Wolfgang Jaekel

Back in 2011, I took part in an expedition cruise from Otaru on Hokkaido, Japan, via Sakhalin along all the Kuril Islands and the eastern coast of Kamchatka to Provideniya in the northeasternmost part of Chukotka, Russia, and further eastwards across the Bering Strait to Nome in Alaska. It was not a special trip designed exclusively for nature photographers, but it nevertheless offered a wealth of unique impressions of the breathtaking chain of volcanoes on the Kuril Islands that form Russia’s Ring of Fire, including a variety of wildlife and rare birds, as well as cultural and historical experiences and numerous witnesses of the dramatic period of World War II in the Far East with relics of Japanese and Soviet military bases. Please see the map of the itinerary and the very detailed description with lots of additional information in the drop-down menu, which can be found and opened as usual above the gallery thumbnails. The selection of 270 images is intended to give an impression of the diversity of motifs and aspects of this voyage into an almost forgotten and remote area that only a few have seen. Due to the political situation after February 2022, this part of the world will most likely remain inaccessible and closed to ordinary Western visitors for the foreseeable future.This was also a reason to prepare and present on this website a collection of photos and detailed information of this fascinating, but unfortunately no longer possible voyage that took place 13 years ago under better political conditions.

Two of my photographs had been honored & awarded at the 15th edition of the international OASIS Photo Contest ROERO held in Italy. There were 25,000 competing images and 69 participating nations. Both photographs had been taken 2018 in Costa Rica. While the image of the Red-eyed Tree Frog shown on the left  had reached the final stage of jury selection, the image of  the Cloud Parrot Snake swallowing a Red-eyed Tree Frog received a commendatation and was awarded the “Honor of the Press” by the jury. It was also  published in the 2023 Catalogue in the corresponding section.

After our first and great roundtrip in Tanzania in October 2022, we took the opportunity of a second Photosafari in September 2023 which turned out to be amazing again. The selection of 235 images from over 16000 photographs may give an impression. As always, more information will be available by opening the drop-down menu at the top of the thumbnail gallery. Please also see the description of the 2022 Safari in the corresponding menu above the thumbnails as the itinerary essentially was the same in 2023. So the full details, maps and extensive informations on the destinations, geography, vegetation, wildlife, photography etc are available there.

A collection of photographs from my recent Photosafari in Tanzania was added that covered Arusha National Park, Tarangire National Park, Ngorongoro Crater-  and of course the famous Serengeti NP.  It was my second visit to Africa after my first trip to Namibia 24 years.and an amazing trip. The selection of 189 images out of 16000 photographs can only offer a very small overview and impression of the incredible variety. An extensive description of the itinerary, animated maps, wildlife and bird encounters, photographic aspects and backgrond informations are provided via the drop down menu on top of the gallery as usual. Please click to open !

An additional gallery was added referring to a second photographers’ voyage around the Svalbard archipelago I had joined in 2009 onboard the small expedition vessel MV Origo – just one year after the 2008 voyage on the same ship  which up to this point had been my 6th visit. Every trip around Svalbard is different, i.e. in 2009 including encounters with many polar bears feeding on a fin whale carcass and particularily the sight of a spectacular but somewhat macabre polar bear cannibalism. For the itinerary and some details of the trip please see the description. Comprehensive information on the Svalbard archipelago, the impact of climate change, growing tourism etc. is provided in the description of the 2008 voyage, accessible via the corresponding gallery drop down menu. .

Another gallery was added, showing a selection of photographs captured on my 2008 voyage in the Svalbard archipelago onboard the small expedition vessel MV Origo. For more information about the trip but also about the dramatic changes in the Arctic over the last 2 decades due to global warming and increasing mass tourism, please read the description, accessible via the gallery drop-down menu.

In 2016 I had joined a special photosafari focused on the orcas and humpback whales which enter the fjords of Northern Norway in large numbers for preying on the masses of herring overwintering there.The landscape bathed in late autumn light and beautiful aurora displays had added a bonus to the spectacular big feast of the whales. Please read more and view the galley here

The gallery shows a kaleidoscope of images that had been captured on 7 visits of Iceland over nearly 2 decades between 2000 and 2018, both in summer and winter, – with the trip to the volcano eruption at Fimmvörðuháls in 2010 being one of many highlights. As usual, you can read the comprehensive description and view the travel map by opening the drop down menu below the featured gallery image here

The photograph of the polar bear mother and cubs was honored as a winner at the International “Glanzlichter” Nature Photography Contest 2020. As mentioned earlier, the annual competition is one of the most important and highest regarded European events for nature photographers. In 2020 the jury had received 16937 entries of 919 photographers from 39 countries. 82 photos in 8 different categories were honoured with the image below being one of them, see the official site here. It was my third success at that competition. However, the award ceremony and the entire 3days festival of nature photography sadly had to be cancelled due to the CoVid-19 pandemic.

