Photo of the Day, Natural History Photography Blog

British Columbia Parliament Buildings, Victoria, Vancouver Island

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Latitude: 48° 25' 12.25" N, Longitude: 123° 22' 9.33" W, Coord: 48.42007°, -123.36926°
Filed under: Canada, Photo of the Day on 8/1/2008

Facing Victoria’s famous and scenic Inner Harbour are the British Columbia Parliament Buildings. Built in 1893, the buildings are home to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia.

The British Columbia Parliament Buildings are located in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada and serve as the seat of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia.  The main block of the Parliament Buildings combines Baroque details with Romanesque Revival rustication.,  Copyright Phillip Colla, image #21048, all rights reserved worldwide.
The British Columbia Parliament Buildings are located in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada and serve as the seat of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The main block of the Parliament Buildings combines Baroque details with Romanesque Revival rustication. Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
Image: 21048  
Location: Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
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Big Trees Trail on Meares Island

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Latitude: 49° 9' 29.3" N, Longitude: 125° 52' 9.69" W, Coord: 49.15814°, -125.86936°
Filed under: Canada, Panoramas, Photo of the Day, Photography on 7/31/2008

We had a few hours in Tofino one afternoon. Our choice was to go kayaking or take a boat ride over to Meares Island to walk the Big Trees Trail. We choose the latter. Arriving on the narrow shoreline after a 10-minute skiff ride, our boat driver told us he’d be back to pick us up in an hour and a half and unceremoniously left. OK. We walked past the small sign for the Big Trees Trail and into a wall of trees. Although short and not at all challenging, the trail is fun. It is set deep among the old growth trees, heavily shaded, verdant and green. There are a few really big trees on this part of Meares Island, and we stopped next to one to make a panoramic photo. The image below is akin to what you would see if you were facing the big tree and then tipped your head way back, scanning all the way up the tree, then through the forest canopy to the sky, and then further back until you scanned down the tree behind you, eventually falling and hitting your skull on the ground. I believe that the two large trees are red cedar but don’t hold me to it. Click on it to see a larger version.

Panorama of the Big Tree Trail on Meares Island, temperate rainforest home to huge red cedar and spruce trees.,  Copyright Phillip Colla, image #21062, all rights reserved worldwide.
Panorama of the Big Tree Trail on Meares Island, temperate rainforest home to huge red cedar and spruce trees. Meares Island Big Trees Trail, Tofino, British Columbia, Canada.
Image: 21062  
Location: Meares Island Big Trees Trail, Tofino, British Columbia, Canada
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Pano dimensions: 12484 x 4051
 

Rainforest in Pacific Rim National Park

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Latitude: 49° 2' 19.78" N, Longitude: 125° 40' 54.19" W, Coord: 49.03883°, -125.68172°
Filed under: Canada, Photo of the Day on 7/29/2008

One wet foggy morning while in Tofino (come to think of it, most mornings seem to be wet and foggy in Tofino) we rolled a short way down the road into Pacific Rim National Park and took a nice hike, more of a walk really, on the Rainforest Trail. The trail is really pleasant, with an elevated wood boardwalk to keep visitors from having to trudge through the soggier parts. We were soon walking beneath towering hemlock, cedar and fir trees on which lichen and moss hung way down. Everything was wet wet wet, although it was not raining. Banana slugs zoomed around decked out in a rainbow of colors (ok, most are black). Ferns were growing everywhere, including up in the trees themselves. It was great, I can’t wait to go back.

