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Marty’s photo of the day #5044: Because of the warm weather, I moved my writing room outside to the porch earlier than usual. The memory and intelligence of hummingbirds astounds me. Not only can they remember exactly where the feeder was last year, but they also know that humans need to fill it up and […]
A whale shark approaches from the cloudy water. Whale sharks are the largest fish to ever inhabit the Earth. They can reach 60 feet long; this one was between 30 and 40 feet long. (Photographed last year in the Raja Ampat of Indonesian New Guinea.)
Marty’s photo of the day #5038: There are fewer than two thousand Galapagos penguins in the wild. And even less photographed with a Sally Lightfoot crab. (Photographed earlier this year in the Galapagos Islands.)
Marty’s photo of the day #5037: As the largest species of parrotfish, humphead parrotfish can reach 4 feet-long and weigh 100 pounds. A single humphead parrotfish can produce up to 200 pounds of sand a year by digesting coral and excreting it, helping to create tropical beaches. (Photographed earlier this year in the Galapagos Islands.)
Humans have created thousands of gods/religions throughout history, each believing theirs is the one true god/religion and that all the others are delusions. Since both ancient and current history has proven the three major Middle Eastern religions incapable of peaceful coexistence, if a person must practice a religion, why not try a different one from […]
Marty’s photo of the day #5014: Whenever I’d go through the Antarctica photos I shot back in 2003, I’d pause at this photo, wishing it wasn’t blurry. I like it because I was able to capture a chinstrap penguin at the moment it sneezed to expel salt from its supraorbital gland. So, naturally, I added […]
Marty’s photo of the day #5011: I shot this yellow-billed stork photo in Zimbabwe twenty-two years ago. Although my current books are fiction, my first two books, Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents and Endangered Edens, were nonfiction, featuring photos and stories of Deb’s and my adventures as we traveled the world looking […]
Marty’s photo of the day #5010: I shot this red leaf monkey (aka maroon langur) photo on the island of Borneo twenty-three years ago. I haven’t posted it before because I shot it with an early digital camera that had difficulty handling low light in the rainforest. In other words, the photo was soft. Since […]
Marty’s photo of the day #5008: There are more than 30 species of clownfish, and all are born male. The largest male in a group becomes a female, and if she dies, the next largest male turns into the new female. Isn’t nature amazing? (Photographed last year in the Raja Ampat of Indonesian New Guinea.)
Marty’s photo of the day #5004: With all the exotic species, exclusive to the Galapagos Islands, it’s easy to overlook other species, such as this whimbrel, which are just passing through. These birds can fly nonstop over the ocean for 2,500 miles or more. (Photographed last month in the Galapagos Islands.)
Marty’s photo of the day #5003: Marine iguanas are the only lizard that feeds in the ocean—evolving to eat algae. They can hold their breath for up to thirty minutes and dive down to nearly fifty feet. (Photographed last month in the Galapagos Islands.)
Marty’s photo of the day #5001: This is a blue-chin parrotfish, and it grows to 30 inches in length. Like all parrotfish, it has two sets of teeth. The first set is fused into a beak that allows it to crush coral to feed on algae. The second set is in its throat, which grinds […]
Five years ago, the cutest little saw-whet owl showed up on the porch steps of Deb’s and my house. I shot a bunch of photos, including this one. Since that time, I’ve never seen more than a glimpse of a saw-whet owl on our property. But I sure have heard them! In fact, every night […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4999: San Cristobal lava lizard males defend their territories by performing rapid push-ups to warn their rivals. If their displays fail, they will engage in physical combat. And despite what Annie Savoy said to Nuke Laloosh in the movie Bull Durham, the lava lizards of the Galapagos Islands cannot breathe […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4998: Photographing a Nazca booby in flight is tricky. They are agile in the air, cruising at 25 miles-per-hour and diving at 60 miles-per-hour. Ultimately, I ended up deleting many photos of the empty sky. (Photographed last month in the Galapagos Islands.)
Marty’s photo of the day #4997: On the Galapagos Islands, Darwin’s finches (more closely related to tanagers than true finches) are special because they helped Charles Darwin formulate his theory of evolution by natural selection. There are 13 to 18 recognized species (depending on who’s counting) on the islands, with the key differences being the […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4990: Marbled rays are nocturnal hunters that can reach 10 feet in length and 6 feet in width. While generally non-aggressive, they possess a venomous tail spine for defense. They are protected within the Galapagos Marine Reserve. (Photographed last month in the Galapagos Islands.)
Marty’s photo of the day #4989: Blue-footed boobies are accomplished divers that plunge into the ocean, reaching speeds of sixty miles-per-hour to catch fish. The blue in their feet comes from carotenoid pigments in their diet, signaling health to potential mates. (Photographed last month in the Galapagos Islands.)
After posting a different Hood mockingbird image as today’s photo of the day, I came across this shot, which I like even more. These mockingbirds are found only on Española Island (previously called Hood Island). They live in social groups where the lower-ranking members help raise the young of the dominant pair. That’s my hand […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4988: Hood mockingbirds are found only on Española Island. They live in social groups where the lower-ranking members help raise the young of the dominant pair. And as this photo shot without using a zoom demonstrates: they have no fear of humans. (Photographed last month in the Galapagos Islands.)
