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  • Refugio Chileno offers horse transportation, and supplies tents fully equipped with pads and sleeping bags. From Refugio Chileno, we hiked to Mirador Base Las Torres (9.5 km or 5.9 miles round trip with 600 m or 1980 ft gain) to view the namesake towers of Torres del Paine National Park, in Ultima Esperanza Province, Chile, Patagonia, South America. The salmon dinner & dessert served at Refugio Chileno was our tastiest meal along the W Route! UNESCO honors the Park as a World Biosphere Reserve.
    2002PAT-6556.jpg
  • Mountain lion sculpture. Canyons Of The Ancients Visitor Center & Museum (formerly known as the Anasazi Heritage Center), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), near Cortez, Colorado, USA. Canyons of the Ancients National Monument preserves the largest concentration of archaeological sites (6000+) in the United States, primarily Ancestral Puebloan ruins. The term "Ancestral Puebloans" is now more appropriate than the previous term, "Anasazi," which means "ancient enemies" or "enemy ancestors" in Navajo. "Anasazi" is objectionable to the diverse Pueblo peoples who are modern-day descendants of the Ancestral Puebloans. By 750 CE, the Ancestral Puebloans had developed from the Basketmaker culture, whereas the Athabaskan ancestors of the Navajo and Apache entered the Southwest much later, around 1400 CE. After first being applied to ruins of Mesa Verde in the 1880s, the word Anasazi was established in archaeological terminology through the Pecos Classification system in 1927. Contemporary Hopi prefer the word Hisatsinom for their ancient ancestors, but that word isn't used by other Puebloan cultural groups such as the Zuni, Acoma, and others.
    20190929_103201.jpg
  • The Beaver Sculpture by Alex Lojczyc arrived at Beaverlodge in 2004, on Highway 43, County of Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada. This statue is of a North American beaver (Castor canadensis). [By the way, the now-extinct Giant Beaver (Castoroides ohioensis) was the largest rodent ever in North America. It lived from 130,000-10,000 years ago, in the Pleistocene Epoch. Skeletal remains of this extinct rodent were first discovered in 1837. Castoroides ohioensis measured up to 8 feet long, weighing 480 pounds, and differed in appearance from the modern sculpture pictured here.]
    1906AKH-6179.jpg
  • The American Scimitar Cat (Homotherium serum) lived in the Yukon and Beringia 80,000–20,000 years ago, and other areas on earth from 4 million–12,000 years ago. (The Scimitar Cat's fangs, or maxillary canine teeth, are shorter than those of the head shown below of a Sabre-toothed Cat, a close relative which has never been found in Beringia.) Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, in Whitehorse, capital and largest city of the Yukon, Canada. During the ice ages, Beringia's climate alternated between warm interglacial and cold glacial periods. During glacial periods, sea levels dropped 120 meters, exposing a land bridge that was up to 1000 kilometers (620 miles) wide. Beringia, like most of Siberia and all of North and Northeast China, was a grassland steppe. Fossils found on both sides of the Bering Land Bridge show that since the time of the dinosaurs, it was a major route for the exchange of plants and animals between Asia and North America. Swedish botanist Eric Hultén coined the term Beringia in 1937. Beringia is the land and ocean area bounded on the west by the Lena River in Russia; on the east by the Mackenzie River in Canada; on the north by 72 degrees north latitude in the Chukchi Sea; and on the south by the tip of the Kamchatka Peninsula. It includes the Chukchi Sea, the Bering Sea, the Bering Strait, the Chukchi and Kamchatka Peninsulas in Russia plus Alaska in the United States.
    1906AKH-1125.jpg
  • New Zealand fur seals (Arctocephalus forsteri) colonize Long Reef Point on the Tasman Sea near Martins Bay Hut, on the Hollyford Track, in Fiordland National Park, Southland region, South Island of New Zealand. After the arrival of Europeans in New Zealand, hunting reduced the seal population near to extinction. This mammal is known as kekeno in Maori language. Some call it Australasian fur seal, South Australian fur seal, Antipodean fur seal, or long-nosed fur seal.  In 1990, UNESCO honored Te Wahipounamu - South West New Zealand as a World Heritage Area.
    1901NZ1-2170.jpg
  • A curious kea bites a car tire. The kea (Nestor notabilis) is the world's only alpine parrot. In 1986, it received full protection under the Wildlife Act. The kea is one of ten endemic parrot species in New Zealand. Kea are known for their intelligence and curiosity, both vital to their survival in a harsh mountain environment. Kea can solve logical puzzles, such as pushing and pulling things in a certain order to get to food, and will work together to achieve a certain objective. They have been filmed preparing and using tools. Photographed at Homer Tunnel, Fiordland National Park, Southland region, South Island of New Zealand. In 1990, UNESCO honored Te Wahipounamu - South West New Zealand as a World Heritage Area.
    1901NZ1-1379.jpg
  • Fish head meal sample in restaurant window. Kabukicho entertainment and neon red-light district in Shinjuku ward, in Tokyo, Japan. Kabukicho was named from late-1940s plans to build a kabuki theater which never happened.
    1810JPN-8741.jpg
  • Tuna auction in Nachikatsuura, Higashimuro District, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. In Nachikatsuura, don't miss the impressive tuna market auction at 7:00am, easily viewed from above in the open public gallery. (In contrast, Tokyo's restrictive early morning fish auction at Toyosu Market limits viewers via registration and a wall of glass). Japan is the world's biggest consumer of tuna.
    1810JPN-5602.jpg
  • Funny sheep, curly wool. Hike along the River Swale from Reeth to Marske, in Yorkshire Dales National Park, England, United Kingdom, Europe. England Coast to Coast hike day 9 of 14. Overnight at Kings Head Hotel in Richmond, North Yorkshire county. [This image, commissioned by Wilderness Travel, is not available to any other agency providing group travel in the UK, but may otherwise be licensable from Tom Dempsey – please inquire at PhotoSeek.com.]
    17UK-3504_England.jpg
  • Grey whale seen in the breakers at Ebey's Landing beach, Washington, USA.
    1604WHI-688.jpg
  • Above the beautiful lake of Oeschinnensee, easily reached by lift from Kandersteg, is a challenging hike traversing steeply up over Hohtürli Pass then down to Griesalp in the remote valley of Kiental, Switzerland, Europe. Ascend 1120 meters and descend 1380 m in 13 km, which feels much longer due to steep, exposed rocky & gravelly slopes. Stairs and ladders assist your footing. Optionally stay overnight in Blüemlisalp hut at Hohtürli Pass.
    16SWI-3033.jpg
  • Walk through the deeply glaciated valley of Gasterntal (or Gasteretal or Gasterental) to explore the headwaters of the Kander River. A nice 7 km walk with 390 m gain up to Selden starts from the bus stop for Luftseilbahn Kandersteg-Sunnbüel. From Selden, take Postbus back (reservations required) to Kandersteg hauptbahnhof. Gasterntal is in the canton of Bern, Switzerland, Europe.
