#conservation

Wild Cape Cod Notebook: Summer Bird Migrations

John J King II

Aug 27, 2017
1 min

Wild Cape Cod Notebook: Summer Bird Migrations

We took a break from our field work tracking and photographing white sharks here on Cape Cod to head to a favorite birding spot on Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge and take a look at birds that are passing through the refuge on their southerly migration. We also include some images of shorebirds that were still in breeding plumage heading north that were taken in May. #capecod #birds #monomoynationalwildliferefuge #migration #shorebirds #conservation

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Wild Cape Cod Notebook: Summer White Shark Research Report

John J King II

Aug 16, 2017
2 min

Wild Cape Cod Notebook: Summer White Shark Research Report

Our summer adventures here on Cape Cod have once again been breath taking and the time has passed quickly. As in the previous 3 years we are primarily engaged in a white shark population study which is being conducted by the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries with the support of Atlantic White Shark Conservancy based here in Chatham. Since mid- June we have made over twenty research trips into the field on our vessel the Aleutian Dream with a team of researchers. We w

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Report from SE Alaska: Bald Eagle “Top Gun” School

John J King II

May 22, 2017
1 min

Report from SE Alaska: Bald Eagle “Top Gun” School

On our recent trip to SE Alaska to observe the annual herring spawn spectacle (previously reported on) we made more than 5000 images of various wildlife in the region in almost two weeks! Yikes, that is a lot of digital review and editing. We are still reviewing but thought we would share some beauties we have come across featuring the American Bald Eagle. Close observations reveal that these avian apex predators are gifted in the art of flying. This remarkable skill coupled

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Wild Southeast Alaska: Lights, Camera, Action!

John J King II

May 6, 2017
1 min

Wild Southeast Alaska: Lights, Camera, Action!

Spring in Southeast Alaska is signaled by rapidly increasing daylight, robust waterfalls from melting snow and seasonal rains as well as the return and the aggregation of top predators. Humpback whales, sea lions, killer whales and other marine mammals return to the sheltered inside waters to feast on the bounty of spawning herring which occurs over a few weeks as the region wakes up from a winter slumber. Since we are dedicated to observing and recording the earth’s true spe

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Wild Places and Wild Things: 2016 in Review

John J King II

Dec 9, 2016
1 min

Wild Places and Wild Things: 2016 in Review

Autumn is in full swing here on the elbow of Cape Cod and it is a time for transition for most observers of the marine natural world in this parts. Ocean and air temperatures are slowly cooling and easterly storms are more frequent. And the boats have now been hauled and stored for the long winter season. They will not see the water again for 6 months! Yikes that seems like a long time. Thus we are turning our attention to enjoying all that one can from a perch on land - wate

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John J King II

Sep 28, 2016
1 min

Wild Cape Cod Notebook: At the Equinox

The languid and steamy summer that we enjoyed on Cape Cod has transformed into cooler autumn weather pattern with ever more easterly winds and slowly cooling water temperatures. Sea ducks have begun their return to their winter feeding grounds here from the Arctic and in the white shark world larger and more mature fish have moved into the area in strong numbers eager to sample a seal meal. Throughout the summer whale watchers were treated to spectacular surface behavior from

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Wild Cape Cod Notebook: Summer - Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge and the Atlantic White Shark Conse

John J King II

Aug 24, 2016
1 min

Wild Cape Cod Notebook: Summer - Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge and the Atlantic White Shark Conse

Summer is a siren that woos us on Cape Cod each year here into a state of contentment with warm breezes and sunny days and spectacular natural history in our maritime environment. Summer 2016 has been no exception though it seems to be passing at an ever accelerating rate as we age. As in the previous two years we have been engaged in supporting the white shark research ongoing in outer Cape Cod waters conducted by Dr. Greg Skomal and John Chisholm with the dedicated support

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John J King II

Jun 12, 2016
1 min

Wild Southeast Alaska: Spring Abundance

During the spring each year an amazing natural spectacle unfolds in Southeast Alaska. Creatures as large as humpback whales and as small as shorebirds square up in anticipation to feast on spawning herring. The following images were recorded over an eight day period mostly in characteristic wet weather of the region. We witnessed incredible wildlife doing their thing to survive. As usual pictures tell a beautiful story. Hope you enjoy the show. #arrowsgoldeneyeducks #brownbea

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John J King II

Apr 7, 2016
4 min

Wild Patagonia: Of Condors and Cats

Fresh from an amazing expedition deep into the ice of Antarctica I hit the dock in Ushuaia, Argentina, head spinning, with one last important goal to complete before returning north and home. The Goal? – track and photograph, if possible the elusive big cat known as the Puma! In North America we call them Mountain Lions. Torres del Paine lies near the border of Argentina and Chile in the geographic region known as Patagonia. A beautiful national park, Torres del Paine is a me

