When Deb and I stayed at the tiny two-cabin Raja Ampat Eco Lodge on the island of Waisai (Indonesian New Guinea), one of the recommended hikes was a precipitous and slippery climb through the rainforest to a panorama. Much of the hike had ropes for us to grab, keeping us from bloodying our shins if […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4899: Striped surgeonfish are fast and skittish, making them somewhat difficult to photograph. Their bright colors make it worth the effort. Photographed in the Raja Ampat of Indonesian New Guinea.
Marty’s photo of the day #4899: In addition to the amazing underwater life in the Raja Ampat region of Indonesian New Guinea, the above water life is pretty cool too. This is an orchid swallowtail butterfly on a peacock flower.
This is the story of Deb’s and my six-million-dollar speedboat ride and one-and-a -half-million-dollar tip. When we booked our trip to the Raja Ampat of Indonesian New Guinea ten months in advance, we were warned to be flexible. That was good advice. Between January and October, our international airline tickets got canceled, forcing me to […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4898: The giant clams of the Raja Ampat were absolutely stunning. This is one of my favorites. It’s hard to believe that this is a living thing.
The people of Indonesian New Guinea were among the most friendly I’ve met anywhere in the world. At the beginning of our trip, Deb and I walked the main road in Kaimana (a remote island town of about 17,000) as people on scooters whizzed by. As the only visible white people in town, we were […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4897: The first time I saw one of these in the Raja Ampat of Indonesian New Guinea, I thought they were a type of angelfish. But they are much bigger, reaching 19 inches across, and quite shy. Later, I learned they are golden spadefish. Usually, I’d only see a single […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4896: You may recognize this as a clownfish, which is just one of many species of anemonefish. The Raja Ampat of Indonesian New Guinea supports the greatest number of fish species in the world, resulting in Deb and I seeing more species of anemonefish than we knew existed. One of […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4895: While in Indonesian New Guinea, Deb and I saw more species of crab than we’d seen anywhere in the world—from the size of a pea to the size of a coconut. Eventually, I’ll post photos of them all. Today I’m featuring one of my favorites: a ghost crab.
Marty’s photo of the day #4894: I’ve loved photography for most of my life but didn’t get into underwater photography until Deb and I spent a week on the Sea of Cortez in 2016. I’ve upgraded my underwater camera three times. Currently I prefer the SeaLife Micro 3.0 for videos and the Olympus Tough TG-7 […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4893: After 3 days of traveling, including 5 airplane flights and a 2-hour speedboat ride across open ocean, Deb and I are back home from the Raja Ampat region of Indonesian New Guinea. Having traveled all 7 continents and written 3 nature-oriented travel books, I can say with confidence that […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4892: Deb and I are on our way back from sailing in the Raja Ampat region of Indonesian New Guinea. Our first day was an outstanding indicator of what was to come. We snorkeled near a mobile fishing platform, hoping to see the whale sharks that visit, looking for scraps. […]
Greetings from Indonesia! Deb and I have spent the past three weeks in the Raja Ampat (the Coral Triangle) region of Indonesian New Guinea. Much of it sailing on The Katharina (pictured), which is a traditional pinisi ship, built by the Bugis people. We snorkeled with whale sharks, enjoyed the most diverse and most beautiful […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4891: Canada geese in flight. Photographed in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana.
Marty’s photo of the day #4889: This is a spectacled flying fox, photographed in Queensland, Australia.
Marty’s photo of the day #4888: A moose portrait. Photographed in the Essen Wildlife Refuge, Montana.
Marty’s photo of the day #4886: For this photo, I am in the rainforest on the island of Borneo, standing inside an old strangler fig, with my camera pointed straight up.
Marty’s photo of the day #4885: This is a Venezuelan troupial, photographed last year in Bonaire. As the name suggests, the are native to Venezuela. Apparently they were introduced to the island in 1973, when a local friar released some there.