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  • Kandersteg, in the canton of Bern, Switzerland, Europe.
    16SWI-2447.jpg
  • Young ibex on steep snow slope. Alpine ibex gather at Rotsteinpass (2120 m) in the Alpstein limestone mountain range, Appenzell Alps, Switzerland, Europe. The Alpine ibex or steinbock (Capra ibex, in the Bovidae family) is a wild goat of the European Alps. Four distinct social groups tend to form: adult male groups, female-offspring groups, groups of young individuals, and mixed sex groups; but Adult males and females segregate for most of the year, coming together only to mate. After being eliminated from most of the European Alps by the 1800s, the ibex was successfully reintroduced. Appenzell Innerrhoden is Switzerland's most traditional and smallest-population canton (second smallest by area).
    16SWI-2013.jpg
  • Alpine ibex gather at Rotsteinpass (2120 m) in the Alpstein limestone mountain range, Appenzell Alps, Switzerland, Europe. The Alpine ibex or steinbock (Capra ibex, in the Bovidae family) is a wild goat of the European Alps. Four distinct social groups tend to form: adult male groups, female-offspring groups, groups of young individuals, and mixed sex groups; but Adult males and females segregate for most of the year, coming together only to mate. After being eliminated from most of the European Alps by the 1800s, the ibex was successfully reintroduced. Appenzell Innerrhoden is Switzerland's most traditional and smallest-population canton (second smallest by area).
    16SWI-1953.jpg
  • Horns of Alpine ibex are displayed in the dining room of Berggasthaus Rotsteinpass (2120 m) in the Alpstein limestone mountain range, Appenzell Alps, Switzerland, Europe. The Alpine ibex or steinbock (Capra ibex, in the Bovidae family) is a wild goat of the European Alps. The larger males carry big curved horns. Alpine ibex tend to live in steep, rough terrain above the snow line. Four distinct social groups tend to form: adult male groups, female-offspring groups, groups of young individuals, and mixed sex groups; but Adult males and females segregate for most of the year, coming together only to mate. After being eliminated from most areas by the 1800s, the ibex was successfully reintroduced. Appenzell Innerrhoden is Switzerland's most traditional and smallest-population canton (second smallest by area).
    16SWI-1928.jpg
  • Dairy cows at sunrise. Berggasthaus Meglisalp can only be reached on foot in the spectacular heart of the Alpstein mountain chain in the Appenzell Alps, Switzerland, Europe. This authentic mountain hostelry, owned by the same family for five generations, dates from 1897. Meglisalp is a working dairy farm, restaurant and guest house surrounded by majestic peaks above green pastures.
    16SWI-1759.jpg
  • Domesticated goats at Widderalp farm, in the Alpstein limestone range, Appenzell Alps, Switzerland, Europe. Below Bötzel pass, Widderalp comforts hikers with a homey restaurant and dormitory style (Matratzenlager) lodging. Appenzell Innerrhoden is Switzerland's most traditional and smallest-population canton (second smallest by area).
    16SWI-1459.jpg
  • Cattle graze at Bollenwees alp, at scenic Fälensee lake in the Alpstein range, Appenzell Alps, Switzerland, Europe. Berggasthaus Bollenwees, founded in 1903, is a wonderful place to stay overnight in private double ensuite or dormitory rooms. A spectacular multi-day ridge walk covered in wildflower gardens starts at Hoher Kasten, reached via cable car from Brülisau, just 10 minutes bus ride from Appenzell village. Hike a scenic ridge via Staubern to beautiful Bollenwees and onwards to more wonders. Appenzell Innerrhoden is Switzerland's most traditional and smallest-population canton (second smallest by area).
    16SWI-1408.jpg
  • The flag (Coat of Arms) of Appenzell is based on that of the Abbot of St. Gallen, who was the feudal lord until 1403. (The flag of the abbey showed a bear on a yellow field, and the independent territory Appenzell changed the field to white for its own flag.) The canton of Appenzell divided itself into an "inner" and "outer" half (Rhoden) as a consequence of the Reformation in Switzerland in 1597: Appenzell Innerrhoden (Catholic) and Appenzell Ausserrhoden (Protestant). Appenzell Museum, which is in the town hall, shows a cross section of the Swiss Canton's history and culture (1400s flags and banners, embroidery, folk art, and even historic torture instruments). Appenzell village is in Appenzell Innerrhoden, Switzerland's most traditional and smallest-population canton (second smallest by area).
    16SWI-0804.jpg
  • The Gouldian Finch (or Lady Gouldian or Rainbow Finch) is native to tropical Northern Australia and has green or blue back; red, black or orange head; and white or lavender breast. The photo is from Bloedel Conservatory, in Queen Elizabeth Park, 4600 Cambie St, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Bloedel Conservatory is a domed lush paradise where you can experience the colors and scents of the tropics year-round, atop the City of Vancouver’s highest point, Little Mountain (501 feet). In Bloedel Conservatory, more than 200 free-flying exotic birds, 500 exotic plants and flowers thrive within a temperature-controlled environment. A donation from Prentice Bloedel built the domed structure, which was dedicated in 1969 "to a better appreciation and understanding of the world of plants," and is jointly operated by Vancouver Park Board and VanDusen Botanical Garden Association. A former rock quarry has been converted into beautiful Queen Elizabeth Park with flower gardens, public art, grassy knolls.
    1402VAN-100.jpg
  • A duck swims across an intricate pattern of leaves reflected in the emerald and blue waters of Lake Bled (Blejsko jezero), in the Julian Alps, Slovenia, Europe. Lake Bled hosted the World Rowing Championships in 1966, 1979, 1989, and 2011. The lake is 35 kilometers from Ljubljana International Airport.
    13SLO-1372_Lake-Bled-Slovenia.jpg
  • The Russian River drains Sonoma and Mendocino counties  in Northern California, USA and flows into the Pacific Ocean at Russian River State Marine Conservation area and Sonoma Coast State Park near Jenner.
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  • Gentoo Penguins (Pygoscelis papua) raise chicks in the snow on an Antarctic island. In 2005, the M/S Explorer cruise ship visited this remote wilderness. An adult Gentoo Penguin has a bright orange-red bill and a wide white stripe extending across the top of its head. Chicks have grey backs with white fronts. Of all penguins, Gentoos have the most prominent tail, which sweeps from side to side as they waddle on land, hence the scientific name Pygoscelis, "rump-tailed." As the the third largest species of penguin, adult Gentoos reach 51 to 90 cm (20-36 in) high. They are the fastest underwater swimming penguin, reaching speeds of 36 km per hour.
    05ANT-20115.jpg
  • A sphinx moth (or hawk moth, Sphingidae family, order Lepidoptera) is attracted to night lights in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America. Sphingidae is best represented in the tropics but species inhabit every region. Sphingidae are moderate to large in size and are distinguished among moths for their rapid, sustained flying ability, assisted by narrow wings and streamlined abdomen. Some hawk moths, like the hummingbird hawk moth, hover in midair while they feed on nectar from flowers and are sometimes mistaken for hummingbirds. This hovering capability has evolved only three times in nectar feeders: in hummingbirds, certain bats, and these sphingids. Sphingids can swing hover (move rapidly from side to side while hovering). Some of the sphingids are some of the fastest flying insects, capable of flying at over 50 km/h (30 miles per hour). They have a wingspan of 35-150 mm.
