In August, I was given a unique opportunity to head up to the remote Canadian wilderness, joining Quark Expeditions aboard their purpose-built ship, the Ultramarine. This modern vessel has been designed specifically for modern expedition cruising in the world’s polar regions. I flew to Calgary, before joining Quark’s chartered flight up the remote Arctic outpost of Resolute (after a refuelling stop at Yellowknife). We were whisked from the airport to the bay and there was the ship waiting. After a short zodiac transfer, it wasn’t long before I was in my spacious cabin and familiarising myself with the ship. From Resolute, the ship worked its way east along the southern coast of Devon Island, before heading north once we reached Baffin Bay. One of the wildlife highlights of the trip was visiting the vast colonies of breeding seabirds at Coburg Island. The Ultramarine allowed the unique opportunity to enjoy helicopter flights over this vast Arctic wilderness, something I will never forget. I was privileged to see narwhal, beluga and even musk ox on one of the flights, while on another we enjoyed remarkable views of a vast glacier on Ellesmere Island. The wildlife sightings were typically distant, but just being such an expanse of pure wilderness was truly remarkable. Across the 10-days aboard the ship, we saw musk ox, walrus, numerous seals and more than 10 polar bears (all distant), but it was the narwhal that were so, so special for me. A life’s dream complete – even if the photographic opportunities were negligible. I would say this. If you are looking for an expedition to one of the world’s least visited areas, a true wilderness, then this is the trip for you. You will see wildlife, but it is unlikely to be close to the ship (some voyages are luckier than others). Instead, revel in the vast polar desert landscapes, incredible geology and the fascinating culture of the Inuit people. Keep an eye on the Wildlife Worldwide website and discover this rugged beauty for yourself.
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This year marks the third year in a row I have been to Slovenia to photograph brown bears in the Dinaric Alps. As I am sure you all know, I am extremely lucky to travel far and wide for my work, but Slovenia has a certain something about it. Of all the trips I lead for Wildlife Worldwide, Slovenia is one of my absolute favourites. Slovenia has moved into the 21st century without losing its charm, it still has character and its own identity. Idyllic mountain villages, breathtakingly placed churches, vast caves and exquisite wildlife all add to this charm offensive – I don’t know anywhere in the world that does it so well. Of course the primary reason for visiting the Notranjska region of Slovenia is for its thriving population of bears. This year we were once again treated to some wonderful sightings of bears, all from the purpose-built hides. The first couple of days were a little slow, but I think the heavy rain and cold conditions were definitely a factor. After that though, we had good sightings of bear each evening, providing some fabulous photography opportunities. What I really love about photographing bears in Slovenia, compared to other places in Europe in particular, are the stunning forest settings in which the bears can be seen. You can build up a stunning portfolio in just a few days, and this year my group did just that.
I will be heading back to Slovenia in August for my own photography and I look forward to seeing the landscape at the end of summer. Sadly, in 2020, I will not be leading the Slovenia tour organised by Wildlife Worldwide as I will be leading in Svalbard instead – hopefully photographing some white bears instead. Rest assured though, the trip will be led by another talented photographer in Tom Mason, and the trip promises to be another roaring success. I just wanted to share a single image today as I thought it was a pretty special place. Earlier this month I visited Angola (where my sister lives) and went on an adventure to some of the country's most spectacular locations. One of these was Kalandula Falls, and it was without a doubt one of the most stunningly beautiful places I have ever been.
Below is a panoramic of the falls taken from a beautiful hotel run by a charming couple - Pousada de Calandula. I really think Angola is one of Africa's most stunning countries (from what I have seen) and it has so much potential to become a world class travel destination. I am no landscape photographer, but I do hope you like the photo below ... After our couple of nights in Port Stephens, it was time once more to move northwards along the eastern coast of Australia. Our next stop on this journey was Port Macquarie. Here we decided to stay close to Flynns Beach and make the most of the gorgeous coastline. We arrived around lunch time and set up our tent under the shade of the gum trees, after which Vic was reading her book and happened to look up and see this little fella ... In the afternoon we went for a little walk and enjoyed the wonderful beaches and seascapes. The next day the Koala seemed to be a little elusive and we were struggling to spot it, eventually (with the help of a campsite member of staff) we spotted it high in a gum tree. We were luck to also have a regular influx of Rainbow Lorikeets. We then headed down to the coast to enjoy the colours and scenery at sunset. After a wonderful evening, watching the world go by and photographing the rocky shore at the edge of the beach, we headed back to camp for the evening knowing that tomorrow we would be moving on again. This time to Coffs Harbour.
There was one last wildlife encounter before we left though and this time it was a really intimate experience with the Koala who climbed down the tree next to us and headed back up another tree. With a leap to a third tree it settled itself down and posed for a few images. Sadly, the leap was impossible to photography ... imagine a leaping Koala shot! |
AuthorBret Charman Archives
January 2025
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