Hikers admire the temperate rainforest along the Rainforest Trail in Pacific Rim NP, one of the best places along the Pacific Coast to experience an old-growth rain forest, complete with western hemlock, red cedar and amabilis fir trees. Moss gardens hang from tree crevices, forming a base for many ferns and conifer seedlings.,  Copyright Phillip Colla, image #21056, all rights reserved worldwide.
Hikers admire the temperate rainforest along the Rainforest Trail in Pacific Rim NP, one of the best places along the Pacific Coast to experience an old-growth rain forest, complete with western hemlock, red cedar and amabilis fir trees. Moss gardens hang from tree crevices, forming a base for many ferns and conifer seedlings. Rainforest Trail, Pacific Rim National Park, British Columbia, Canada.
Image: 21056  
Location: Rainforest Trail, Pacific Rim National Park, British Columbia, Canada
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Hiker admires the temperate rainforest along the Rainforest Trail in Pacific Rim NP, one of the best places along the Pacific Coast to experience an old-growth rain forest, complete with western hemlock, red cedar and amabilis fir trees. Moss gardens hang from tree crevices, forming a base for many ferns and conifer seedlings.,  Copyright Phillip Colla, image #21053, all rights reserved worldwide.
Hiker admires the temperate rainforest along the Rainforest Trail in Pacific Rim NP, one of the best places along the Pacific Coast to experience an old-growth rain forest, complete with western hemlock, red cedar and amabilis fir trees. Moss gardens hang from tree crevices, forming a base for many ferns and conifer seedlings. Rainforest Trail, Pacific Rim National Park, British Columbia, Canada.
Image: 21053  
Location: Rainforest Trail, Pacific Rim National Park, British Columbia, Canada
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Vancouver at Night

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Latitude: 49° 16' 9.73" N, Longitude: 123° 7' 51.16" W, Coord: 49.26937°, -123.13088°
Filed under: Canada, Photo of the Day on 7/28/2008

This is downtown Vancouver at night — the Yaletown district — viewed from Granville Island. After dinner my younger daughter and I took a stroll along the boardwalk in front of our hotel. The walk was now empty of tourists (all of whom had retired to the Granville Island brewery) and we had this view to ourselves.

Yaletown section of Vancouver at night, viewed from Granville Island.,  Copyright Phillip Colla, image #21167, all rights reserved worldwide.
Yaletown section of Vancouver at night, viewed from Granville Island. Granville Island, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Image: 21167  
Location: Granville Island, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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More photos of Vancouver at night.

British Columbia Photos on Google Earth

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Latitude: 49° 2' 19.78" N, Longitude: 125° 40' 54.19" W, Coord: 49.03883°, -125.68172°
Filed under: Canada, GeoBlog, Photo of the Day, Photography on 7/27/2008

We returned from our British Columbia trip last weekend. We spent time in Whistler, Tofino, Victoria and Vancouver and managed to do a lot of biking, ziplining, hiking, flying, eating and beachcombing. During the past week I’ve reviewed all the photos we shot and edited down to a selection of about 200. You can view all of them on Google Earth, including the tracks recorded by our pocket GPS, if you have Google Earth installed on our computer) by clicking on the following link:

British Columbia, July 2008 Photos and Tracks

You will need to zoom in (say, to the Tofino region) before the individual images and tracks spread out enough to become distinct. I wrote some custom software to convert the GPS track files (*.gpx) into Google Earth code (*.kml), contact me if you would like a copy of the program (Windows only). If you just want to see the tracks, this link is better as it is not cluttered with the photos:

British Columbia, July 2008 Tracks Only
Tofino flight and whale watch tracks (no photos)

For the photos only, try this:

British Columbia, July 2008 Photos Only

Hikers admire the temperate rainforest along the Rainforest Trail in Pacific Rim NP, one of the best places along the Pacific Coast to experience an old-growth rain forest, complete with western hemlock, red cedar and amabilis fir trees. Moss gardens hang from tree crevices, forming a base for many ferns and conifer seedlings.,  Copyright Phillip Colla, image #21056, all rights reserved worldwide.
Hikers admire the temperate rainforest along the Rainforest Trail in Pacific Rim NP, one of the best places along the Pacific Coast to experience an old-growth rain forest, complete with western hemlock, red cedar and amabilis fir trees. Moss gardens hang from tree crevices, forming a base for many ferns and conifer seedlings. Rainforest Trail, Pacific Rim National Park, British Columbia, Canada.
Image: 21056  
Location: Rainforest Trail, Pacific Rim National Park, British Columbia, Canada
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Bear, Stuart Collection, UCSD

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Latitude: 32° 52' 55.05" N, Longitude: 117° 14' 1.82" W, Coord: 32.88196°, -117.23384°
Filed under: California, La Jolla, Photo of the Day on 7/8/2008

Bear is one of the newer pieces in the Stuart Collection of Art at University of California, San Diego (alma mater).