    09ECU-1815_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • A bonded pair of Waved Albatross (Phoebastria irrorata; or Galapagos Albatross) grooms at Suaraz Point, a wet landing on Española (Hood) Island, the oldest of the Galapagos Islands, which are a province of Ecuador, South America.  The Waved Albatross is the only tropical member of the Albatross family (Diomedeidae). During the non-breeding season, Waved Albatross mostly reside in the coastal areas of Ecuador and Peru. The Waved Albatross breeds primarily on Española Island in the Galápagos archipelago (and maybe some on Genovesa Island and Isla de la Plata). Waved Albatross have blue feet and distinctively yellowish-cream neck and head, which contrasts with their mostly brownish bodies. The very long, bright yellow bill looks disproportionately large in comparison to the relatively small head and long, slender neck. They have chestnut brown upper parts and underparts, except for the breast, with fine barring, a little coarser on the rump. They have brown upper-wings, back, and tail, along with a whitish breast and underwings. Their axillaries (armpit feathers) are brown. Chicks have brown fluffy feathers. Juveniles are similar to adults except for more white on their head. Their lifespan may reach 40 to 45 years. Diomedeidae (the Albatross family) come from the Procellariiformes order (along with Shearwaters, Fulmars, Storm-petrels, and Diving-petrels).
    09ECU-5343_Galapagos.jpg
  • The Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) thrives on Punta (Point) Espinoza, on Fernandina (Narborough) Island, Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, South America. Marine Iguanas, the world’s only sea-going lizard species, are found nowhere else on earth. Marine Iguanas feed almost exclusively on marine algae, expelling the excess salt from nasal glands while basking in the sun, coating their faces with white. Marine Iguanas live on the rocky shore or sometimes on mangrove beaches or marshes. Most adults are black, some grey, and the young have a lighter colored dorsal stripe. The somber tones allow the species to rapidly absorb the warm rays of the sun to minimize the period of lethargy after emerging from the frigid water, which is cooled by the Humboldt Current. Breeding-season adult males on the southern islands are the most colorful and will acquire reddish and teal-green colors, while Santa Cruz males are brick red and black, and Fernandina males are brick red and dull greenish. The iguanas living on the islands of Fernandina and Isabela (named for the famous rulers of Spain) are the largest found anywhere in the Galápagos. The smallest iguanas are found on Genovesa Island. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus.
    09ECU-3613_Galapagos.jpg
  • The Red-footed Booby (Sula sula) is a large seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae. Photo is from Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island, or Bird Island), a shield volcano in the Galápagos Islands, in the eastern Pacific Ocean, Ecuador, South America. Sula sula breeds in colonies and is found widely on tropical islands. The Red-footed Booby is the smallest of all boobies at 71 cm in length and with a 137 cm wingspan, and has red legs with pink and blue bill and throat pouch. They are powerful and agile fliers but clumsy in takeoffs and landings. The brown morph of this species is brown with a white belly, rump, and tail. The white morph is mostly white with black on the flight feathers. Young birds are greyish with browner wings and pink legs. The sexes appear similar. National Park visitors follow licensed guides up the steep path of Prince Philip’s Steps (up a cliff 25 meters vertically) to seabird colonies full of life amidst a thin palo santo forest growing in a rocky desert plain.
    09ECU-3398_Galapagos.jpg
  • A large poodle dog with a pack. Hike to Shadow Lake (7.5 miles,  1200 ft gain) in Ansel Adams Wilderness, Inyo National Forest. Mammoth Lakes, California, USA.
    2007CA-1258.jpg
  • A crayfish at Secret Lake. We hiked Leavitt Meadows Loop clockwise (8.9 miles with 1570 ft gain with ridge extension above Lane Lake) in Hoover Wilderness, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, California, USA. Trailhead is at Leavitt Meadows Campground, 38.33401 N, 119.55177 W. Staying below 8000 ft elevation, this makes a good training hike. The best ambiance is at Secret Lake. Roosevelt and Lane Lakes provide pleasant views.
    2007CA-1021.jpg
  • A chimango caracara (Milvago chimango, in the family Falconidae), bird of prey. Photographed at Camping Frances, in Torres del Paine National Park, Ultima Esperanza Province, Chile, Patagonia, South America. The park is listed as a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. The chimango is found in Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Paraguay and the south of Brazil. It lives as far south as Tierra del Fuego and is a vagrant to the Falkland Islands. The chimango caracara is the least patterned of the caracaras; its plumage is mostly brownish with variable dark streaking.
    2002PAT-6189.jpg
  • A sign implores drivers to slow for huemules and prevent forest fires on RP23, near Lago del Desierto, in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, Patagonia, South America. The south Andean deer (Hippocamelus bisulcus), also known as the southern guemal, Chilean huemul or güemul, is an endangered deer species native to the mountains of Argentina and Chile. The huemul is part of Chile's national coat of arms and is a National Natural Monument.
    2002PAT-3681.jpg
  • A southern lapwing (Vanellus chilensis) bird in El Calafate, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, Patagonia, South America. The southern lapwing, a wader in the order Charadriiformes, is a common resident widespread in South America. It's the national bird of Uruguay. It has also been spreading through Central America and reached Trinidad in 1961 and Tobago in 1974.
    2002PAT-2343.jpg
  • Sheep graze near Futaleufú, in Palena Province, Chile, Andes mountains, Patagonia, South America. The frontier town Futaleufu hosts forestry, cattle farming, and adventure tourism including whitewater rafting, fishing, mountain biking, trekking, and canyoneering. Located 7 miles from the Argentinian border, Futaleufu (population 2,000) is most easily accessed from airports in Esquel and Bariloche, Argentina. The town is named after the crystal blue Futaleufú River, considered one of the best whitewater rafting rivers in the world. The name Futaleufu derives from a Mapudungun word meaning "Big River". A gravel road links the town to Trevelin in Argentina and to the Carretera Austral. Following the eruption of Chaitén Volcano and the subsequent destruction of Chaitén, Futaleufú has been the administrative capital of Palena Province since March 2009.
    2002PAT-1556.jpg
  • The guanaco (Lama guanicoe) is a camelid native to South America, closely related to the llama. Its name comes from the Quechua word huanaco (modern spelling wanaku). Young guanacos are called chulengos. Location: Chacabuco Valley, near Cochrane, in Chile, South America. Patagonia National Park consists of the Tompkins Conservation donation in addition to the former national reserves of Jeinimeni and Tamango, plus fiscal land. Parque Patagonia was created by Conservacion Patagonica, a nonprofit incorporated in California and founded in 2000 by Kris Tompkins. On January 29, 2018, Chilean President Michelle Bachelet and Kris Tompkins signed a decree creating 5 national parks, including Patagonia National Park.
