The Waterhole

Just a short message that comes to you from the northernmost town in the world, Longyearbyen on Spitsbergen in the Svalbard archipelago. We flew in over stunning glaciers and nunataks yesterday and tomorrow we set off on the small vessel we are using next year with Andy Rouse’s wildlife photography tours. Having just chatted with a couple of guides we are in an excited mood before searching for the elusive white bear. An estimated 3000 polar bears inhabit the region so on this week long marine safari our chances should be good. I’ll update you as soon as we return to civilisation from this Arctic safari.

Steve

    Lesser kudu in the Masai Mara

You must always expect the unusual on our safari holidays! Whilst many will travel with a tick list of ‘must see’ animals, African safari holidays will always be unique and this was exemplified last week when Greg Poole, one of the camp managers in the Mara observed a lesser kudu (Tragelaphus imberbis). This species is usually found far to the north in reserves such as Meru National Park. Even the greater kudu is infrequently seen in its preferred habitat, the wooded areas of the Mara. There have been no reported sightings of lesser kudu in the Mara in at least the last 35 years, making this a truly unusual occurence and definitely keeping the thrill of going on safari very much alive!

  With slow reproduction rates all primates             are vulnerable

At the Primatological Congress in Edinburgh it has been reported that almost 50% of the world’s 634 primate species are close to extinction. In Asia, things are worse and more than 70% of species are on the IUCN Red List, this figure reaching 90% in Cambodia and Vietnam where langurs, gibbons and leaf monkeys are all under threat. In Africa red colobus monkeys are under threat with 11 different species listed as Critically Endangered, one step away from a listing as Extinct.

The majority of the world’s primates live in forests, mostly tropical forests and are an integral part of forest ecology supporting a wide range of flora and fauna. The main reason for the desperate plight of primates is habitat loss, although bush meat, wildlife trade and in southeast Asia, trade in ‘medicinal’ parts to China are aiding destruction of populations.

These findings are the result of a 5 year study of the planet’s primate populations by collating data from many primatologists worldwide. However, they also show that since 2000 more than 50 species of primates have been described by science for the first time, 40 of these originating in Madagascar.

It is clear that if forests are protected then populations of primates can be a success story. Obviously, with larger primates with slow rates of reproduction the protection must be long term, but short term success has been demonstrated in the forests surrounding Rio Janiero in Brazil where over the last 30 years black lion and golden lion tamarins have increased in numbers through conservation of their forest habitats. They have been downgraded to Endangered but now require reforestation to enable populations to expand.

Of course gorillas and chimpanzees are more in the public eye and experts from the Wildlife Conservation Society have recently concluded a first census of the isolated northern forests in the Congo where they discovered a large group of western lowland gorillas with a population estimated around 125,000, twice that for some estimates for the world population of this species. The area is almost uninhabitable by humans and this is understood to be a key factor in the density of population of these gorillas. However, logging and hunting and the Ebola virus may rapidly bring these numbers down in the near future if they are not protected. It is understood that moves are being made to try and protect these remote areas of the country, whilst it is estimated that population crashes in other areas of west Africa may take over 120 years to recover.

    The Northern Lights can be    

    seen on our winter holidays    

    in Finland.    

The mythical and certainly magical Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis form curtains of light across the night skies of the northern (and southern) polar regions. It is often thought that these veils of colour can come close to Earth but until just a few days ago there was only speculation about how they moved across the sky and at times burst into colours.

A year or so ago NASA launched 5 satellites called THEMIS to study aspects of the magnetosphere. They now believe that the movement or dancing of the Northern Lights known as substorms, are formed initially in the Earth’s magnetic field around 1/3 of the way to the Moon. Here these magnetic field lines are interupted by the Sun’s solar winds and when they snap back into place, just as poles of two magnets would, this sends charged particles back towards Earth. These reconnections thus cause an increase in intensity and expansion of the Northern Lights and ultimately the re-distribution of the electrical currents flowing in space around our planet. To understand more about this fascinating and beautiful phenomenon you can enjoy a talk by a scientist from the Geophysical Institute in Sodankyla in northern Finland on our ‘Searching for the Northern Lights’ holiday short breaks.

