Day 8 - Challenge on Nature Photography

DAY 8 in the #challengeonnaturephotography on Facebook.

Another day in the frozen lands: icebergs!!! And larval antarctic fish (Antarctic silverfish and an ice fish) seen through a stereoscopic lens. Photos taken in Terre Adélie, Antarctica, in January 2005. (click them bigger)

So my sister​ challenged me to participate in the #challengeonnaturephotography on Facebook. The idea is to occupy FB with nature photographs. Each nominated person will post a different nature photo for 7 days. With each photo they will nominate another person and give the name of the person who nominated them... 

It seemed to be that this would be a very nice way to start off 2016, and I wanted to share it with you as well! :o)

Unfortunately I'm terrible at following instructions, and after going through my photos I can't choose any more! So I'm going for DOUBLE! Two photos a day for 14 days... :p

I don't know about challenging anyone on the Blog... But if you feel like joining in please do! Don't worry, you can stick to the original challenge of 1 photo a day for 7 days! ;) (just leave me a comment with the link so I can be sure to go see yours)

Day 7 - Challenge on Nature Photography

DAY 7 in the #challengeonnaturephotography on Facebook.

Time to move even further south, the frozen south!  Three Emperor penguins and Adelie penguins feeding their chicks at Dumont d'Urville base in Terre Adélie, Antarctica. Photos taken in January 2004. (click them bigger)

So my sister​ challenged me to participate in the #challengeonnaturephotography on Facebook. The idea is to occupy FB with nature photographs. Each nominated person will post a different nature photo for 7 days. With each photo they will nominate another person and give the name of the person who nominated them... 

It seemed to be that this would be a very nice way to start off 2016, and I wanted to share it with you as well! :o)

Unfortunately I'm terrible at following instructions, and after going through my photos I can't choose any more! So I'm going for DOUBLE! Two photos a day for 14 days... :p

I don't know about challenging anyone on the Blog... But if you feel like joining in please do! Don't worry, you can stick to the original challenge of 1 photo a day for 7 days! ;) (just leave me a comment with the link so I can be sure to go see yours)

Lucky Penguin

So, have you heard the one about the penguin and the orcas? ;o)

I got one version of this video in an e-mail forward (thx dad!), and have since found a couple others on youtube (changes in music, this one has goofy penguin subtitles). Check it out:

Feeding penguins to photographer

Have you guys heard about this? Awesome!!! :o)

And here I thought release dates...

... were just a continental Europe problem (particularly in Spain).

And now I discover (via a Guardian interview) that Werner Herzog's latest Oscar-nominated documentary film Encounters at the End of the World is only now being released in the U.K.!!! Hmmm... that explains why I haven't been able to order the dvd off Amazon yet! :p

I saw this back in December (thankfully in VO, love Herzog's quirky german-accented English narration!) and thoroughly enjoyed it! So if anyone reading this is in the U.K. then head over to catch it on the big screen (those polar views deserve the big screen treatment). For those in the U.S. Netflix! And I'll keep on waiting for a zone 2 dvd to be available... I want to watch it again (and again and again) and then dive into the (hopefully) plentiful extras.

It's not another penguin-friendly film (although there's a potential penguin "suicide" sequence that is goose-bump inducing). Herzog says it himself in the introduction, he's interested in people, in what makes them tick, in what is it about them and about the Antarctic that makes them want to spend so much time in such a harsh and isolated environment. The cinematography is grandiose (with those landscapes how could it be otherwise?!). The underwater sequences are creepy. The film is moving, poetic and amusing; and speaking as one who has spent time on an Antarctic base... very real!

Dreaming of the South...

Heading South... Oh I wish I could!!! And by South I don't mean the warmer temperate/tropical climates that people in the north part of the Northern Hemisphere yearn for. Nope. I mean the REAL South... as in south of the polar circle!!! ANTARCTICA!!!

A colleague and friend of mine from Belgium has managed to get himself sent down there again (am rather envious at his success in this field! but am so glad for him!), this time as part of a BAS trip (British Antarctic Survey) to the Scotia Arc region. New places!!! ME TOO PLEASE!!!

Anyway, if you're interested in following what goes on during these crazy missions (and how can it not be crazy when you lock a bunch of scientists up on the same boat and send 'em off for an extended period of time?!), my friend Anton has started up his own website -Antonarctica- with pics and videos of previous campaigns (now why haven't I done that???), and has a regular blog of his adventures on this trip. Enjoy!

And bon voyage to those on-board!

Adelie penguins in Terre Adélie, East Antarctica