Bear is another of the odd outdoor art pieces of the UCSD Stuart Collection.  Created by Tim Hawkinson in 2001 of eight large stones, it sits in the courtyard of the UCSD Jacobs School of Engineering.,  Copyright Phillip Colla, image #20851, all rights reserved worldwide.
Bear is another of the odd outdoor “art” pieces of the UCSD Stuart Collection. Created by Tim Hawkinson in 2001 of eight large stones, it sits in the courtyard of the UCSD Jacobs School of Engineering. University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.
Image: 20851  
Location: University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, USA
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See Mobius Arch photos.

Photo of a Fossilized Fish

Filed under: Photo of the Day on 7/7/2008

This is another fossilized fish from the Green River geological formation, Kemmerer, Wyoming. A member of the Phareodus genus, this specimen was preserved in the fine sediment of an ancient lake. It is thought to be about 40 to 50 million years old, from the Eocene Epoch of the Cenozoic Era.

Fossil fish, collected at the Green River Formation, Kemmerer, Wyoming, dated to the Eocene Era., Phareodus sp.,  Copyright Phillip Colla, image #20869, all rights reserved worldwide.
Fossil fish, collected at the Green River Formation, Kemmerer, Wyoming, dated to the Eocene Era.
Image: 20869  
Species: Phareodus sp.
 

Fossil Fish

Filed under: Photo of the Day on 7/6/2008

This fossil fish was collected at the Green River geological formation, Kemmerer, Wyoming. Well preserved deep in the sediment of an ancient lake, this fossil fish is estimated to be about 40 to 50 million years old, from the Eocene Epoch of the Cenozoic Era. From a private collection.

Fossil fish, collected in Green River Formation, Fossil Lake, Kemmerer, Wyoming, dated to the Eocene Era.  Order: Ellimmichyiformes: Family; Ellimmichthyidae; Diplomystus dentatus., Diplomystus dentatus,  Copyright Phillip Colla, image #20866, all rights reserved worldwide.
Fossil fish, collected in Green River Formation, Fossil Lake, Kemmerer, Wyoming, dated to the Eocene Era. Order: Ellimmichyiformes: Family; Ellimmichthyidae; Diplomystus dentatus.
Image: 20866  
Species: Diplomystus dentatus
 

Photo of the Williamsburg Bridge, New York City

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Latitude: 40° 42' 41.32" N, Longitude: 73° 58' 23.8" W, Coord: 40.71148°, -73.97328°
Filed under: New York, Photo of the Day on 6/12/2008

From a trip to New York City a few years ago: I took a boat around Manhattan Island and saw all the bridges that cross from various burroughs into Manhattan. This one is the Williamsburg Bridge.

The Williamsburg Bridge viewed from the East River.  The Williamsburg Bridge is a suspension bridge in New York City across the East River connecting the Lower East Side of Manhattan at Delancey Street with the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn on Long Island at Broadway near the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway.,  Copyright Phillip Colla, image #11124, all rights reserved worldwide.
The Williamsburg Bridge viewed from the East River. The Williamsburg Bridge is a suspension bridge in New York City across the East River connecting the Lower East Side of Manhattan at Delancey Street with the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn on Long Island at Broadway near the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA.
Image: 11124  
Location: Manhattan, New York City, USA
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Keywords: Williamsburg Bridge Photo, New York City.

Photo of Buckskin Gulch

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Latitude: 37° 0' 47.41" N, Longitude: 112° 0' 4.28" W, Coord: 37.01317°, -112.00119°
Filed under: Arizona, Photo of the Day on 6/11/2008

Last one from Buckskin Gulch: a hiker considering the towering walls and narrow, convoluted passageway of the the Buckskin Gulch narrows. The trail continues behind the hiker, disappearing into the twisting walls so that it is hard to tell that it is even there. The floor of the passage is littered with large cobblestones, deposited there from upstream by powerful floodwaters that fill the slot canyon and carve it deeper into the sandstone with each passing year’s storms.