The photograph was taken in the Wapusk National Park, Manitoba, Canadian Arctic, using the EF 600mm f/4 L IS II USM + 1,4x Extender III on the Canon EOS-1 Dx Mark II @ f 9 + 0.67,1/1000 sec, ISO 400 (tripod with Wimberley Head)

I am honored that two of my photographs were chosen as contribution for an important book, published in 2019 (see cover and the related images above). On 239 pages, the book comprehensively presents the scientific context and consequences of the dramatic changes in the arctic and the particular impact on the polar bears. The author Rinie van Meurs is a known expert for polar bears and has lead hundreds of expeditions in the High Arctic for 30 years, especially around Spitsbergen (Svalbard). I had joined several of these excellent trips, especially focused on polar bears. The pictures of some of those expedition voyages are not edited for galleries on this website yet. The co-author of the book, Louis Beyens, is a biologist and professor emeritus who has specialized in polar ecosystems and the effect of climate change.

The images were captured 2014 in the pack ice of the Russian Arctic north of Franz Josef Land as we encountered a seriously wounded and obviously traumatized female polar bear lying on an ice floe (right image).  At first, we could’t determine the reason until we sailed further and approached the almost completely skeletonized carcass of a yearly polar bear cub (image in the center above). We also spotted a big male in the distance. So it became clear that the female was injured after a hard fight with the male polar bear to defend her cub earlier that day.

The new gallery displays a selection of photographs that had been captured on my voyage to the Falklands, South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula in 2015. As usual, you can read the comprehensive description and view the travel maps by opening the drop down menu below the featured gallery image

A selection of photographs captured on a 6 days Humpback Whale Safari was added. This special voyage along Alaska’s Inside Passage was a pretour of my second roundtrip through Alaska and Yukon Territory that took place in 2007 (see the separate gallery and documentation here). As always you can read the description by opening the drop down menu.

A collection of images photographed on two previous trips to Alaska and Yukon Territory was added. Please read the detailed description and additional informations provided by the drop down menu on top of the combined gallery. In 1999 the images still had to be captured on film while digital cameras were used in 2007.

In consequence of the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic and travel restrictions I took the time to browse my film archiv and to digitalize a selection of my slides taken on an amazing trip to the Seychelles Islands 23 years ago when digital photography was not yet introduced. Please read the detailed description that is accessible via the drop down menue and view the gallery here

The gallery displays a selection of photographs that were captured on my recent trip to the Torres del Paine National Park in Chile. Though primarily focused on the elusive puma – also called “Ghost of the Andes” – the gallery also shows other wildlife and birdlife as well as the amazing scenery of the TdP NP. You can read the description and view the gallery here. I had visited Patagonia for the first time in 2010 for photographing the stunning landscape.

In October 2018 I had the unique chance to join the legendary Antarctic expedition to the Emperor Penguins of Snow Hill Island aboard the helicopter- equipped Russian icebreaker “Kapitan Khlebnikov”. It was the first trip for the past 8 years and there a no plans of another expedition for the foreseeable future. Please read the detailed description and browse the selection of photographs of this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The second photo trip to Costa Rica in April 2018 mainly was focused on the Pacific side of the country while our first visit in 2017 had been concentrated on the central and Caribean parts. The selection of photographs may give another impression of the amazing biodiversity of Costa Rica. For more informations please click on the pulldown menu on top of the gallery.

A new photo gallery was added giving an impression of my voyage along Greenland’s West coast between Upernavik and Ilulissat. For more informations including the itinerary and the details of the dramatic deline of the ice sheet since my first visit of the area in 2002,  please open the pop-up window on the corresponding gallery page. A map of the travel route incl. the key points and a graphic representation of the glacier retreat are added to the description, too .

A selection of photographs of my recent trip to northern Canada was added. The photosafari mainly was focussed on polar bear moms with new born cubs emerging from their dens before spring. Some informations were added, too, describing the difficult conditions to get there and the temperatures in the tundra well below -40°C .

On January 26th an effortful Multimedia show under the title “Fascination of Nature Photography” was displayed in Heidenheim (Germany). The presentation was laid out as a charity event for the benefit of the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and took place in the auditorium of the local High School which has a partnership with the St Theresa High school in Bhalukapara. Around 150 excited visitors from all over the region watched the selection of Wolfgang’s photographs and videos on Costa Rica, the Pantanal in Brazil, the orcas and humpback whales of the Peninsula Valdes and Northern Norway combined with photos and timelapse sequences of the Northern Light and background music. The AV presentation was programmed with Wings Platinum 6 Pro and was very successful regarding the charity appeal, too.