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A Little Kiwi - Travel & Guide Services

Exclusive Private Travel & Guiding Services. With a wealth of knowledge, experience on all seven co

30/01/2024

In my element… enjoying the natural world & the company of good people.
Botswana, hitting 40 Celsius, October 2023.

29/01/2024

Juvenile Southern Elephant Seal.
Any species that can brave the wilds of the Antarctic environment is marvelously well-adapted in order to survive in arguably the harshest ecosystem on earth.
This species of seal can dive 300-500m for 20-30mins. A thick blubber layer, ability to slow heartbeat to as slow as 3 beats per minute, more red blood cells than any other animal to carry and store oxygen, large eyes and vibrissae whiskers sense prey in the dark depths. These animals may be cumbersome on land, but in water they are supreme.
The tracked record for the deepest dive is a remarkable 1430m. And the longest recorded time diving is over 2 hours.
I’m secretly pleased humans are incapable of these feats as the resulting carnage and chaos would create so much imbalance.
It’s a wild life… and thank goodness for wildlife.

22/11/2023

Human stares at Mountain Gorilla. Gorilla stares back.
With 98% similarity in our DNA, a meeting (greeting?) like this one, face-to-face does make you wonder what is on their mind. (Probably where the next meal of bamboo is coming from, since they’re herbivores 😉)
The final visit of many. What incredible opportunities I’ve been fortunate to experience. Still processing the images from the last tour around Africa 😉 and it brings all the feels back 🙏
Virunga National Park, Rwanda, Oct 2023.
On contract for
📷: H.Ahern

03/11/2023

The power of women.
The ‘village on the water’ of Ganvie, Benin 🇧🇯, West Africa.
The bond of womanhood is strong around the world. Look for it and you will see. A fleeting moment of eye contact, a feeling of seeing and being seen, the warmth of a knowing smile, a gentle touch, a wisdom, a moment of joy, a beautiful connection.
On contract for

02/11/2023

Sandy Sahara dreams.
A few weeks back we had an overnight in luxury camping in the expansive Erg Chebbi dunes, a few kilometers from the Algerian border.
I love a great night spent under starry skies!
Testing out the perimeters of iPhone austral photography 😜
On contract for

08/10/2023

Heat of the day.
Cool of the shade.
Afternoon nap overlooking the wildebeest larder as they wander by.
The wonder of the Serengeti.
Tanzania 🇹🇿
On contract for:

11/09/2023

“If you go down to the woods today you’re sure of a big surprise” 🎶
Truffle hunting with today 🇮🇹
We met our truffle-hunting humans, Luca and Andrea, along with their trained-from-birth truffle-hunting dogs, Dante and Fiuto. All four are equally passionate about their truffles!
The local truffle hunting area is found under tall stands of oak trees. Both black and white truffles are found underground and out-of-sight in these woods, growing on the roots of the mature forest trees. In fact, this is where the worlds largest white truffle was found, weighing in at a whopping 1.497kg.
Much to our delight, Dante and Fiuto made quick work of finding several black truffles with their trained noses while Luca and Andrea described the secretive work of being a truffle hunter.

11/09/2023

A most wonderful and intriguing visit to Savini Tartufi in the province of Pisa, Italy.
Luca and Andrea, along with endearing truffle dogs - Dante and Fiuto - led us into the local truffle woods in the search of the black… and elusive white… truffle.
Success!
Trained from birth, Dante and Fiuto were on their game and located two delectable black truffles.
The Savini family has truffle in their blood, tracing back four generations of truffle hunters. This was an authentic experience, and the hospitality in which our small group was greeted with was without measure. The post-truffle hunt lunch along with fine wine topped off the experience.
Did I mention the dogs? 😉 😍

01/09/2023

Completion of a landing on Svalbard, High Arctic. July 2023.
With a successful landing enjoyed by guests in sublime conditions, we then shuttle them back to the mother ship. Finally we pile ourselves into the zodiacs with the satisfaction of a job well done. Then we hear he routine radio call by one particular staff member to the bridge of ‘fini le plage’ which sets off laughter and banter. Time to get the zodiacs lifted and head to the next landing site.
It’s a slick operation from start to finish with an incredibly experienced team. We pride ourselves on our professionalism and delivering the best experiences for our guests.

