Secretary bird (Sagittarius serpentarius)

Secretary bird (Sagittarius serpentarius)

A truly spectacular bird with a popular name I have never understood. This is an endangered species, and I encountered very few of them and treasured every…


Hawksbill Sea Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)

Hawksbill Sea Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)

Another hawksbill sea turtle female on the way back to sea after successfully delivering a clutch of eggs in a safe spot in the sand of Bird Island. this…


Laurel Dodder (Cassytha filiformis)

Laurel Dodder (Cassytha filiformis)

A hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) struggling to push through the entangled vines of the laurel dodder. This is a parasitic species getting all it…


Hawksbill Sea Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)

Hawksbill Sea Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)

Such a precious event - a female hawksbill sea turtle, a critically endangered species, covering her precious eggs laid in the sand. She is one of a dwindling…


Radiated Tortoise (Astrochelys radiata)

Radiated Tortoise (Astrochelys radiata)

This is a terribly lonely tortoise. It was removed from its homeland of Madagascar decades ago to this island (Bird Island) when the island was a coconut and…


Aldabra giant tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea)

Aldabra giant tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea)

This giant tortoise species is named after one of the largest atolls in the world, Aldabra, which is also its last stronghold after centuries of human…


Peru Pacific Iguana (Microlophus peruvianus)

Peru Pacific Iguana (Microlophus peruvianus)

The coast of Peru is a desert, and fresh water is only available from springs or rivers fed by the Andes. This Peru Pacific iguana (Microlophus peruvianus) was…


Amazon Lava Lizard (Tropidurus torquatus)

Amazon Lava Lizard (Tropidurus torquatus)

These lizards were common alongside the path following the Iguaçu Falls.


Wandering spider (Phoneutria reidyi)

Wandering spider (Phoneutria reidyi)

Deep inside Noel Kempff Mercado National Park there are few traces of human activities, and no other way to sleep than making a campground for the night. There…