Perú is a magical spot that involves one of the richest and the magnificent biodiversities of Earth. The country is a melting pot of several cultures that collectively are fulfilling the promise of a better, prosperous future.

In Perú, nature seems to have taken on peculiar characteristics that have turned its plains, jungles, valleys and mountains into unique habitats. The country boasts an extraordinary variety of eco-systems, which shelter a wide diversity of plants and animals. A vast region full of tropical vegetation in the awe-inspiring Amazon River Basin houses the country’s largest natural reserves. An added attraction is Perú’s bewilderingly vast bird population. It is easy to see why bird lovers head to Perú.

The country boasts the second-highest number of bird species in the world. In fact, more new species have been described in Perú than in any other country in the last three decades or so with about two new species added each year on average. The official list of birds of Perú has increased by about 200 species in the same period, from 1601 species in 1972 to well over 1800.

Perú is a true paradise, a blessing for bird lovers!

South Africa is home to abundant and rich wildlife. You can watch several beautiful bird species that this country suuports, by undertaking bird tours in any province.

You may choose to go game viewing in many of the major parks at any time, since they operate day and night, literally round the clock, game viewing tours. You can also enjoy an enlightening and exciting game walk. There are just so many thrilling activities, which you can experience and enjoy in the South African wild.

Watching whales in action is a major attraction for tourists. Leaving their icy feeding base off Antarctica, the whales move to warmer climates. The purpose is to mate and calve. As they arrive in winter and possibly early spring, the southern Cape coast is awash with wonderful whales. The Southern Rights dot the coast; they are everywhere, offering whale-watchers a spectacular display of raw power and elegant water acrobatics. These gentle creatures draw excited crowds that simply marvel at their displays.

Are you ready for the splendid show? You can really have ‘A whale of a time’ here. This will make a perfect whale watching holiday!

The Galapagos Islands are isolated, and this exactly is the reason as why they make the perfect setting for relatively rapid species’ expansion. No surprise, wildlife lovers travel from all over the world to see and enjoy the many miracles of nature here.

The Galapagos Islands have been known to exist around since the 1500s. This was when they were accidentally ‘discovered’ by a group of people from Panama. At that point in time, no one really paid much attention to the heavenly islands.

Things changed three centuries later, when the island’s most famous and monumental visitor arrived. He was Charles Darwin. His powers and ability to meticulously observe and study various species coupled with an astute scientific thinking, led him to develop the defining Theory of Evolution that is also termed ‘survival of the fittest’. Thus, the Galapagos Islands also have a historical significance.

Over 60,000 visitors arrive in the Galapagos Islands each year, eager to witness and enjoy the enchanting wildlife on the amazing islands. They come to see for themselves the adorable, unique blue-footed boobies, the flightless cormorants, the Galapagos tortoises, the sea lions and the giant iguanas.

This one-of-a-kind, magnificent, chain of islands cannot be missed.

There are not many places left on the Planet Earth where the human species really does not dominate the landscape. The Galapagos Island is probably one of those few special places remaining, where the flora and more so the fauna come first. They indeed rule this lovely land!

Life slowly came to the chain of wonderful islands by sea and by air. Over many centuries, creatures arriving in the Galapagos Islands gradually evolved and adapted themselves to the tough conditions.

This pretty place is now recognised as a world treasure of beautiful, fascinating and unique species - a good enough reason for wildlife lovers to take a trip to the Galapagos Islands.

Tourists have a wonderful time here as they dive into the blue, clean waters of the Galapagos and observe uncountable fish, rays, and sharks turtles, all living harmoniously under the water. The islands also make for some of the world class scuba diving and snorkeling facilities.