Hiker in Buckskin Gulch.  A hiker considers the towering walls and narrow passageway of Buckskin Gulch, a dramatic slot canyon forged by centuries of erosion through sandstone.  Buckskin Gulch is the worlds longest accessible slot canyon, running from the Paria River toward the Colorado River.  Flash flooding is a serious danger in the narrows where there is no escape.,  Copyright Phillip Colla, image #20716, all rights reserved worldwide.
Hiker in Buckskin Gulch. A hiker considers the towering walls and narrow passageway of Buckskin Gulch, a dramatic slot canyon forged by centuries of erosion through sandstone. Buckskin Gulch is the worlds longest accessible slot canyon, running from the Paria River toward the Colorado River. Flash flooding is a serious danger in the narrows where there is no escape. Buckskin Gulch, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona, USA.
Image: 20716  
Location: Buckskin Gulch, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona, USA
 

Buckskin Gulch Backpacking

Filed under: Arizona, Photo of the Day on 6/10/2008

Here are a few backpackers walking through the Buckskin Gulch narrows. They are blurry because it is so dark in the narrows that a tripod and long exposure must be used, which caused the backpackers to smear across the photo as they walked while the stationary walls and ground remain sharp and clear. Check out the big log jammed between the sandstone walls! It was left there by a powerful flash flood some time in the past, and is a testament to the height and strength of those floods.

Suspended log in Buckskin Gulch.  Hikers pass beneath a heavy log suspended between the walls of Buckskin Gulch, placed there by a flash flood some time in the past.  Buckskin Gulch is the world's longest accessible slot canyon, forged by centuries of erosion through sandstone.  Flash flooding is a serious danger in the narrows where there is no escape.,  Copyright Phillip Colla, image #20723, all rights reserved worldwide.
Suspended log in Buckskin Gulch. Hikers pass beneath a heavy log suspended between the walls of Buckskin Gulch, placed there by a flash flood some time in the past. Buckskin Gulch is the world’s longest accessible slot canyon, forged by centuries of erosion through sandstone. Flash flooding is a serious danger in the narrows where there is no escape. Buckskin Gulch, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona, USA.
Image: 20723  
Location: Buckskin Gulch, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona, USA
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Hiking Buckskin Gulch

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Latitude: 37° 1' 1.74" N, Longitude: 112° 0' 6.48" W, Coord: 37.01715°, -112.0018°
Filed under: Arizona, Panoramas, Photo of the Day, Photography on 6/9/2008

This is a 360-degree panorama showing, in a single image, a hiker in Buckskin Gulch both coming and going. I set my camera on a tripod in the middle of the trail through Buckskin Gulch, leveled it with a bubble level, and spun it in a complete circle taking sixteen photos roughly evenly spaced as I did so. In two of the photographs I set the camera’s self-timer and jumped into the picture myself. Later, the images were then “stitched” together on a the computer with panoramic imaging software, resulting in the single image you see. Click on it to see it larger!

Buckskin Gulch hiker.  A hiker moves through the deep narrow passages of Buckskin Gulch, a slot canyon cut deep into sandstone by years of river-induced erosion.  In some places the Buckskin Gulch narrows are only about 15 feet wide but several hundred feet high, blocking sunlight.  Flash floods are dangerous as there is no escape once into the Buckskin Gulch slot canyons.  This is a panorama made of sixteen individual photos.,  Copyright Phillip Colla, image #20699, all rights reserved worldwide.
Buckskin Gulch hiker. A hiker moves through the deep narrow passages of Buckskin Gulch, a slot canyon cut deep into sandstone by years of river-induced erosion. In some places the Buckskin Gulch narrows are only about 15 feet wide but several hundred feet high, blocking sunlight. Flash floods are dangerous as there is no escape once into the Buckskin Gulch slot canyons. This is a panorama made of sixteen individual photos. Buckskin Gulch, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona, USA.
Image: 20699  
Location: Buckskin Gulch, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona, USA
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Pano dimensions: 4771 x 15311
 

Bubble Rings

Filed under: Photo of the Day on 6/8/2008

Bubble Ring Day. It was so hot in the desert today all we could do was swim in the pool. Good thing I had my trusty uber-unterwasser-oring-foto-kamera along. We blew off some fine bubble rings and had fun watching them wobble and grow as they floated up through the water. These bubble rings are actually stable toroidal air pockets that usually maintain their delicate shapes all the way to the surface (if left to ascend undisturbed). I was pretty lightheaded after spending 30 minutes repeatedly holding my breath on the bottom of the pool making these bubble rings, so I did it for another 20 minutes and got super lightheaded. It was way more funnerer than hyperventilating into a paper bag. Ah, good times.