28/07/2023

Svalbard Reindeer, Alkehornet, Svalbard.
Supremely adapted species for this Arctic environment.

28/07/2023

On approach and in Ittoqqortoormiit, Eastern Greenland.

15/07/2023

Remembering Ivan Tanko of Gylmimil, Chuktoka.
Ivan was Chauchu or Chukchi - indigenous to the Chukotka region.
Ivan passed away a few years back, but my mind keeps thinking of him of late. His life was fascinating. He was fascinating. Ivan had an ethereal energy about him.
Each summer season he would move into his yaranga (pictured) on the tundra of Senyavin Strait. He found the subsistence living connected him back to his cultural ways. In fact he thrived at living off what the land provided to him.
Beyond that, his hospitality was second to none. While language was a barrier for us, every visit we made (several times a year), he greeted us as dear friends. The hot water was boiling above the open fire, ready for brewing strong black tea. The salmon in the river had been running and fresh fish and roe were on the snack menu. It was the season for crowberries & cloudberries and they were ready for us to sample from the plate or from the bushes.
Then we would sit, enjoying each others company. Sometimes through sign language. Sometimes without a word needing to be spoken.
After Ivan passed away, I uploaded an image of taken of a whale fluke (sighted just off his tundra home) onto a Citizen Science ‘whale ID’ platform. This group tracks the migration of whales from across the globe from wintering feeding grounds (like Chukotka) to ‘feed and breed’ areas.
This whale is now Ivan’s namesake. Soon after his passing, Ivan the Humpback Whale was matched and tracked migrating to and from Chukotka & Hawaii.
The local newspaper picked up the story and commented that perhaps Ivan Tanko from Chauchu (reindeer man) turned into Ankalit (sea man) and now cruises the worlds oceans, coming back at times to his tundra home.
What wonderful people I have had the blessing to meet.

09/07/2023

Scent on the wind.
Polar bears can smell a seal up to 32km away.
Trawling through some past expeditions in the Arctic I came across this image I captured a few years back in the sea ice off Wrangel Island in the Russian Arctic. This region holds one of the 19 sub-populations of ‘Ursus maritimus’.
The quintessential Arctic species & the apex predator, the polar bear is taxonomically classed as a marine mammal, due to its reliance on the ocean. Perhaps the common term of ‘sea bear’ could be ‘sea-ice bear’ to reflect their specific, preferred habitat. It’s not that they need the sea-ice directly, it’s that they need what the sea ice holds… ringed seals and bearded seals.
The dramatic climate changes (the greatest rate of change on the planet in part due to ‘Arctic amplification’) and diminishing sea ice cover impacts seal behaviour which in turn affects polar bears.
These flow-on impacts through a food chain are known as a ‘trophic cascade’ in biological terms and can vary in strength depending on the driving force behind them.

05/07/2023

Lemurs doing what lemurs do.
Northern Madagascar 2023

05/07/2023

Lemurs doing what lemurs do.
Northern Madagascar 2023

01/07/2023

Celebrating with the king and royal penguins!
A recent decision made by Australian government will extend the marine protected area surrounding Macquarie Island. This is huge news!
Visiting isn’t for the faint-hearted. After a rollicking ocean journey to just over 54 degrees South you will come across this SubAntarctic island, a veritable life raft for literally millions of seabirds that choose to rest and nest here. Seven species of albatross and petrels, huge colonies of king penguins, endemic royal penguins, and Southern elephant seals. Species that have nothing to fear from your presence that are so curious they will come and peck at your boots and clothing.
Positioned slightly North of the energy-rich Antarctic Convergence Zone (arguably the most productive upwelling of our oceans) this brings the food they need to survive and thrive. Add to that the eradication of human-introduced species over the last couple of decades, this island is now truly a safe haven. Australia has made a bold and steadfast commitment to ocean protection with this recent decision
Contrastingly, New Zealand continues to lag behind in it’s efforts to increase marine protected areas. Give a follow to read more and to support their continued efforts to raise awareness.
Protecting our oceans isn’t just about their beauty and what they give us. They are our lifeline. Surely it’s time to return the favor.

