A spot of paradise in the North Atlantic

Hidden away in the North Atlantic ocean is a small archipelago of 9 volcanic islands. The photos below are just a few small glimpses of the largest of these islands which was my home for over 9 years.  

And one more waterfall photo for good measure

Dolphins in the azure blue ocean

My favourite days for whale and dolphin watching are the ones with blue skies and clear water without ripples on the surface. These kinds of days make for the best views and photos of animals in the water.    

Azores marine species

Striped dolphins, false killer whales, sperm whales, Atlantic spotted dolphin and loggerhead turtle - just a few of the species encountered in the waters around the Azores islands.    

Sperm whale heads

Sperm whale tails

Atlantic spotted dolphin

Loggerhead turtle

Bryde's whales in the Azores

2017 was the year of the Bryde's whales off Sao Miguel Island in the Azores. This species is only occasionally sighted in the area, and in 2017 they made an appearance after a  4 year absence. The best part was that they stuck around until September and we even had several encounters with a mother and calf pair. 

African safari continued

Naturally I took a heap of photos on my first ever safari in South Africa. too much to put my favourite ones into one post. I hope you enjoy the second half of my selected photos from my safari in Tala game reserve: 

African safari on the Tala game reserve

My first African safari was to Tala game reserve near Durban. From the moment we drove out across the plains I was hooked, especially to the giraffes. It's pretty clear from my photos that the giraffes were my favourite species encountered. 

Durban, South Africa

For years I dreamed of going to South Africa. This dream finally came true in 2017 when I went to Durban for a whale watching conference. There wasn't much time for sightseeing around Durban, but in the few moments I spent outside I did some interesting things in this vibrant city.

Vervet monkeys