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John J King II

Apr 5, 2016
3 min

Antarctica: The End of the Earth

More than two years ago I learned that my friend Ted Cheeseman was planning to bring a team of mammal researchers led by Ari Friedlander down to Antarctica very late in the season to enable the team to study feeding behavior using advanced technology D-tags and drones. I had been to Ice continentÂ before seven years ago and, like many, had been intoxicated with the striking landscapes and unique wildlife. I had vowed to return and this was my chance to go back while supportin

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Wild Cape Cod Notebook: Winter Approaches

John J King II

Oct 21, 2015
2 min

Wild Cape Cod Notebook: Winter Approaches

Our work with the Massachusetts White Shark population study is winding down with only a couple of weeks to go to the end of the field season. The air and water temperatures are dropping and with the onset of autumn the weather in New England has added some drama to our trips when we can get out. The work continues to be exciting as we have observed changes in the shark behavior and especially in the size of the sharks that are in the area. Larger sharks, both male and female

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John J King II

Sep 12, 2015
3 min

Wild Cape Cod Notebook

The last six weeks of summer have been a blur of intense activity on the Outer Cape Cod area. Emotional highs and lows and the awe of natural history in action have provided opportunities to witness some unique beauty here. Thought I would leave you a few impressions of a Cape Cod summer in the field as I now take a two week break to travel west. Most of our time in the field here as been in support of the white shark population study being directed by Dr. Greg Skomal, pictur

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John J King II

Jul 12, 2015
1 min

Close Encounters of the Shark Kind II

Heartfelt thanks to the Nickerson Art Gallery in Chatham, to all those who turned out for our reception last night and to those of you who visited our show during the past Shark Week! Very pleased to say that most of the images are going to great homes around the country spreading some shark love. For those who could not make it to Chatham, here is the line up of images including two limited edition posters that are being exhibited. The show closes today. #CapeCod #chatham #c

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John J King II

Feb 23, 2015
2 min

North Atlantic Humpbacks in Winter

For the 4th consecutive year we made our way south out of the frigid New England winter to spend time with our friends at Aquatic Adventures who run expeditions from the Dominican Republic to the Silver Bank to observe North Atlantic humpback whales in their winter habitat. As many of you are aware 2015 is showing the northeast portion of the US and Canada some of the coldest temperatures ever recorded in addition to record amounts of snowfall. The Boston area, near where we

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John J King II

Nov 11, 2014
3 min

African Odyssey Unfolds

We= just wrapped up our field work on Cape Cod working with the Massachusetts White Shark Team as the cold winds of winter start to blow and the leaves are falling. Our boats are now stored for the North American winter. Just in time to launch into our next wild adventure which will take us back to Africa for the 7th time since 2009. And believe it or not, we are barely past scratching the surface in exploring this amazing continent. Our focus once again is on wild life and w

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John J King II

Nov 5, 2014
3 min

Dream Team Adventure

Winter is coming to Cape Cod and the time has come to haul boats for storage until the spring. This is always a little bit sad for us. Many years ago Pam and I dreamed about spending time on a boat chasing wildlife in a wild place that was not in the middle of the Bering Sea. When at last this dream became a reality for us here on Cape Cod ...we decided to call our small expedition craft Aleutian Dream. It continues to be a joy for us and this year was special as we pushed th

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John J King II

Oct 2, 2014
2 min

Down East at the Autumnal Equinox

We took a few days off from our work with the Massachusetts White Shark Research team to travel to Down East Maine and embrace the onset of Autumn in the New England north country. We were eager to explore a new destination in the mid coast region well known to birders especially in the fall migration. Our target was Monhegan Island, a tiny wooded rock pile about ten miles off the Maine coast. The island is well visited in the fall as it is a famous stop-over for southbound m

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Wild Cape Cod Notebook: Chasing the Last Dragons

John J King II

Sep 20, 2014
3 min

Wild Cape Cod Notebook: Chasing the Last Dragons

A large male tagged earlier in the season is called Chex (nicknamed Darth Vader by the DMF Team). He is riddled with battle scars indicating that he is likely the dominant male white shark in the Chatham/Orleans habitat this summer season. The tag is visible in this image behind the dorsal fin. I read a recent article in National Geographic Traveler about cage diving with white sharks in the Neptune Islands in South Australia. Local eco-tour operator Andrew Fox describes the

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John J King II

Sep 2, 2014
2 min

Wild Cape Cod Notebook: Monomoy NWR

Hard to believe that the dog days of August have come and gone here on Cape Cod and we are welcoming that wonderful time of year known around here as "Septober - Sixty-one Days of Heaven". As many of you who follow this blog are aware our summer has been dominated by the support we are providing to the Massachusetts Shark Research Program led by Dr. Greg Skomal and John Chisholm of the Department of Marine Fisheries here. That said we did manage a visit into the Monomoy Natio

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John J King II

Aug 18, 2014
1 min

Wild Cape Cod Notebook: Summer

The summer is now more than half over and the various activities in the wild world here on Cape Cod have been both numerous and exciting to witness. As readers of this blog are aware, we have been supporting the White Shark Population Study field work under the direction of Dr. Greg Skomal through our involvement with the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy since the study initiated in June. This has us out on the waters of the outer Cape two to three times a week on the Aleutia

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