21/06/2023

Walrus! Celebrating that I’m about the same weight and size as a newly born walrus calf 😂
Here’s a few images I’ve taken over the years of walrus. Guide life is full of curiosity and wonderment of the natural world. In that area I have been abundantly blessed.
A crowd favorite in the Arctic is always the polar bear and rightfully so being the poster-child of the Arctic. However, once guests are introduced to and get to know the delightful walrus a little better, polar bears have competition in the popularity stakes.
The fragile ‘high latitude’ polar ecosystems are interconnected. Every species fills a niche and therefore every species commands respect and protection.

19/06/2023

A snapshot in time…
from a past year guiding in the Arctic.
How curious it is that certain moments in time become ingrained in our memory.
How curious it is that my mind comes back to this shot, this bear, this scene, this time every year.
Here’s to the wonder of nature & our nature!

12/04/2023

A third visit for me in February to view the tigers of Ranthambore in Rajasthan, India.
We stayed at the luxurious Aman-I-Khas, a tented camp right on the stone boundary wall of the park. Close enough in fact to need a safety es**rt to our tents after dusk. Each tent is allocated a ‘batman’ (aka private butler) who ensures you aren’t eaten/chased/scared by the local wildlife that doesn’t always abide by the low makeshift park walls. The batman also delivers coffee with a wake-up call in the early hours of the morning prior to our sunrise game drives. Brilliant - not something I ever get at home - what a luxury!
Project Tiger, established in 1973 by the Indian government is a conservation success story ❤️
Once a hunting ground for the Maharaja of Jaipur, the Ranthambore National Park is now a sanctuary to a healthy and growing population of tigers.
The park establishment saw the relocation of some villages inside the park, with compensation in various forms being given to the locals. Long term, these villages are reaping benefits with tourism and employment. A favorite visit beyond the park for me is to Dastkar Women’s Co-Op. Operating since 1989, this empowers local women, supports their independence… and allows us to buy some beautifully created handicrafts as gifts for those back home.

As is the story of many endangered species, tigers face challenges of habitat loss and encroachment, poaching, retribution killings and so on. Project Tiger aims to reduce the effects of these challenges. By no means a final solution, at least it is a step, paw-by-paw, in the right direction.
Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan, India.

12/03/2023

Mountain Gorilla tucked into the bamboo forest.
This is an individual from the Agasha family, Virunga National Park, Rwanda.
We, as all visitors do, had an hour with the family… observing their day-to-day life. They are habituated, meaning they don’t care much that humans are nearby. We keep our distance and they do much the same, getting on with doing their gorilla thing. The rangers who accompany us are there to keep both the gorilla and guests safe.
This was my third visit to Rwanda to hike up into the Virunga National Park to see the gorilla, and took a good couple of hours into the forest scrambling through bamboo, over vines, past huge stinging bushes. I was grateful that I wasn’t attacked by ants, this time 😉

06/03/2023

Silverback of the Agasha family, Virunga National Park, Rwanda. Another surreal moment from February. The juxtaposition of the habituated gorilla families and the human habitation was stark on this visit. Grateful for the positive work being done in gorilla conservation - a huge success story here in Rwanda.
As a side note… February was an emotional and overwhelming month to be away… my home country experiencing a weather-related tragedy, a Turkish colleague feeling the distance from her homeland in crisis too, as well as other world events. It all weighed heavily. And I found I just couldn’t face posting anything while I travelled. Instead, for the month, I embraced the moments spent with the wildlife we encountered, grateful to be with those who share the same passion.
A guest aboard gave me the book “Animalkind: Remarkable Discoveries about Animals and Revolutionary New Ways to Show Them Compassion” which I recommend to anyone who is attuned to animals and energy.

06/03/2023

A remarkable encounter with a Whale Shark from a trip recently completed. The sheer scale of these, and to be in the water with them truly takes your breath away.

22/01/2023

Putting the finishing touches on another event 🤩
I’ll be sharing some of the more extraordinary stories and images of wildlife from the last few years.
I really treasure these opportunities to share with those who are interested and I’m heartened by the depth of curiosity and questions. My guiding vision is to ‘make a difference to lives beyond our own’ and this ties into that nicely.
“Some of us have great runways already built for us. If you have one, take off! But if you don’t have one, realize it is your responsibility to grab a shovel and build one for yourself and for those who will follow after you.”
- Amelia Earhart

19/01/2023

I’m a huge advocate of Citizen Science projects - it’s a win-win situation for science, scientists, guests, companies, and above all the ecosystems and species.

