Passionate about Wildlife and Photography?

Friday 23 & Saturday 24 October sees the return of Wildscreen’s WildPhotos event, the UK’s premier photography symposium for those passionate about nature photography. With a sensational line-up of the world’s finest nature photographers and industry experts, including winners from the prestigious Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, this two-day event, held at the Royal Geographical Society in London, promises to inspire and enthuse.   
 
WildPhotos is aimed at anyone with a passion for wildlife and high-quality imagery, whether amateur or professional photographers, working in the photography or publishing industries or wanting to make more use of the power of nature photography to move and inspire people.

This year’s event, hosted by Springwatch presenter and wildlife photographer Chris Packham, includes a keynote presentation by Michael ‘Nick’ Nichols, National Geographic Editor at Large for Photography.
  
Over the course of the two-day event, more than 20 expert speakers will present their work, deliver inspiring talks and offer technical advice on topics ranging from marine, black and white and macro photography to how to sell your pictures.  

A one-day ticket costs £105; two-day tickets are £175. You can register online at www.wildphotos.org.uk or please contact WildPhotos on +44 (0)117 328 5975
/ wildphotos@wildscreen.org.uk

The Big Yin heads north!

It's with great excitement that we'll be tuning in this Thursday to watch ITV1's
new series 'Billy Connolly: Journey to the Edge of the World'

In his usual inimitable style Billy will be exploring the Arctic, from Nova Scotia across the Northwest Passage to the Pacific Ocean, in search of bears, whales and icebergs. But perhaps what stands out the most are the variety of characters that he meets along the way, who have made this unique wilderness their home. Legendary explorers, tragic victims and quirky locals make up a rich tapestry of humanity past and present, and bring this frozen expanse to life.

For those of you that enjoyed his series 'Billy Connolly's World Tour of New Zealand' back in 2004, this is definitely one to watch... You can find out more about some of the destinations featured - and start planning your own journey to the edge of the world - on our website. 

Billy Connolly: Journey to the Edge of the World can been seen on ITV1, Thursday 19th February, at 9pm

Polar Bears International - Research & Conservation

Polar Bears International is a fascinating website for all you polar bear enthusiasts out there!  The website has links to a Polar Bear Tracker providing invaluable information as to the movements of collared bears in the Beaufort Sea, north of Alaska, and also features a Churchill webcam (which will be live in October - in the meantime the 'highlights' are well worth a look!).  As well as spying on what the bears are up to, the website offers comprehensive information regarding research into and the science of these majestic animals, as well as  outreach through an educational programme.  If you're considering taking one of our Polar Bear land-based tours to Churchill, then why not visit the above website for some background reading and a sneak preview of the fantastic polar bear sightings that you can anticipate on the Arctic tundra.

Polar Bear Watch - Nigel Marvin

That Nigel Marvin is a very lucky man indeed - first he brought us Penguin Watch from South Georgia, and this week he's on our screens in Channel 5's POLAR BEAR WATCH.  Tune in at 7.15pm (GMT) every evening this week (17-21 Dec 07) on CH5.  US viewers can catch the programme on the Animal Planet Channel - see schedules here (it's known as 'Arctic Exposure').

The intrepid film-maker and Zoologist has been tracking wildlife in the harsh conditions of the Canadian Arctic.  It is springtime and Nigel starts his nine-month quest to explore the realm of the polar bear. He takes a dogsled ride from Churchill to see Arctic foxes and caribou; braves temperatures of -30 degrees to witness the jaw-dropping majesty of the Northern Lights at Wapusk National Park; and follows a polar bear mother and two cubs across the tundra.

If you fancy following in Nigel's footsteps, then why not step aboard the icebreaker Kapitan Khlebnikov and join us on a High Arctic voyage next summer.  These itineraries are fantastic for experiencing sea ice at its most powerful, whilst also taking helicopter and zodiac excursions deep into the landscape with a view to seeing wildlife and finding out about the culture of the Arctic peoples.  Learn about the history of those pioneer polar explorers such as Roald Amundsen from the expert expedition team.  Alternatively, take our 'Kingdom of the Icebear' tour and step aboard a Tundra Buggy in the remote town of Churchill, Manitoba - this outpost is where the wildlife documentary makers flock to year-on-year - it's known as 'Polar Bear Alley' for a reason!

Deadly Friendships

A photographer on a recent trip to Churchill, Canada, feared the worst when he saw a Polar Bear  approach his team of Huskies chained outside his tent. He was sure that he had seen the last of at least a few of them - what chance would a chained up Husky dog have of fighting a fully grown Polar Bear?

What the photographer saw was a sight that would warm even the frostiest of hearts. The Polar approached the pack, slowly, carefully, stalking up to them, presumably about to attack when.........he started playing?! For the next half hour, the Polar bear was seen rolling in the snow and playing with all the husky dogs, who in turn (after some initial trepidation) started playing with the enormous bear. It was a scene very reminiscent of an older brother play fighting with a younger sibling, when the huskies thought he was being too rough, they would let out a small whimper and the Polar Bear would back off.

The Polar Bear came back around the same time for the rest of the week and the Huskies were more than happy to play with the gentle giant.

I am sure there are some life lessons that could be learned here somewhere?