    2002PAT-0895.jpg
  • Black-faced ibis / Theristicus melanopis / bandurria in Spanish. Bariloche, Argentina, South America.
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  • Deer. Dunes rise up to 750 feet tall in Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, on the eastern edge of San Luis Valley, Sangre de Cristo Range, south-central Colorado, USA.
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  • Wood Bison, a threatened species in Canada, graze along the Alaska Highway near Liard Hot Springs, in British Columbia.
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  • Two stuffed moose bulls lock antlers at Jeff. Smiths Parlor Museum, which is toured by the National Park Service. Skagway was founded in 1897 on the Alaska Panhandle. Skagway's population of about 1150 people doubles in the summer tourist season to manage more than one million visitors per year. Half of Alaska's total visitors come via cruise ships. Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park commemorates the late 1890s Gold Rush with three units in Municipality of Skagway Borough: Historic Skagway; the White Pass Trail; and Dyea Townsite and Chilkoot Trail. (A fourth unit is in Pioneer Square National Historic District in Seattle, Washington.) This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
    1906AKH-5137-p1-Pano.jpg
  • Harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) live amid ice flows calved from South Sawyer Glacier. Cruise to Tracy Arm Fjord and South Sawyer Glacier from Juneau, Alaska, USA. As the most widely distributed species of pinniped, harbor seals are found in coastal waters of the northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and the Baltic and North Seas. Harbor seals are brown, silvery white, tan, or gray, with distinctive V-shaped nostrils. We highly recommend the smoothly stabilized day cruise aboard the 56-foot boat Adventure Bound. This journey to the heart of Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness (Tongass National Forest) rivals Norwegian fjords and adds a punchbowl of icebergs from the spectacular South Sawyer Glacier, which calved ice into the tidewater with a rumble and a splash. Whales, bears, sea lions and other wildlife showed up along the way. The fjord twists narrowly 30 miles into the coastal mountains, with peaks jutting up to a mile high, draped with tumbling waterfalls.
    1906AKH-4414.jpg
  • The moose (Alces alces) is the largest species of the deer family. Denali National Park, Alaska, USA.
    1906AKH-2052.jpg
  • F.E. Company Dredge No. 4 (Pedro Dredge) ran 1938-1967 near Fairbanks & here in Chicken, Alaska, USA. Chicken is one of the few surviving gold rush towns in Alaska. Mining and tourism keep it alive in the summer, and about 17 people stay through the winter. Gold miners settling here in the late 1800s wanted to name it after the local ptarmigan birds, but couldn't agree on the spelling, so instead called it Chicken to avoid embarrassment. A portion of Chicken including early 1900s buildings and the F.E. Company Dredge No. 4 (Pedro Dredge) is listed as the Chicken Historic District on the National Register of Historical Places. Chicken can be reached via Chicken Airport or Alaska Route 5, the Taylor Highway, which is not maintained from mid-October through mid-March. To license this Copyright photo, please inquire at PhotoSeek.com.
    1906AKH-1493.jpg
  • The red-billed gull (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae scopulinus) is a native of New Zealand. Formerly considered as a separate species (mackerel gull), it is now usually treated as a subspecies of the silver gull (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae). Maoris called it the tarapunga or akiaki. Photographed at Punakaiki Pancake Rocks and Blowholes Walk, on Dolomite Point in Paparoa National Park, in the West Coast region of New Zealand's South Island.
    1901NZ1-4681.jpg
  • The chorus cicada, Amphipsalta zelandica, is the most common species of cicada in New Zealand, where it is endemic and found in most areas. They typically live in forests and areas with open bush, where their left-over nymph skins can be seen on tree trunks and branches during summer. Cicadas are a superfamily, the Cicadoidea, of insects in the order Hemiptera (true bugs). They have an exceptionally loud song, produced in most species by the rapid buckling and unbuckling of drumlike tymbals. Photographed at Gillespies Beach, near Fox Glacier, in Westland Tai Poutini National Park on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island.
    1901NZ1-4357.jpg
  • Skull of New Zealand fur seal (Arctocephalus forsteri) at Long Reef Point on the Tasman Sea near Martins Bay Hut, on the Hollyford Track, in Fiordland National Park, Southland region, South Island of New Zealand. After the arrival of Europeans in New Zealand, hunting reduced the seal population near to extinction. This mammal is known as kekeno in Maori language. Some call it Australasian fur seal, South Australian fur seal, Antipodean fur seal, or long-nosed fur seal.  In 1990, UNESCO honored Te Wahipounamu - South West New Zealand as a World Heritage Area.
    1901NZ1-2318.jpg
  • South Island robin (Petroica australis) is a protected endemic species of New Zealand. Photographed on the Milford Track in Fiordland National Park, Southland region, South Island of New Zealand. In 1990, UNESCO honored Te Wahipounamu - South West New Zealand as a World Heritage Area.
    1901NZ2-0123.jpg
  • Rooftop fish sculpture "for fire protection" on Himeji Castle, built 1609, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. Himeji Castle is both a national treasure and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Unlike many other Japanese castles, it was never destroyed by war, earthquake or fire and survives to this day as one of the country's twelve original castles. History: Starting as forts built in 1333 and 1346, Himeji Castle (aka White Heron Castle or White Egret Castle) was remodeled in 1561, remodeled in 1581, enlarged in 1609 to its present complex, extensively repaired in 1956, and renovated in 2009-15. Displayed inside are historic samurai armour and swords. From the upper floors, view fish-shaped roof ornaments that are believed to protect from fire. Across the moat, visit Koko-en, a pleasing reconstruction of former samurai quarters, nine Edo period homes, plus movie-set gardens. Himeji Castle starred in the 1967 James Bond movie "You Only Live Twice"; in Akira Kurosawa's 1980 film "Kagemusha" and 1985 "Ran"; and in the 1980 television miniseries Shogun (portraying feudal Osaka castle). By train, Himeji is 3 hours round trip from Kyoto.
    1810JPN-7617.jpg
  • Rooftop view of Himeji Castle, built 1609, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. Himeji Castle is both a national treasure and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Unlike many other Japanese castles, it was never destroyed by war, earthquake or fire and survives to this day as one of the country's twelve original castles. History: Starting as forts built in 1333 and 1346, Himeji Castle (aka White Heron Castle or White Egret Castle) was remodeled in 1561, remodeled in 1581, enlarged in 1609 to its present complex, extensively repaired in 1956, and renovated in 2009-15. Displayed inside are historic samurai armour and swords. From the upper floors, view fish-shaped roof ornaments that are believed to protect from fire. Across the moat, visit Koko-en, a pleasing reconstruction of former samurai quarters, nine Edo period homes, plus movie-set gardens. Himeji Castle starred in the 1967 James Bond movie "You Only Live Twice"; in Akira Kurosawa's 1980 film "Kagemusha" and 1985 "Ran"; and in the 1980 television miniseries Shogun (portraying feudal Osaka castle). By train, Himeji is 3 hours round trip from Kyoto.
