazil has the highest overall biodiversity index). Yet, Brazil is 167 times larger than Costa Rica. When land area is taken into account, Costa Rica […]

New Underwater Camera Setup

This week I received my eagerly awaited new underwater camera equipment. After first setting everything up on land, the following day I headed to Ichetucknee Springs to test it out underwater. This post details my new setup and its performance in the field. Prior to getting my new setup, all my underwater photography and video […]

North America’s ancient freshwater fishes deserve respect

On a foggy January morning I walked a riverbank in north central Florida, with telephoto lens around my neck and fishing pole in hand. I stopped to photograph a river otter as it bobbed and weaved amongst the riparian structure, hunting for fish. Herons lining the bank occasionally squawked, protesting my presence. It was the […]

NHM Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition

The Natural History Museum (NHM) in London holds a prestigious annual wildlife photography contest aptly named the ‘Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition’. It is currently in its 62nd year. You can enter a maximum of 25 photos in one of 13 different categories. Across all categories, 100 photos are selected as finalists. I entered […]

The aquatic ecosystem of an abandoned swimming pool

In late April of this year, I found a Florida softshell turtle trapped in an abandoned outdoor swimming pool. In a previous post, I recount how I drained the pool, captured the turtle, and returned it to the nearby lake from which it came. This pool is part of a shuttered hotel, and is near […]

The distinctive white-eye fish

The white-eye fish (Oxyzygonectes dovii) has distinctive white eyes which are fluorescent in appearance. They tend to swim just below the water surface in open estuary habitat. This combination of features make them very easy to spot, despite their small size. I recently witnessed this firsthand. While sitting on a balcony overlooking an estuary in […]