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Lake Matheson

Glacier Fox, West Coast, New Zealand – August 2019

After the last ice age, Glacier Fox left behind many moraines during its retreat. Lake Matheson was then formed, as a kettle lake, within one of these. It provides today outstanding reflections in the peaceful waters of the lake on a calm and clear day like this time I had the chance to have. No wonder why its nickname is “Mirror Lake”. Only the ducks living there dare to break this perfect mirror.

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Gannet colony

Muriwai, Auckland, New Zealand - November 2018

Next time you complain because you can hear or see your neighbors, just think about those birds whose nests are just centimeters apart… Approximately 1200 couples of gannets live on the top of Muriwai sea cliffs. I’m fascinated by this imperfect symmetry between the nests and how the colony manages the number of individuals, on land as well as in the air.

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Towering sandstone buttes

Monument Valley, Arizona, USA – May 2018

One of my life rules is to never regret anything. But this time I have to admit that out of all my recent trips, there is one decision that I regret. Not having spent a few hours riding a horse in the Monument Valley. I don’t know why but I see in this picture and in this rider what could have been me in this outstanding landscape that the Navajos call "The Valley of the Rocks".

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Tricot Rayé

Atoll de Nokanhui, Ile Des Pins, New Caledonia – May 2014

The Tricots Rayés are marine snakes of New Caledonia. They feed at sea but live half the time on earth to digest, moult, breed or lay eggs. Even if they are deadly venom snakes, they are not aggressive and remain very fearful. I used to be really scared of them until I learnt how to share the space with them, in the sea as well as on land. Of course it’s always kind of surprising when you wake up from a nap in the sun with a snake under your bag or your shoes…

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Rocher Percé

Percé, Québec, Canada – Jan 2018

It’s a long road trip at -30°C to get there but the 10 hours of snowy roads from Québec City definitely worth it. Situated at the mouth of the Gulf of Saint Laurent, this huge sheer rock formation seems to come from nowhere. Surrounded by icebergs and with a winter storm coming to us, the colors where just amazing, changing every 10 seconds. It was like a dance with the clouds while the sea remained all quiet, patiently waiting for its turn…

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Kea

Arthur’s Pass, Canterbury, New Zealand – August 2019

The Kea is one of the ten endemic parrot species in New Zealand, and it’s the world’s only alpine parrot. They are known for their intelligence and curiosity, a “must have” when you live in a harsh mountain environment… Well… it makes them actually very annoying as their favorite activity is to bite the cars’ antennas…

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Lower Antelope Canyon

Page, Arizona, USA – May 2018

This is "the place where water flows through the rocks", according to the Navajos. No doubt about that when you see the shapes of those fantastic orange-red rocks: you can indeed directly imagine the path of the water. In some spaces, the canyon is so narrow that the touristic companies have installed ladders to keep going. Lucky for us, the land was all dry kilometers upstream so there was no flash flood risk that day. But you never really know, Mother Nature is full of surprises!

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Laguna Bacalar

Bacalar, Quintana Roo, Mexico – April 2018

The Bacalar Lagoon is commonly called the Seven Colours Lagoon, as seven shades of blue are distinguished between its waters. I couldn’t agree more! It’s not a well-known destination (and it’s for sure for the best) but the view, the uniqueness and the authenticity of this place definitely worth the trip!

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California Ground Squirrel

Yosemite National Park, California, USA – May 2018

Beyond 2500 meters above sea level, trees are rarer and smaller. The landscape becomes more mineral with outcrops of granite. The vegetative season is short and the winters are harsh. The California Ground Squirrel has adapted itself to live in this granite valley. This one was clearly posing and waited for me to take a deep breath at the top of a waterfall, and then take my camera and immortalise the moment. Thank you buddy!

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Husky

Plessisville, Québec, Canada – Jan 2018

I am fascinated by those dogs. Not that I want one at all, and now more than ever I think they are no house dogs and this should be taken seriously. They are so powerful that 6 of them can pull two people and a sleigh with almost no effort. It’s beautiful to see their teamwork, none of them is a burden, they all have their place and they know what to do: a true organisation example.

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Champagne Pool – Wai-O-Tapu

Rotorua, Bay Of Plenty, New Zealand - September 2018

There are lots of thermal activities in New Zealand and the Champagne Pool is one of the most famous places to visit, due to its outstanding colors. Because the water is at around 75 °C, when it’s only 10 °C outside, , the vapor is dense and covers the colors. This makes taking the picture more complicated, especially when the wind is blowing unevenly and in all directions. But the result worth it!

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Little shag

Okere Falls, Bay Of Plenty, New Zealand - September 2019

The Shag is the most widely distributed species in New Zealand. I see them a lot, from the coast to the lakes and the rivers. This one is a little shag. I make the difference by the extent of the white color, but it’s tricky as it has the most variable plumage of all New Zealand shags. They fish alone, performing a series of shallow dives of about 20 seconds. This one was probably peacefully digesting its morning meal and maybe planning its afternoon hunt by observing the current of the stream.

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Hoodoos

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, USA – May 2018

“Hoodoo” is the funny name used for those irregular columns of spiral-shaped rocks. Bryce Canyon has the greatest concentration of those formations on Earth. Trust me, it’s a real labyrinth where the multi-million-year-old conical-shaped rocks leave space for imagination. Erosion has let appear the successive layers of colour and sediments over the years, creating all those fantastic lines and perspectives. There’s no need for the sunset or sunrise luminosity to realize the beauty of this place.

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Glacier Fox

Glacier Fox, West Coast, New Zealand – August 2019

This chilly fogging morning offered, according to me, one of the best views I could dream of. This is the Southern Alps, with the Mount Cook (Aoraki in Maori) and the Mount Tasman (somewhere in the clouds). The sun was there, sharing the space with clouds predicting a snowstorm and with the mist which had settled down in the valley: the perfect imperfect pic.

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Sandbank

Isla Holbox, Quintana Roo, Mexico – April 2018

Holbox is named the “black hole” by the Maya. I don’t really understand why when you see those amazing sea colours. Located on the north coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, it’s a part of the Yum-Balam Nature Reserve. Over there, vehicles entrance is not allowed to protect the environment. This great initiative doesn’t reduce the huge amount of tourists coming every year, but at least helps preserving the beaches and the wild life depending on it.

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Tuolumne Grove

Yosemite National Park, California, USA – May 2018

While everyone is busy enjoying the Yosemite Valley sunset colorful views, appreciating a peaceful walk in the forest grove can be full of surprise. There is a fine line between curiosity and fear, and I think this picture is a great example of those wild mixed comportment. It makes be believe that at some point, we may have asked ourselves the same questions about each other.

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Sand dunes

Death Valley National Park, California, USA – May 2018

The Death Valley is such an interesting place, even when the temperature is close to 50°C… From a salt lake under the sea level to colorful mountains, it’s a very diverse and surprisingly full of wild life. One of the singular places the Valley offers is the sand dunes. Appearing from nowhere, they are created by tiny quartz grains scoured from the surrounding mountains. Therefore, the dunes are in slow but perpetual growth. It makes me wonder how far their expansion could go.