    1810JPN-7560.jpg
  • Rooftop fish sculpture "for fire protection" on Himeji Castle, built 1609, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. Himeji Castle is both a national treasure and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Unlike many other Japanese castles, it was never destroyed by war, earthquake or fire and survives to this day as one of the country's twelve original castles. History: Starting as forts built in 1333 and 1346, Himeji Castle (aka White Heron Castle or White Egret Castle) was remodeled in 1561, remodeled in 1581, enlarged in 1609 to its present complex, extensively repaired in 1956, and renovated in 2009-15. Displayed inside are historic samurai armour and swords. From the upper floors, view fish-shaped roof ornaments that are believed to protect from fire. Across the moat, visit Koko-en, a pleasing reconstruction of former samurai quarters, nine Edo period homes, plus movie-set gardens. Himeji Castle starred in the 1967 James Bond movie "You Only Live Twice"; in Akira Kurosawa's 1980 film "Kagemusha" and 1985 "Ran"; and in the 1980 television miniseries Shogun (portraying feudal Osaka castle). By train, Himeji is 3 hours round trip from Kyoto.
    1810JP2-239.jpg
  • The grey heron (Ardea cinerea) is a long-legged predatory wading bird of the heron family, Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia and parts of Africa. It is resident in much of its range, but some populations from the more northern parts migrate southwards in autumn. A bird of wetland areas, it can be seen around lakes, rivers, ponds, marshes and on the sea coast. It feeds mostly on aquatic creatures which it catches after standing stationary beside or in the water or stalking its prey through the shallows. Photo from Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, Japan.
    1810JPN-4545.jpg
  • Toshogu Shrine is the final resting place of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate that ruled Japan for over 250 years until 1868. Ieyasu is enshrined at Toshogu as the deity Tosho Daigongen, "Great Deity of the East Shining Light". Initially a relatively simple mausoleum, Toshogu was enlarged into the spectacular complex seen today by Ieyasu's grandson Iemitsu during the first half of the 1600s. The lavishly decorated shrine complex consists of more than a dozen buildings set in a beautiful forest. Countless wood carvings and large amounts of gold leaf were used to decorate the buildings in a way not seen elsewhere in Japan. Toshogu contains both Shinto and Buddhist elements, as was common until the Meiji Period when Shinto was deliberately separated from Buddhism. Toshogu is part of Shrines and Temples of Nikko UNESCO World Heritage site.
    1810JPN-3627.jpg
  • Ornate wood bird carving at 1600s Toshogu Shrine in Nikko, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Japan. Toshogu Shrine is the final resting place of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate that ruled Japan for over 250 years until 1868. Ieyasu is enshrined at Toshogu as the deity Tosho Daigongen, "Great Deity of the East Shining Light". Initially a relatively simple mausoleum, Toshogu was enlarged into the spectacular complex seen today by Ieyasu's grandson Iemitsu during the first half of the 1600s. The lavishly decorated shrine complex consists of more than a dozen buildings set in a beautiful forest. Countless wood carvings and large amounts of gold leaf were used to decorate the buildings in a way not seen elsewhere in Japan. Toshogu contains both Shinto and Buddhist elements, as was common until the Meiji Period when Shinto was deliberately separated from Buddhism. Toshogu is part of Shrines and Temples of Nikko UNESCO World Heritage site.
    1810JPN-3623.jpg
  • Honored in a stylized statue, this tanuki, or Japanese raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides viverrinus) is a subspecies of Asian raccoon dog, in the canid family. In Japanese folklore, the legendary tanuki is reputed to be mischievous and jolly, a master of disguise and shapeshifting, but somewhat gullible and absentminded. The tanuki is a common theme in Japanese art and statuary. "Tanuki" is often mistakenly translated into English as "badger" or "raccoon" (as used in the US version of the movie Pom Poko and outlined in Tom Robbins' book Villa Incognito), two unrelated types of animals with superficially similar appearances.  The city of Takayama ("tall mountain") lies in the heart of the Japan Alps, in the Hida region of Gifu Prefecture. Commonly differentiated as Hida-Takayama, city has the largest geographic area of any municipality in Japan.
    1810JPN-1907.jpg
  • Meandering pine bark beetle trails are exposed on a bare log. Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, Kananaskis Country, Alberta, Canada.
    1807CCAN-42.jpg
  • A juvenile chuckwalla (or chuckawalla): Sauromalus ater is a species of lizard in the family Iguanidae. Fall Canyon, Death Valley National Park, California, USA.
    1804SW-3171.jpg
  • Desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) with lamb, beside Emigrant Canyon Road, Death Valley National Park, California, USA. Desert bighorn sheep are native to the deserts of the Southwestern United States and Northwestern Mexico.
    1804SW-2847.jpg
  • Bison family on the road near Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA.
    1709US1-4494_Yellowstone-NP-WY.jpg
  • Prairie dog (genus Cynomys) in Devils Tower National Monument, Wyoming, USA. Prairie dogs, a type of ground squirrel, are herbivorous burrowing rodents native to the grasslands of North America.
    1709US1-3424.jpg
  • The mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus, or Rocky Mountain Goat) is a large-hoofed mammal found only in North America. It is an even-toed ungulate in the family Bovidae, in subfamily Caprinae (goat-antelopes), in the Oreamnos genus (but is NOT a true "goat" or Capra genus). Keystone, Black Hills, South Dakota, USA.
    1709US1-2957.jpg
  • Bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis). Badlands National Park has the largest undisturbed mixed grass prairie in the United States. Erosion has exposed layers of ancient colorful sediments in this corner of South Dakota, USA.
    1709US1-2293_Badlands-NP-SD.jpg
  • A bleating sheep with horns. The Fairy Glen (or Faerie Glen) is an unusual landscape of grassy, cone-shaped hills (with Castle Ewen most prominent) near Uig village, on the Trotternish peninsula, in Scotland, United Kingdom, Europe. Walk an easy loop of 1.2 miles round trip (see www.walkhighlands.co.uk).
    17SC1-3289_Scotland.jpg
  • Sheep under Bioda Buidhe mountain and Trotternish Ridge, along the minor paved road between Staffin and Uig, on the Isle of Skye, Scotland, United Kingdom, Europe.
    17SC1-3187-p1_Scotland.jpg
  • The Kelpies, built of structural steel in 2013, are the world's largest pair of equine sculptures. Towering 30 meters above the Forth & Clyde Canal, these two horse head artworks are a monumental tribute to the horse power heritage (pulling wagons, ploughs, barges and coalships) vital to early industrial Scotland. Scottish sculptor Andy Scott designed these twin 300-tonne feats of engineering. Visit the Kelpies in the Helix parkland project, Falkirk, Scotland, United Kingdom, Europe.
