A Year of Wildlife Photography with Mark Carwardine

I travelled a lot with Wildlife Worldwide last year, but three trips in particular stand out - and I can’t resist raving about them. I’m already counting the days before going back again!

One of my absolute favourites is a trip to a remote wildlife-rich corner of Hungary. If, like me, you love photographing wildlife, you’ll enjoy your time here tremendously. We have exclusive use of some of the best wildlife hides in the world, designed and built by my friend and multi-award-winning wildlife photographer Bence Mate. We see a fabulous variety of species in some dazzling settings, often from just a few metres away.

The comfortable hides are spectacular, showcasing a non-stop parade of glorious species, from storks, spoonbills and bee-eaters to otters and ground squirrels (to name just a few). One of the hides is partly underwater (enabling you to shoot along the water surface) which offers jawdropping perspectives of the waders, waterfowl, sea eagles, otters and all the other wildlife in the vicinity.

There are also magical woodland drinking stations, which attract many species including hawfinches, black woodpeckers, sparrowhawks, roe deer, red squirrels and hares.

Photographing kestrels and storks and sometimes even cuckoos from the treetop hide is always a thrill, so is watching swallows collecting mud for their nests right in front of another sunken hide or diving kingfishers … the list goes on!

I rotate between hides to spend as much time with everyone as possible. I can’t stress enough that anyone interested in wildlife photography, beginner or experienced, can get lots out of the week, and the fact that people return time after time is testament to that. Everyone goes home with dozens, if not hundreds, of stunning pictures that are difficult, if not impossible, to get anywhere else. You can find out more about wildlife photography in Hungary in my blog.

Next, we have our North Atlantic and Arctic Adventure in early summer. This is a truly once-in-a-lifetime expedition in every way. Beginning in Scotland is a real treat, with no need for any long-haul flights. Our ship, exclusive to our group – the M/V Ortelius – is a wonderful ship with amazing food, comfortable en suite cabins, and a super expedition team.

Our adventure criss-crosses the North Atlantic and Arctic, visiting places that most of us could never dream of seeing any other way. How about landing on the very remote and spectacular island, Jan Mayen? Or tramping up a live volcano? Or standing astride the Arctic Circle on the island of Grímsey, surrounded by hundreds or perhaps thousands of puffins? Or watching polar bears with cubs and bowhead whales along the Greenland ice edge?

We had some wonderful whale sightings this year – with northern bottlenose whales being the most commonly sighted species, can you believe? We end up in the high Arctic - in Longyearbyen, Svalbard – which is mind-blowing when you think our journey begins in the UK.

Finally, I can’t not mention the magnificent Galápagos Islands! Our exclusive, small charter on the M/V Beluga takes us on a 12-night route around the wildlife-rich archipelago, typically visiting 12 islands (most trips do the eastern islands, or the western, but we do both).

Within minutes – if not seconds – of landing almost anywhere, we’re face-to-face with some of the tamest wildlife on the planet. We see a massive variety of species, including Galápagos sea lions, waved albatrosses, Galápagos penguins, marine iguanas, and the many species of Darwin’s finches, which were so crucial to Darwin’s theories of natural selection.

The snorkelling is stupendous too. It should really be compulsory - everyone with an interest in wildlife really ought to try and get to the Enchanted Isles at least once during their lifetime!

View all our wildlife photography holidays with Mark Carwardine, or to book one, contact our team today!