Nature Photography by Martin Ryer

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As it turned out, one of the Humpback Whales I photographed on August 31st while on tour with Campbell River Whale & Bear Excursions was previously undocumented according to Marine Education and Research Society. As the first person known to document this whale, I was asked to suggest nicknames based on this Whale’s distinctive features like the square shape in the trailing edge of her tail. I chose “Peggy” as a reference… Read More

In April of 2020, I paddled out and camped on Penn Islands Southwest – It’s all about the view. Like last time, I launched out of Coulter Bay on Cortes Island but I hoped to camp somewhere different, this time on Penn Islands North. Due to ferry scheduling, I left at a low tide which is not ideal at Coulter Bay. It’s a great place to launch and land at a mid… Read More

On June 23rd, I sat down for an interview with reporter Alanna Kelly to discuss Humpback Whales and the pictures I captured on the 18th. You can watch the interview and read the article here.

Less than a month later, on June 18th, I got back out on the water with Wild Waterways Adventures. I’m thinking my 2024 calendar might feature Humpback Whales? These images were created in Sutil Channel, very near the Penn Islands. My friends from Marine Education and Research Society will be helping me to ID who this Humpback was.

A big thanks goes out to my friend, Reuben Buerge and Wild Waterways Adventures. I’ve spent hundreds upon hundreds of hours over the last 15 years exploring British Columbia’s coast. Only once, and at a distance have I ever seen a Humpback breach. That all changed on May 24th.

My 2023 Calendar is available for purchase here. To the Indigenous cultures of the Pacific Coast, the Hummingbird is a messenger of joy. It stands for intelligence, beauty, devotion, and love. These little birds are also respected as fierce fighters and defenders of their territory. Hummingbirds are a symbol of good luck. Seeing a Hummingbird before a major event, such as a hunting trip, or travelling to another village, was considered a… Read More

It didn’t take us long to find the T002C’s in Desolation Sound on October 8th. What we weren’t expecting is for them to be logging for nearly 3 hours. (Sleeping.) We waited it out, hoping that they would go on a hunt and that’s exactly what they did, taking down a porpoise or two on the southside of Mink Island. Be sure to get out on the water next season with my… Read More

Between July 15th and 19th, I had the honor and privilege to paddle and camp with BC Marine Trails President, Paul Grey. We explored a stretch of coastline east of Telegraph Cove, all the way down to the boundary of Robson Bight. We also crossed the strait and spent a morning out at the Sophia Islands which was truly an idyllic location and one that I definitely recommend visiting. The weather and… Read More

Exploring Saskatchewan’s “Ghost Town Trail.”

The largest of all the Elk