    17SC1-1369_Scotland.jpg
  • Horse & foal. Comlongon Castle is a restored Medieval Scottish tower house dating from the late 1400s. Guests can stay in the attached Edwardian hotel, a baronial style mansion built 1900-02, set in 120 acres of manicured gardens, sweeping lawns, carp pond, lakes and woodlands, near Clarencefield and Dumfries, in southwest Scotland, United Kingdom, Europe. Originally built by the Murrays of Cockpool, Comlongon Castle remained in the Murray family until 1984. The castle is 50 feet square and stands 70 feet high, with walls over 4 meters thick, with impressive displays of weapons, armor and banners.
    17SC1-1064_Scotland.jpg
  • Sheep seen at Wasdale Head in Lake District NP, United Kingdom, Europe. England Coast to Coast hike with Wilderness Travel, day 3 of 14: from Wasdale Head to Seathwaite. From Wasdale Head, we climbed to 1637-foot Styhead Pass, then descended via Styhead Tarn to the valley of Borrowdale. Overnight at Keswick Country House, in Cumbria county. [This image, commissioned by Wilderness Travel, is not available to any other agency providing group travel in the UK, but may otherwise be licensable from Tom Dempsey – please inquire at PhotoSeek.com.]
    17UK-0886_England.jpg
  • A Bengal eagle owl male named Elmo is shown at the Owl Sanctuary hands-on experience, at the preserved 1869 Haverthwaite railway station on Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway, in Lake District National Park, Cumbria, England, United Kingdom, Europe. The Bengal eagle-owl (Bubo bengalensis) is a large horned owl with large head tufts, native to the Indian Subcontinent. They are splashed with brown and grey, and have a white throat patch with small black stripes. Photographed on day 1 of 14 of our England Coast to Coast hiking tour with Wilderness Travel.  [This image, commissioned by Wilderness Travel, is not available to any other agency providing group travel in the UK, but may otherwise be licensable from Tom Dempsey – please inquire at PhotoSeek.com.]
    17UK-0037_England.jpg
  • Stuffed heads of invasive feral goats, pigs, and deer educate visitors at Kokee Natural History Museum, Kauai, Hawaii, USA. The scenic Koke'e State Park is in northwestern Kauai in the Hawaiian Islands, USA. Perched on a plateau between 3200 and 4200 feet, the park gets temperatures at least 15 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than at sea level. Koke'e receives 50-100 inches of rain per year, mostly from October to May. Its forests are dominated by Acacia koa and ohia lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha) trees.
    1701HAW-1383.jpg
  • Calotomus carolinus, or Starry-eye Parrotfish / Star-eye Parrotfish / Carolines Parrotfish in Kealakekua Bay, Big Island, Hawaii, USA. Hawaiians call various species of parrotfish "uhu." We kayaked on a Kona Boys tour to the Captain Cook Monument in Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park starting from Napoopoo Pier, on the Kona Coast of the Big Island. With one of the most pristine coral reefs for snorkeling in the state, Kealakekua Bay is protected as a State Marine Life Conservation District (MLCD). British Captain James Cook was the first European to reach the Hawaiian islands (in January 1778 at Waimea harbour on Kauai), and he named the archipelago the "Sandwich Islands." During his second voyage to the Hawaiian Islands, Captain Cook arrived at Kealakekua Bay in 1779. Thought by the natives to be a god, due to his arrival during a celebration and time of peace for Lono, Cook was treated royally. But the following month he was killed in a skirmish on the shores of Ka'awaloa Cove following a series of incidents between his crew and the Hawaiians. In 1874, the 27-foot monument was erected nearby in Cook's honor by his countrymen. On the lava flats behind Cook Monument are the ruins of the ancient village of Ka'awaloa.
    1701HAW-3458.jpg
  • Yellow tang in Kealakekua Bay. The yellow tang, or Lau'ipala (Zebrasoma flavescens in the surgeonfish family, Acanthuridae). Zebrasoma flavescens is one of the most popular fish species for saltwater aquariums. Hawaii sources up to 70% of the aquarium industry's yellow tangs. "flavescens" means yellow in Latin. The yellow tang is commonly found in shallow reefs in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, west of Hawaii and east of Japan. It has also been seen in waters around Florida, where it is not native. We kayaked on a Kona Boys tour to the Captain Cook Monument in Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park starting from Napoopoo Pier, on the Kona Coast of the Big Island, Hawaii, USA. With one of the most pristine coral reefs for snorkeling in the state, Kealakekua Bay is protected as a State Marine Life Conservation District (MLCD).
    1701HAW-3425.jpg
  • The yellow tang, or Lau'ipala (Zebrasoma flavescens in the surgeonfish family, Acanthuridae). Zebrasoma flavescens is one of the most popular fish species for saltwater aquariums. Hawaii sources up to 70% of the aquarium industry's yellow tangs. "flavescens" means yellow in Latin. The yellow tang is commonly found in shallow reefs in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, west of Hawaii and east of Japan. It has been seen in waters around Florida, where it is not native. Snorkel at Two-Step (Pae'a) on Honaunau Bay, located across Keoneele Cove from Pu'uhonu O Honaunau National Historical Park ("Place of Refuge"), on the Big Island of Hawaii, USA. Address of Pae'a: 84-5571 Honaunau Beach Rd, Captain Cook, HI 96704.
    1701HAW-3184.jpg
  • A female Hawaiian Garden Spider (Argiope Appensa) waits in its web at Allerton Garden, Kauai, Hawaii, USA. Introduced to Hawaii, the Hawaiian Garden Spider (Argiope Appensa) is found on several islands in the western Pacific Ocean from Taiwan to Guam to New Guinea. The females are strikingly black and yellow 2-2.5 inches long, while the males are brown and much smaller at 0.75 inches. Allerton Garden, on the south shore of Kauai, Hawaii, USA. Address: 4425 Lawai Rd, Koloa, HI 96756. Nestled in a valley transected by the Lawai Stream ending in Lawai Bay, Allerton Garden is one of five gardens of the non-profit National Tropical Botanical Garden (ntbg.org).
    1701HAW-1903.jpg
  • A female Hawaiian Garden Spider (Argiope Appensa) waits in its web, silhuoetted against blue sky, on Awaawapuhi Trail, Kokee State Park, Kauai, Hawaii, USA. Introduced to Hawaii, the Hawaiian Garden Spider (Argiope Appensa) is found on several islands in the western Pacific Ocean from Taiwan to Guam to New Guinea. The females are strikingly black and yellow 2-2.5 inches long, while the males are brown and much smaller at 0.75 inches.
    1701HAW-1746.jpg
  • Feral rooster in Waimea Canyon State Park, island of Kauai, Hawaii, USA. This wild rooster on Kauai resembles its ancestor, the wild red junglefowl from Southeast Asia, which was brought by Polynesians to Hawaii, in several waves around 300-1000 AD. Cross-breeding with European domestic chickens followed Captain Cook's landing on the archipelago in 1778. But the past few decades have seen a sudden population explosion of thousands of feral chickens on Kauai, hurting the local ecology. While some look like farm chickens, many others, with burnt orange and black plumage for the males, look like a reversion to red junglefowl from the forests of India or Vietnam. The feral hens on Kauai revert to their ancestral shape of smaller body and smaller combs. Polynesians likely never made it to South America, because chickens on that continent don't have the Polynesian bird's genetic signposts.