A bubble ring. A young girl reaches out to touch a bubble ring as it ascends through the water toward her.,  Copyright Phillip Colla, image #20774, all rights reserved worldwide.
A bubble ring. A young girl reaches out to touch a bubble ring as it ascends through the water toward her.
Image: 20774  
 
A bubble ring. A child puts her hand through a bubble ring at it ascends through the water toward her.,  Copyright Phillip Colla, image #20775, all rights reserved worldwide.
A bubble ring. A child puts her hand through a bubble ring at it ascends through the water toward her.
Image: 20775  
 
A bubble ring. A young girl watches as a bubble ring ascends through the water toward her.,  Copyright Phillip Colla, image #20776, all rights reserved worldwide.
A bubble ring. A young girl watches as a bubble ring ascends through the water toward her.
Image: 20776  
 
A bubble ring.  A toroidal bubble ring rises through the water on its way to the surface.,  Copyright Phillip Colla, image #20777, all rights reserved worldwide.
A bubble ring. A toroidal bubble ring rises through the water on its way to the surface.
Image: 20777  
 
Trochoidal sunlight patterns on the bottom of a swimming pool.,  Copyright Phillip Colla, image #20778, all rights reserved worldwide.
Trochoidal sunlight patterns on the bottom of a swimming pool.
Image: 20778  
 
A bubble ring.  A toroidal bubble ring rises through the water on its way to the surface.,  Copyright Phillip Colla, image #20779, all rights reserved worldwide.
A bubble ring. A toroidal bubble ring rises through the water on its way to the surface.
Image: 20779  
 

Photos of the Wire Pass Narrows

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Latitude: 37° 1' 11.17" N, Longitude: 112° 0' 16.99" W, Coord: 37.01977°, -112.00472°
Filed under: Photo of the Day on 6/7/2008

After an easy half-hour walk from the Wire Pass Trailhead, one reaches the end of the sandy Wire Pass trail. At this point the trail enters the first of two Wire Pass Narrows, two fine examples of sandstone slot canyons. Formed by years of water erosion these slots are really narrow, in some places only about two feet wide. Here’s a look at a hiker squeezing through the narrowest point:

A hiker walking through the Wire Pass narrows.  This exceedingly narrow slot canyon, in some places only two feet wide, is formed by water erosion which cuts slots deep into the surrounding sandstone plateau.,  Copyright Phillip Colla, image #20715, all rights reserved worldwide.
A hiker walking through the Wire Pass narrows. This exceedingly narrow slot canyon, in some places only two feet wide, is formed by water erosion which cuts slots deep into the surrounding sandstone plateau. Wire Pass, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona, USA.
Image: 20715  
Location: Wire Pass, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona, USA
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After emerging from the first narrows but before reaching the second set of narrows, the hiker finds a brief widening of the trail with some cool striations in the sandstone:

Sandstone formations.  Layers of sandstone are revealed by erosion in the Wire Pass narrows.,  Copyright Phillip Colla, image #20731, all rights reserved worldwide.
Sandstone formations. Layers of sandstone are revealed by erosion in the Wire Pass narrows. Wire Pass, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona, USA.
Image: 20731  
Location: Wire Pass, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona, USA
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More Wire Pass Narrows photos.

Wire Pass Trailhead

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Latitude: 37° 1' 8.25" N, Longitude: 112° 1' 30.57" W, Coord: 37.01896°, -112.02516°
Filed under: Arizona, Photo of the Day, The Wave on 6/6/2008

If you are going to hike to Buckskin Gulch or the North Coyote Buttes, you will likely start at the Wire Pass trailhead. Here is what it looks like at 6am. The dirt road you see, on which the trailhead parking lot is located, is the House Rock Valley Road. The few times I have driven it, the road has been fine. However, it is an unpaved road and I have heard that, following rain storms, it can be nearly unpassable. Just to be safe I have always used a high clearance vehicle on the House Rock Valley Road. A few cars are in the trailhead parking lot, with hikers readying their stuff for the day’s outing or still snoozing in their campers if they spent the night there.

