Government Announced Mariene sanctuary In The Galápagos Islands

On March 21st, the government of Ecuador announced the creation of a marine sanctuary and 21 conservation areas in the Galápagos Islands, fully protecting a vibrant ecosystem that's home to the highest abundance of sharks on the planet. The new sanctuary will safeguard over 47,000 square kilometers of ocean — roughly one third of the waters around the archipelago — against fishing and other extractive industries such as mining and oil drilling.

 
In December of 2015, National Geographic's Pristine Seas team of international scientists and filmmakers, in collaboration with the Galápagos National Park and the Darwin Research Station, surveyed and documented the waters around the islands

Read More

Happy Easter form Norway And Vatican City

Pope Francis greeting Easter crowds in Vatican City from the Popemobile. 

 

Happy Easter form Norway!
Norwegians have long Easter holiday, starting on Maundy Thursday (many takes the whole week off), ending on Easter Monday. Although Easter is a religious holiday, most Norwegians do not celebrate it as such. People disappear from the towns and move to their mountain cabins, where families spend almost a week together skiing, eating good food, and sitting around campfires in the warming spring Sun.

This year we haven't seen much of the Sun, but it did not stop us from going for long ski trips. 9 years old Vilde Haarberg, the smallest girl in the family, was ready for her longest ski trip yesterday, and together with her father Øystein, uncle Erlend and me, she climbed Mt Storvigelen (1561m), which is a 30-32 km long ski trip, starting at 840m above sea level from Vauldalen. The little girl was enjoying every minute of the trip, even if there was snow storm above 1000m. What a memorable experience

Read More

How much attitude can one penguin have?

Photograph by paul nicklen for How much attitude can one penguin have? 

These two adelie penguins were putting the run on all of these emperor penguins as they marched past ice bergs on their way back to their colony on the Ross Sea, Antarctica. Once they were done picking on the emperor penguins, they decided to come over and challenge me. All penguin species have different personality traits and adelie’s definitely seem to be the most fearless.

Read More

Denali National Park Shocking Photography

Photo by (Aaron Huey). Look closely! ALoneWolf feeding on a moose in Denali National Park captured on my first motion sensor triggered camera trap.

A whole pack had worked this moose over in the days before, spreading hair and blood in a wide circle around the body. The site was also visited by hundred of magpies, crows, hawks, eagles, and other birds picking over the carcass. 

Read More

Beaufort Sea, Alaska while on a scientific expedition Photography

Photograph by Paul nicklen

 Beaufort Sea, Alaska while on a scientific expedition 

It can be extremely dark when diving under multi-year ice. To add to the darkness, the ice is constantly shifting and the currents gently push you in directions you do not want to go. Due to these challenges, we occasionally dive with safety lines so we can find our way back home. I took this photograph in 2002 in the Beaufort Sea, Alaska while on a scientific expedition. The scientists at the time were reluctant to make any statements on climate change. That was just 14 years ago. Now, as we watch multi-year ice disappear from the Arctic, I can go back to those same climate change scientists and they will openly discuss the urgency, cause and threats due to human caused climate change. 

 

Read More