    1701HAW-1687.jpg
  • Wild goat, Waimea Canyon State Park, island of Kauai, Hawaii, USA. Waimea Canyon ("the Grand Canyon of the Pacific") slices as much as 3000 feet deep across ten miles of western Kauai in the Hawaiian Islands. About 4 million years ago, a catastrophic collapse of the volcano that created Kauai created a fault which was gradually cut deeper by the Waimea River, fed by extreme rainfall on the island's central peak, Mount Wai'ale'ale, among the wettest places on Earth. Waimea is Hawaiian for "reddish water," referring to the local orange clay.
    1701HAW-1641.jpg
  • A non-native black swan (Cygnus atratus) swims in the koi pond at Byodo-In Temple, built in 1968 in Valley of Temples Memorial Park, Oahu, Hawaii, USA. Cygnus atratus is native to southeast and southwest Australia. Introduced worldwide as ornamental birds in the 1800s, black swans often escape and form stable populations. They were introduced to New Zealand in the 1860s. "Black swan theory" is a metaphor for an event that comes as a surprise (beyond expectations and outside of probabilistic models), has a major effect, and is often inappropriately rationalized after the fact with the benefit of hindsight. The term derives from an ancient saying which presumed black swans did not exist yet had to be rewritten after black swans were discovered in the wilds of Australia by Europeans in 1697. Black swan theory was developed in 2001 and 2007 books by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. Sales of his 2007 book "The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable" skyrocketed as the Great Recession coincidentally unfolded in 2007-2009, as a perfect example of a black swan event. Taleb's theory differs from the earlier and broader "black swan problem" in philosophy (the problem of induction, where the observation of a single black swan would be the undoing of the subsequent logic of any system of thought).
    1701HAW-0298.jpg
  • Three white swans reflect in Manistee River, Mesick, Michigan, USA.
    1610MI-095.jpg
  • An old heritage breed of black and white pigs is optimized with longer legs for walking to market. Conner Prairie Interactive History Park provides family-friendly fun for all ages in Fishers, Indiana, USA. Founded by pharmaceutical executive Eli Lilly in the 1930s, Conner Prairie living history museum now recreates life in Indiana in the 1800s on the White River and preserves the William Conner home (listed on the National Register of Historic Places).
    1610IND-164.jpg
  • Parasurfers play on Lake Silvaplana in Upper Engadine, in Graubünden (Grisons) canton, Switzerland, the Alps, Europe. The Swiss valley of Engadine translates as the "garden of the En (or Inn) River" (Engadin in German, Engiadina in Romansh, Engadina in Italian).
    16SWI-9345.jpg
  • Parasurfers play on Lake Silvaplana in Upper Engadine, in Graubünden (Grisons) canton, Switzerland, the Alps, Europe. The Swiss valley of Engadine translates as the "garden of the En (or Inn) River" (Engadin in German, Engiadina in Romansh, Engadina in Italian).
    16SWI-9334.jpg
  • Within 15 minutes walk from Stellisee lake, relax at Bergrestaurant Fluhalp at the heart of the Sunnegga-Blauherd-Rothorn hiking & ski region, in Zermatt, the Pennine/Valais Alps, Switzerland, Europe. Experience Stellisee best at sunrise with great reflections of the Matterhorn, after overnight stay at Fluhalp (half board meals, coin showers, private rooms & dormitory), 40 minutes walk from Blauherd lift. The best parts of the Five Lakes Trail / 5-Seenweg loop are the old wood buildings in upper Findeln, and the reflecting lakes of Grindjisee and Stellisee.
    16SWI-8848.jpg
  • Within 15 minutes walk from Stellisee lake, relax at Bergrestaurant Fluhalp at the heart of the Sunnegga-Blauherd-Rothorn hiking & ski region, in Zermatt, the Pennine/Valais Alps, Switzerland, Europe. Experience Stellisee best at sunrise with great reflections of the Matterhorn, after overnight stay at Fluhalp (half board meals, coin showers, private rooms & dormitory), 40 minutes walk from Blauherd lift. The best parts of the Five Lakes Trail / 5-Seenweg loop are the old wood buildings in upper Findeln, and the reflecting lakes of Grindjisee and Stellisee.
    16SWI-8838.jpg
  • Within 15 minutes walk from Stellisee lake, relax at Bergrestaurant Fluhalp at the heart of the Sunnegga-Blauherd-Rothorn hiking & ski region, in Zermatt, the Pennine/Valais Alps, Switzerland, Europe. Experience Stellisee best at sunrise with great reflections of the Matterhorn, after overnight stay at Fluhalp (half board meals, coin showers, private rooms & dormitory), 40 minutes walk from Blauherd lift. The best parts of the Five Lakes Trail / 5-Seenweg loop are the old wood buildings in upper Findeln, and the reflecting lakes of Grindjisee and Stellisee.
    16SWI-8831.jpg
  • From Zermatt, hike the scenic Höhbalmen Höhenweg loop via Bergrestaurant Edelweiss, Trift Hut and Zmutt, in the Pennine Alps, Switzerland, Europe. With delightful views of the Matterhorn plus other peaks and glaciers, this strenuous walk went up and down 1200 meters over 21.6 km (13.4 miles).
    16SWI-8186.jpg
  • From Zermatt, hike the scenic Höhbalmen Höhenweg loop via Bergrestaurant Edelweiss, Trift Hut and Zmutt, in the Pennine Alps, Switzerland, Europe. With delightful views of the Matterhorn plus other peaks and glaciers, this strenuous walk went up and down 1200 meters over 21.6 km (13.4 miles).
    16SWI-8184.jpg
  • From Zermatt, hike the scenic Höhbalmen Höhenweg loop via Bergrestaurant Edelweiss, Trift Hut and Zmutt, in the Pennine Alps, Switzerland, Europe. With delightful views of the Matterhorn plus other peaks and glaciers, this strenuous walk went up and down 1200 meters over 21.6 km (13.4 miles).
    16SWI-8146-p1.jpg
  • Butterfly on Edelweiss flower, in Trift Valley in the Pennine/Valais Alps, Switzerland, Europe. Edelweiss (Leontopodium alpinum) is in the Asteraceae/daisy/sunflower family. Ideal for hiking in a natural setting, Trift is the only Valley in Zermatt free of railways, lifts or ski runs.
    16SWI-7988.jpg
  • From Zermatt, hike the scenic Höhbalmen Höhenweg loop via Bergrestaurant Edelweiss, Trift Hut and Zmutt, in the Pennine Alps, Switzerland, Europe. With delightful views of the Matterhorn plus other peaks and glaciers, this strenuous walk went up and down 1200 meters over 21.6 km (13.4 miles).