Wire Pass trailhead.  The parking lot at the Wire Pass trailhead, early morning, as hikers arrive and set out to Buckskin Gulch, the North Coyote Buttes and the Wave.,  Copyright Phillip Colla, image #20745, all rights reserved worldwide.
Wire Pass trailhead. The parking lot at the Wire Pass trailhead, early morning, as hikers arrive and set out to Buckskin Gulch, the North Coyote Buttes and the Wave. Wire Pass, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona, USA.
Image: 20745  
Location: Wire Pass, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona, USA
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Here is a look at the Wire Pass Trail itself, which runs down a sandy wash. It is quite unexceptional, and does not begin to hint at the wonderful sights that it will lead one to in either the Wire Pass Narrows or at the Wave.

Wire Pass trail.  The Wire Pass trail runs along a river wash through sandstone bluffs and scattered trees and scrub brush.,  Copyright Phillip Colla, image #20746, all rights reserved worldwide.
Wire Pass trail. The Wire Pass trail runs along a river wash through sandstone bluffs and scattered trees and scrub brush. Wire Pass, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona, USA.
Image: 20746  
Location: Wire Pass, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona, USA
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Kelp Fronds, Santa Barbara Island

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Latitude: 33° 27' 57.29" N, Longitude: 119° 2' 49.58" W, Coord: 33.465914°, -119.04711°
Filed under: Photo of the Day on 5/18/2008

Santa Barbara Island is part of the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. I used to dive at Santa Barbara Island a few times each year. There are a few pinniped rookeries there, the best one being the sea lions at Webster Point. When the water is clean at Santa Barbara Island, the diving is as good there as anywhere on the West Coast. In addition to the fantastic opportunities to dive with sea lions, one also can spend time in vast, mature, beautiful kelp forests, particularly those between the main island and Sutil Island just offshore. After spending a few hours in the morning freediving among California sea lions (Zalophus californianus), I put on a tank and made a dive under the boat as it was anchored for lunch near Sutil Island, and made this image. To see a collection of many underwater and topside images from Santa Barbara Island in Google Earth, try this KML file: http://www.oceanlight.com/santa_barbara_island.kml

Kelp frond in motion, time exposure., Macrocystis pyrifera,  Copyright Phillip Colla, image #02344, all rights reserved worldwide.
Kelp frond in motion, time exposure. Santa Barbara Island, California, USA.
Image: 02344  
Species: Macrocystis pyrifera
Location: Santa Barbara Island, California, USA
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The Wave, North Coyote Buttes, Vermilion Cliffs / Paria Canyon Wilderness, Arizona

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Latitude: 36° 59' 45.48" N, Longitude: 112° 0' 22.28" W, Coord: 36.995969°, -112.00619°
Filed under: Arizona, Photo of the Day, The Wave on 4/30/2008

The Wave is such a wonderful place, I still get excited looking at the images I photographed there a few weeks ago. I was fortunate to have near-perfect conditions to make my hike and take photos. I spent the entire day out among the North Coyote Buttes and would have stayed longer if overnight camping was permitted there.

OK, this is last time I post a photo of the Wave! Well, at least until next month, when I return for a second time to try some different techniques. I was lucky to get permits two months in a row in the lottery, for the two most sought-after months (April and May), so in late May I will go back, knowing what mistakes I made the first time around and hoping to correct them while they are still fresh in my mind.

The Wave, an area of fantastic eroded sandstone featuring beautiful swirls, wild colors, countless striations, and bizarre shapes set amidst the dramatic surrounding North Coyote Buttes of Arizona and Utah.  The sandstone formations of the North Coyote Buttes, including the Wave, date from the Jurassic period. Managed by the Bureau of Land Management, the Wave is located in the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness and is accessible on foot by permit only.,  Copyright Phillip Colla, image #20608, all rights reserved worldwide.
The Wave, an area of fantastic eroded sandstone featuring beautiful swirls, wild colors, countless striations, and bizarre shapes set amidst the dramatic surrounding North Coyote Buttes of Arizona and Utah. The sandstone formations of the North Coyote Buttes, including the Wave, date from the Jurassic period. Managed by the Bureau of Land Management, the Wave is located in the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness and is accessible on foot by permit only. North Coyote Buttes, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona, USA.
Image: 20608  
Location: North Coyote Buttes, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona, USA
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The website has lots more photos of the Wave, North Coyote Buttes

Photo of the Second Wave

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Latitude: 36° 59' 35.76" N, Longitude: 112° 0' 29.22" W, Coord: 36.993269°, -112.00812°
Filed under: Arizona, Photo of the Day, The Wave on 4/28/2008

