New Zealand coastlines

Almost my whole life I've lived next to an ocean or sea of some description. Coastlines and its inhabitants are one of my favourite subjects to photograph. Especially in New Zealand where you can still find plenty of wild and beautiful locations. 

 

Little shag (microcarbo melanoleucos)

White-faced heron (Egretta novaehollandiae)

Cetaceans in the Azores

The beauty of going out to see cetaceans in the Azores is that you never know what you are going to see. There is such a huge array of species you can can come across, and the different behaviours and changing weather makes each encounter unique. Nothing beats seeing them in calm waters.

 

Dolphin encounters in calm waters are the best

Big and bulky bottlenose dolphins

A massive male sperm whale with a well pronounced head

Lush green landscapes

The Azores islands are well known for their lush green blanket of vegetation. Many of the viewpoints over the island can best be described as picture perfect and just like a postcard. At least when you are lucky enough to have clear skies over the highest peaks.

 

The famous twin lakes (blue and green) of Sete Cidades

A view over São Miguel Island

The sperm whales of the north

The north coast of São Miguel Island attracts more sperm whales than the south. Off the north, these whales are often in mass gatherings of dozens of individuals. The best part is that the north coast has not been as "touched" by tourism like the south coast has. Over the years, my most most incredible moments with sperm whales have all been off the north coast.

 

Tail breach sequence

A gathering of sperm whales

 

Folded dorsal fin of a newborn calf between several females

A couple of Azorean land birds

Two delightful bird species that can be seen in the Azores - the European robin with its bright orange breast, and the inquisitive chaffinch that will often approach close to people.

 

A mix of marine mammals

Off the Azores islands, a variety of marine mammals can be seen. Particularly in the spring, which is the time that the largest number of species can be seen. Following is a small selection of this marine mammal mix, starting with a very rare visitor to the region: 

 

 Grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) - a very rare visitor to the Azores

 Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)

 Fin whale (Baleanoptera physalus)

 Blue whale (Baleanoptera musculus)

 Sei whale (Baleanoptera borealis)

 Risso's dolphin (Grampus griseus)

Last but definitely not least - a beautiful common dolphin (Delphinus delphis)

Meet the false killer whale

Now here's a species you don't see every day. In fact most people have never heard of them. They are false killer whales, and just like  killer whales, or orca, they actually belong to the dolphin family. These sleek animals always make me think of black bullets shooting out of the water.