    16SWI-7971.jpg
  • Hike the dramatic Sentier des Chamois from Verbier, in Switzerland, the Alps, Europe. The Chamois Path starts at La Chaux ski lift and ends at Fionnay PostBus. Cross Col Termin (2648m/8688 ft) in Haut Val de Bagnes nature reserve and descend to Lake Louvie via 1800s stone barns to the north, then to Fionnay (640 m up, 1415 m down in 8.5 hours). Along the way, we admired a group fighting of Hérens cows, ibex with huge horns, and the glaciers of Grand Combins. Optionally stay overnight in dorms Cabane de Louvie.
    16SWI-7420.jpg
  • Alpine ibex males carry big horns above Lake Louvie, near Verbier, in the Pennine/Valais Alps, Switzerland, Europe. The Alpine ibex or steinbock (Capra ibex, in the Bovidae family) is a wild goat native to the European Alps. After being eliminated from most of the European Alps by the 1800s, the ibex was successfully reintroduced. Four distinct social groups tend to form: adult male groups (shown here), female-offspring groups, groups of young individuals, and mixed sex groups; but Adult males and females segregate for most of the year, coming together only to mate.
    16SWI-7264.jpg
  • Alpine ibex males carry big horns above Lake Louvie, near Verbier, in the Pennine/Valais Alps, Switzerland, Europe. The Alpine ibex or steinbock (Capra ibex, in the Bovidae family) is a wild goat native to the European Alps. After being eliminated from most of the European Alps by the 1800s, the ibex was successfully reintroduced. Four distinct social groups tend to form: adult male groups (shown here), female-offspring groups, groups of young individuals, and mixed sex groups; but Adult males and females segregate for most of the year, coming together only to mate.
    16SWI-7250.jpg
  • Alpine ibex males carry big horns above Lake Louvie, near Verbier, in the Pennine/Valais Alps, Switzerland, Europe. The Alpine ibex or steinbock (Capra ibex, in the Bovidae family) is a wild goat native to the European Alps. After being eliminated from most of the European Alps by the 1800s, the ibex was successfully reintroduced. Four distinct social groups tend to form: adult male groups (shown here), female-offspring groups, groups of young individuals, and mixed sex groups; but Adult males and females segregate for most of the year, coming together only to mate.
    16SWI-7243.jpg
  • Alpine ibex males carry big horns above Lake Louvie, near Verbier, in the Pennine/Valais Alps, Switzerland, Europe. The Alpine ibex or steinbock (Capra ibex, in the Bovidae family) is a wild goat native to the European Alps. After being eliminated from most of the European Alps by the 1800s, the ibex was successfully reintroduced. Four distinct social groups tend to form: adult male groups (shown here), female-offspring groups, groups of young individuals, and mixed sex groups; but Adult males and females segregate for most of the year, coming together only to mate.
    16SWI-7225.jpg
  • Hike the dramatic Sentier des Chamois from Verbier, in Switzerland, the Alps, Europe. The Chamois Path starts at La Chaux ski lift and ends at Fionnay PostBus. Cross Col Termin (2648m/8688 ft) in Haut Val de Bagnes nature reserve and descend to Lake Louvie via 1800s stone barns to the north, then to Fionnay (640 m up, 1415 m down in 8.5 hours). Along the way, we admired a group fighting of Hérens cows, ibex with huge horns, and the glaciers of Grand Combins. Optionally stay overnight in dorms Cabane de Louvie.
    16SWI-7081.jpg
  • Ride the PostBus from Meiringen, over Grimsel Pass to Oberwald, in the Bernese Alps, Switzerland, Europe. An extensive system of hydro-electric dams built in the 1920s and 1950s dominates the scenery of Grimselpass. Some aging hotels cling to the pass.
    16SWI-6568.jpg
  • Hike from Pfingstegg lift station to Berghaus Bäregg, above Grindelwald, Switzerland, the Alps, Europe.
    16SWI-6196.jpg
  • Hotel Gletschergarten, Grindelwald, Switzerland, the Alps, Europe.
    16SWI-6123.jpg
  • Bernese Alps. Hike a very spectacular trail from Eigeralp farm at upper Bussalp, around Faulhorn to Bachalpsee, finishing at the gondola lift station at First, which descends to Grindelwald BGF. Grindelwald is in the canton of Bern, Switzerland, the Alps, Europe. Along this hike on a clear day, admire breathtaking array of peaks: Wetterhorn, Schreckhorn, Finsteraarhorn (highest mountain in the Bernese Alps, at 4274 m or 14,022 ft), Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau. Eigeralp.ch offers a wonderful traditional breakfast and farm stays, and can be reached as follows: ride the private GrindelwaldBus.ch to the last stop in Bussalp, then ascend 40 minutes on foot. The Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch region is honored as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
    16SWIC-546.jpg
  • Hike a very spectacular trail from Eigeralp farm at upper Bussalp, around Faulhorn to Bachalpsee, finishing at the gondola lift station at First, which descends to Grindelwald BGF. Grindelwald is in the canton of Bern, Switzerland, the Alps, Europe. Along this hike on a clear day, admire breathtaking array of peaks: Wetterhorn, Schreckhorn, Finsteraarhorn (highest mountain in the Bernese Alps, at 4274 m or 14,022 ft), Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau. Eigeralp.ch offers a wonderful traditional breakfast and farm stays, and can be reached as follows: ride the private GrindelwaldBus.ch to the last stop in Bussalp, then ascend 40 minutes on foot. The Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch region is honored as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
    16SWI-6019-p1.jpg
  • Bachalpsee reflects peaks above Grindelwald, in Bern canton, Switzerland, the Alps, Europe. Hike a very spectacular trail from Eigeralp farm at upper Bussalp, around Faulhorn to Bachalpsee, finishing at the gondola lift station at First, which descends to Grindelwald BGF. Along this hike on a clear day, admire breathtaking array of peaks: Wetterhorn, Schreckhorn, Finsteraarhorn (highest mountain in the Bernese Alps, at 4274 m or 14,022 ft), Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau. Eigeralp.ch offers a wonderful traditional breakfast and farm stays, and can be reached as follows: ride the private GrindelwaldBus.ch to the last stop in Bussalp, then ascend 40 minutes on foot. The Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch region is honored as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
    16SWI-6000.jpg
  • Bachalpsee reflects peaks above Grindelwald, in Bern canton, Switzerland, the Alps, Europe. Hike a very spectacular trail from Eigeralp farm at upper Bussalp, around Faulhorn to Bachalpsee, finishing at the gondola lift station at First, which descends to Grindelwald BGF. Along this hike on a clear day, admire breathtaking array of peaks: Wetterhorn, Schreckhorn, Finsteraarhorn (highest mountain in the Bernese Alps, at 4274 m or 14,022 ft), Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau. Eigeralp.ch offers a wonderful traditional breakfast and farm stays, and can be reached as follows: ride the private GrindelwaldBus.ch to the last stop in Bussalp, then ascend 40 minutes on foot. The Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch region is honored as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
    16SWI-5998.jpg
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