The Second Wave is found a few hundred yards from the Wave itself. While the Second Wave is characterized by striated sandstone in the same way that the Wave is, beyond that it is quite different in appearance, having a half-hourglass shape and being somewhat lighter in color. For photography the best light on the Second Wave occurs just before the sun sets behind the hills to the west, setting the ridges and striations in strong relief:

The Second Wave at sunset.  The Second Wave, a curiously-shaped sandstone swirl, takes on rich warm tones and dramatic shadowed textures at sunset.  Set in the North Coyote Buttes of Arizona and Utah, the Second Wave is characterized by striations revealing layers of sedimentary deposits, a visible historical record depicting eons of submarine geology.,  Copyright Phillip Colla, image #20606, all rights reserved worldwide.
The Second Wave at sunset. The Second Wave, a curiously-shaped sandstone swirl, takes on rich warm tones and dramatic shadowed textures at sunset. Set in the North Coyote Buttes of Arizona and Utah, the Second Wave is characterized by striations revealing layers of sedimentary deposits, a visible historical record depicting eons of submarine geology. North Coyote Buttes, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona, USA.
Image: 20606  
Location: North Coyote Buttes, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona, USA
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Photos of the Second Wave, North Coyote Buttes

Photo of Brain Rocks

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Latitude: 36° 59' 47.24" N, Longitude: 112° 0' 20.19" W, Coord: 36.996458°, -112.00561°
Filed under: Arizona, Photo of the Day, The Wave on 4/27/2008

Brain Rocks are found in the vicinity around the Wave. Here are some sporting a view across the Navaho sandstone of the North Coyote Buttes:

Brain rocks, curious sandstone formations in the North Coyote Buttes.,  Copyright Phillip Colla, image #20611, all rights reserved worldwide.
Brain rocks, curious sandstone formations in the North Coyote Buttes. North Coyote Buttes, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona, USA.
Image: 20611  
Location: North Coyote Buttes, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona, USA
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Photos of the Wave, North Coyote Buttes

Photo of the “Heart of the Wave”, North Coyote Buttes

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Latitude: 36° 59' 45.48" N, Longitude: 112° 0' 22.28" W, Coord: 36.995969°, -112.00619°
Filed under: Arizona, Photo of the Day, The Wave on 4/26/2008

Sitting on the rim of the main bowl of the Wave — right where the photograph below was taken — I watched a couple of hikers arriving. There reaction was natural: no sooner did they step foot through the entry passage than they looked around at the strange surroundings in awe. As one of them walked toward me, she turned around and suddenly said “Oh, its the Heart of the Wave!” She must have recognized the view (below) that is oft-repeated in photographs, and her name for this view must have been coined by someone before her. It seemed quite fitting to me. So thus it is, the Heart of the Wave:

The Wave, an area of fantastic eroded sandstone featuring beautiful swirls, wild colors, countless striations, and bizarre shapes set amidst the dramatic surrounding North Coyote Buttes of Arizona and Utah.  The sandstone formations of the North Coyote Buttes, including the Wave, date from the Jurassic period. Managed by the Bureau of Land Management, the Wave is located in the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness and is accessible on foot by permit only.,  Copyright Phillip Colla, image #20625, all rights reserved worldwide.
The Wave, an area of fantastic eroded sandstone featuring beautiful swirls, wild colors, countless striations, and bizarre shapes set amidst the dramatic surrounding North Coyote Buttes of Arizona and Utah. The sandstone formations of the North Coyote Buttes, including the Wave, date from the Jurassic period. Managed by the Bureau of Land Management, the Wave is located in the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness and is accessible on foot by permit only. North Coyote Buttes, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona, USA.
Image: 20625  
Location: North Coyote Buttes, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona, USA
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What process produced this geologic oddity? Diagenic coloration arising from stratigraphic relationships among the sandstone layers. Navaho sandstone, almost 200 million years old, was formed from what were formerly sand dunes, compressed and hardened into their current stony form. The colorations stems from iron oxides (think rust!) such as goethite and hematite, with colors ranging from oranges and yellows to salmon, reds and purples.

Photos of the Wave, North Coyote Buttes

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Updated: May 23, 2012