Discover the World offer a number of Polar Bear watching experiences in Canada and whilst we can not guarantee that you will see Polar Bears and Huskies play fighting each other, we can ensure that you witness these magnificent creatures up close and personal on a Tundra Buggy.
Visit the website for more information. 

Canadian warship rescues distressed humpback whale

Sailors from the Canadian Navy have come to the rescue of a humpback whale entangled in fishing lines off the coast of Newfoundland.

The Canadian warship HMCS ST JOHN’s was on a routine fisheries patrol when it received a radio message from a fishing boat, saying that there was a large whale in trouble.

“When we got the radio call we weren’t really sure whether we’d be able to do anything at all. They just told us that there was a whale caught in a fishing trap and we didn’t know how large it would be.” Commanding Officer Brian Santarpia said.

When the warship reached the whale they discovered the creature was caught in fishing ropes with an orange buoy snagged in its tail. The sailors had to keep a safe distance as the whale was 10 metres long – 3 times the size of the small boats launched to assist the mammal and it was thrashing around in distress trying to free itself.

“We got up close and quickly realised it was going to be harder than we had originally thought because there were lines going underneath the whale to something really heavy attached to the bottom.” Captain Santarpia added.

The lines were attached to around 20 crab pots approximately 50 metres below the surface. The whale continued to dive and twist in a desperate bid to free itself from the crab pots and fishing float. The Canadian sailors managed to bring the crab pots closer to the surface and after almost 2 hours the Navy divers were dispatched.

“We did everything we could to get the fishing lines on the surface and waited until the whale was very still before I let the divers get into the water. At this point we were confident that the whale wasn’t a danger to the divers because it was clearly exhausted and hadn’t moved for quite a few minutes.”  Commanding Officer of HMCS ST JOHN’s, Brian Santarpia said.

The Captain then ordered Navy divers LT David Patchell and S. LT Bard into the water – their mission: to cut the whale free without getting knocked by the crab traps or getting slapped by the whale’s flailing tail.

The Navy divers swam around the whale cutting through the lines, as the crew from HMCS ST JOHN’s watched from the decks of the ship. The Navy rescue divers had to get within striking distance of the whale’s giant tail and stare into the whale’s eye, which was about the size of a human hand, before setting the humpback free.

Thankfully once the last rope was cut, the whale was free of the traps and was seen swimming away past another two humpback whales and a pod of dolphins. S.LT Bard was one of the rescue divers who helped to free the whale:
“Being able to help such a splendid creature in its hour of need is something I will not soon forget.”

Commanding Officer Santarpia praised his crew for their efforts to free the whale.
“This really was an exciting experience for us, it just goes to show that we have highly trained sailors who can use a lot of initiative to get something done, even if it’s something that they have never seen before. I’m glad we could rescue this whale and proud of everyone on board HMCS ST JOHN’s – what’s more my three year old son is very impressed that his Dad and his crew have become animal rescuers and that makes me even more happy.”

Photo credits: Leading Seaman Mike Reynolds, HMCS ST. JOHN's

Find out the latest news from HMCS ST. JOHN’s
For more information about humpback whales see Wikipedia
Learn about whale conservation by the Ocean Alliance
Or if you are inspired to go on a whale watching trip to see these majestic creatures, then why not consider combining a holiday in Canada with a visit to Alaska where you can see whales in the wild.

Incredible Journeys - Polar Bears in Spitsbergen

The team here at Discover the World have been enjoying Steve Leonard's Incredible Journeys series on BBC1 Sunday evenings.  Some of us have even been lucky enough to see Polar Bears in the wild, an amazing experience.  If you fancy seeing them yourself in the fresh crisp air of the Arctic, then here's how - we would recommend either an Arctic Voyage, such as our 'Around Spitsbergen Special' (the lovely Mr Leonard's latest offering was filmed there), or even from a tundra buggy in the outpost town of Churchill (up on edge of the Hudson Bay, Canada), with a land-based tour 'Kingdom of the Icebear' (he's been there too - on the Vets in the Wild series - gets about a bit doesn't he!). 

About the polar bear...

Apart from guzzling down coca cola, here’s a few facts about the polar bear you might find interesting…

1) Polar bears are considered a marine mammal probably because they spend just as much time on ice as they do on land. 

2) Even though our eyes tell us differently, a polar bear's fur is not white. Each hair is completely colour-free and transparent with a hollow core.  Polar bears look white because the hollow core scatters and reflects visible light, just like ice and snow does. When photographed with film sensitive to ultraviolet light, polar bears appear black.

3) A polar bear is so well insulated that it loses almost no heat!  In addition to its thick fur, the bear's blubber can be up to 4.5 inches thick and adult males quickly overheat when they run!

And here are 10 funny facts about polar bears…but I don’t think they are all true!  Worth a look!

The man who fell asleep website

Roger Moore & Shirley Bassey at the Quebec Icehotel

Dame Shirley Bassey and Sir Roger Moore visitied the Quebec Icehotel recently during the Quebec movie festival "Vue sur Bond 007".  They were apparently delighted with their visit and very impressed by this 6th edition!

Even the prime minister of Quebec, Jean Charest and former Prime Minister of France, Jeans -Pierres Raffarin have visited this icehotel.

Check out the Quebec icehotel website.