Happywhale is a project I love to champion aboard expeditions, as the feedback loop they have created is inherently motivating. And now with AI involved, the timeliness of this loop of incredible.

Here’s a prime example:

I captured the image of the fluke of this humpback whale in remote Chukotka, Russia in August 2018. The whale was busy feeding voraciously in the rich waters of Pengingay Bay.

Today I had an email to say that very whale had been sighted in Hawaii on Jan 8, 2023. A photo of its fluke had been taken while it was between Maui and Lana’i. What a migration!

This location data, the migration pattern, and all the other information gathered from literally thousands of photos of whale flukes around the world is used for science to better understand and protect this species.

15/01/2023

Emperor chicks, Atka Bay, Antarctica.
These endearing balls of fluff are not waterproof in their juvenile down making them fully reliant on their parents to forage and feed.
The chicks will maintain this bond and reliance on their parents until they moult fully into their own adult plumage.
We visited Atka Bay in mid December and most chicks were in crèche - huddling in groups for warmth and safety. While the chicks wait, somewhat patiently, their parents had taken the long journey waddling and tobogganing to the open waters to feed before returning to locate and feed their single chick.
Make sure you swipe through for a series of interpretative images of these beautiful birds.

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Videos

Silverback of the Agasha family, Virunga National Park, Rwanda. Another surreal moment from February. The juxtaposition of the habituated gorilla families and the human habitation was stark on this visit. Grateful for the positive work being done in gorilla conservation - a huge success story here in Rwanda. . As a side note… February was an emotional and overwhelming month to be away… my home country experiencing a weather-related tragedy, a Turkish colleague feeling the distance from her homeland in crisis too, as well as other world events. It all weighed heavily. And I found I just couldn’t face posting anything while I travelled. Instead, for the month, I embraced the moments spent with the wildlife we encountered, grateful to be with those who share the same passion. . A guest aboard gave me the book “Animalkind: Remarkable Discoveries about Animals and Revolutionary New Ways to Show Them Compassion” which I recommend to anyone who is attuned to animals and energy. . #gorilla #rwanda #travel #explore #wildlife .

A remarkable encounter with a Whale Shark from a trip recently completed. The sheer scale of these, and to be in the water with them truly takes your breath away. . #explore #travel #phillipines #whaleshark #animal #wildlife

Humpback Whales around the icebergs of Ilulisat, Greenland. . #explore #expedition #travel #northwestpassage #whales #greenland #ilulisat #abercrombiekent #ocean

Sound on! This humpback was ‘logging’ next to the zodiac and after taking a few big inhalations any yogi would be proud of, it slowly submersed itself and gently cruised underneath us with an upwards glance. . I’m in awe of these incredible beings. . And this truly must be the best job in the world. At least, it is for me. . #expedition #travel #explore #wildlife #whales #humpback

Sound on! Pairing for life, these Southern Royal Albatross were greeting one another after being away. We were fortunate enough to be on-the-spot as arrived back and they began their bonding ritual. . Campbell Island, Subantarctic, New Zealand . #wildlife #wildlifephotography #campbellisland #birding #birds @heritageexpeditions @the_explorers_club @itsliveocean #explore #expedition #southernocean #subantarctic

Maasai Warriors on sunset overlooking their lands and the Maasai Mara National Park. Heavenly. . #maasaimara #safari #angama #explore #discover #travel #culture

Sound on! Alternatively, make submarine noises... your choice 🤣 . Happy Earth Day everyone 🌎 . Here’s some footage of a humpback whale resting on the surface between feeding dives. This behaviour is known as ‘logging’. This was from a season of expeditions I was on in the Chukotka region of Russia in 2017. . Humpback whales have an individually distinctive fluke or tail pattern, similar to a human fingerprint. . By sending images of flukes from this region through to the Citizen Science Project, ‘Happy Whale’, they were able to start building an identification catalogue in this region. In doing so, it was discovered that these whales migrate to Hawaii every year. . There is so much yet to discover on this Earth. And it’s not just the large and poweful, but also the small and mighty. . We live on a planet we are still getting to know. Treat it well. . #earthday #explore #adventure #explorersclub #humpbackwhale #whale #happywhale #citizenscience #chukotka #nature #wildlife #cetacean #whales

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