No, I don’t mean sausages made from polar bear meat! I mean what they eat, creatures with rich fat to see a bear through months of starvation, such as seals. It was only on my recent trip to the Arctic that I learned that walruses are related to seals, being pinnipeds (which means fin-footed). ObviousContinue reading “Arctic – Polar Bear Sausages”
Category Archives: Environment
Shetland
Having watched all the Shetland TV programs (fictional detective series), and visited the South Shetland Islands in Antarctica, I was keen to visit the Shetland Islands in Scotland. They didn’t disappoint. As we drove the single-lane roads through treeless heath lands, between rock walls failing to keep in shaggy sheep, I felt as if IContinue reading “Shetland”
Lake Mungo
I love travelling to the Australian outback, where memories of driving the dusty red roads with my late husband, Pete, are still fresh and poignant. The vast skies, the lack of other vehicles, the sense of freedom, all add to a atmosphere that makes me feel insignificant. The power of nature and the changes theContinue reading “Lake Mungo”
River Confluences
I have always been fascinated by the cycle of water, from precipitation into creeks, then rivers, flowing into the sea carrying silt and nutrients, the cycles of the ocean swirling around our planet, evaporation to create clouds and start the whole cycle again. One of the most amazing things is how waters don’t merge atContinue reading “River Confluences”
Antarctica – Seabirds
As an avid bookworm, I have read many sea stories about albatrosses, yet never imagined I would see one. For that to be off the southern tip of South America on my way to Antarctica made it all the more amazing. This Black-browed Albatross escorted our ship through the Beagle Channel to the Drake Passage,Continue reading “Antarctica – Seabirds”
White Roos
Twins are not uncommon in Eastern Grey Kangaroos, though both siblings rarely survive to adulthood. But white twins? When I first saw them in my garden in 2014, I was amazed. Of course I had to name them, so Snowy and Creamy (yes, I know, not my best imagination at work) have become part ofContinue reading “White Roos”
Antarctica – Whales
Blue whales are the largest animals ever known to have lived on Earth, being up to 100 feet long and weighing 200+ tons. To put that in perspective, their tongue alone can weigh as much as an elephant! Seeing one in Antarctica would have been amazing, but being rare I wasn’t so fortunate this visit.Continue reading “Antarctica – Whales”
Antarctica – Seals
Who couldn’t love that cute face? That said, I almost trod on this well camouflaged seal when I stepped backwards to avoid being too close to a group of penguins! There was a safety distance of 5m we had to keep when visiting Antarctica but that’s hard when the animals surround you. Not that I’mContinue reading “Antarctica – Seals”
Antarctica – Penguins
What is it about penguins that we find so adorable? Their clown-like walks? Their formal attire? Their grace in water? Or maybe it’s their dedication as parents, raising one or two chicks, requiring weeks without eating while they stand guard. They are birds who can’t fly yet swim better than fish. I recently had theContinue reading “Antarctica – Penguins”
Paula Boer 