2025, Bird, Oman Selection

Sanderlings in flight (Calidris alba) – Oman

Sanderlings in flight (Calidris alba) – Oman

Sanderlings in flight (Calidris alba) – Oman.

Flying in tight flocks over the shores of the Arabian Sea, these long-distance migrants connect the coasts of Oman to the Arctic tundras every year.

Always on the move, Sanderlings skirt the shoreline in dense groups, punctuating the coast with their swift, synchronized flights. These small shorebirds travel thousands of miles annually between their Arctic breeding grounds and the temperate or tropical beaches where they overwinter. On the foreshore, they tirelessly follow the ebb and flow of the waves, feeding on tiny invertebrates revealed by the receding water.

2025, Mammal, Spain Selection

Grooming Behavior of the Eurasian Otter

Grooming Behavior of the Eurasian Otter (Lutra lutra), Spain

After a dive, a Eurasian Otter (Lutra lutra) shakes itself to maintain its fur, which is essential for insulation and survival in an aquatic environment.

Discreet and elusive, the Eurasian otter is a valuable bioindicator: its presence is a sign of a healthy river.

As a top predator at the apex of the food chain, it must consume around 10 to 15% of its body weight each day, roughly one kilogram of food (fish, crustaceans, amphibians). Such abundance is only possible in rich aquatic environments, where good water quality allows microorganisms and insects at the base of the food web to thrive.

Furthermore, the otter is extremely sensitive to bioaccumulation: chemical pollutants such as heavy metals and pesticides concentrate along the food chain until they reach it. Its active presence and successful reproduction therefore provide a particularly reliable biological indicator, revealing an aquatic ecosystem that is functional and well preserved.

2023, Bird, Spain Selection

The Eurasian Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus): Acrobat of the Undergrowth

Eurasian Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) perched in the soft light of the undergrowth

In the soft light of the undergrowth, a Blue Tit pauses for a brief moment.

A burst of color and energy, the Eurasian Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) brings a vital spark of life to the silence of the forest.

This small, agile acrobat plays a crucial role as a natural regulator within its ecosystem. During the breeding season, a single pair can collect up to 10,000 insects and larvae—particularly defoliating caterpillars—to feed a single brood. Its presence indicates a diverse woodland environment that provides both essential nesting sites and a rich, sustainable food source.

2015, Mexico Selection, Underwater Pictures from Mexico

Diving into the Mayan Underworld: The Cenotes of Yucatán

Scuba diver exploring light beams in a Mexican cenote, Yucatan

Beneath the Yucatán jungle, cenotes offer a unique spectacle where light carves through the darkness.

Considered gateways to the underworld by the ancient Maya, cenotes are natural sinkholes formed by the collapse of limestone bedrock.

These unique geological formations house vast networks of underground rivers, the longest in the world. In the crystal-clear water, the meeting of fresh surface water and deeper salt water often creates a halocline—a striking optical phenomenon that gives the illusion of flying over an underwater river. For a diver, every descent is a journey through time among stalactites and stalagmites formed millennia ago, when these caves were still dry.

2010, Insect and Arachnid, Mainland France Selection

The Apollo: A Glacial Relic of the High Peaks

Apollo butterfly (Parnassius apollo rhodopensis) unfolding its wings in the mountains

A slow and powerful flight, carried by the thermal currents of the summits.

A true survivor from the glacial eras, the Apollo is one of the few butterflies capable of thriving at altitudes exceeding 2,000 meters.

Its sturdy body is covered in fine black hairs that act as a thermal coat, allowing it to absorb every bit of solar heat from the earliest light. Unlike many other butterflies, its flight is heavy and somewhat bird-like, alternating between steady wingbeats and gliding. This energy conservation is vital in an environment dominated by wind and cold. Seeing this white silhouette against the deep blue of the alpine sky remains one of the most magical moments for a mountain photographer.

2025, Ethiopia Selection, Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis), Mammal

Ethiopian Wolf, Nose to the Wind

Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis) catching a scent in the Bale Mountains, Ethiopia

Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis) catching a scent – Bale Mountains, Ethiopia

The Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis), also known as the Simien jackal, is the world’s rarest wild canid, endemic to the highlands of Ethiopia. A rodent-hunting specialist, it moves gracefully through alpine meadows.

In this image, an individual lifts its head into the morning breeze—perhaps tracking prey or simply attuned to the subtle cues of its environment. With fewer than 500 individuals remaining in the wild, every observation is a profound privilege. Its russet coat, slender muzzle, and poised silhouette make it a quiet but powerful symbol of Ethiopia’s unique natural heritage.

2025, Oman Selection, Stars

Moonlight over the Rub al Khali – Oman

Moonlight over the sand dunes of the Rub al Khali desert, Oman

Under the soft moonlight, the Rub al Khali reveals itself in all its nocturnal majesty.

Under the soft light of the moon, the Rub al Khali, the vast sand desert of the southeastern Arabian Peninsula, reveals itself in all its nocturnal majesty.

The silvery dunes draw silent undulations, while the starry sky stretches to infinity above this landscape of raw and timeless beauty. An atmosphere of absolute calm and solitude envelops this legendary desert, inviting contemplation and reverie in the heart of one of the largest sand deserts in the world.

2018, Bolivia Selection, Stars

Giant Cacti under the Stars of Salar de Uyuni (Bolivia)

Giant Trichocereus pasacana cacti under the starry sky of Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia

On Isla Incahuasi, these motionless giants seem to be in dialogue with the stars.

Standing like sentinels in the heart of the salt desert, the Trichocereus pasacana cacti watch over the white immensity of the Salar de Uyuni.

These botanical colossi grow with infinite slowness—barely one centimeter per year—with some reaching over ten meters in height after several centuries of life. Their time-sculpted silhouettes stand out beneath the night sky, silent witnesses to the freezing nights and scorching suns of the Altiplano. On Isla Incahuasi, these motionless giants seem to be in dialogue with the stars, anchored in volcanic rock for generations.

2025, Bird, Ethiopia Selection

Blue Sparkle of the Male Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu (Uraeginthus bengalus)

Male Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu (Uraeginthus bengalus) perched in a thorny bush, Ethiopia

A bright turquoise flash amidst the thorny thickets of the Ethiopian savannah.

Perched in a thorny bush, this male Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu (Uraeginthus bengalus) reveals its stunning plumage.

Its vibrant turquoise-blue breast and belly are highlighted by a distinctive red patch on the cheek. In females, these colors are more muted, with the blue being less extensive and the red cheek patch absent. This contrast allows for easy identification of the sexes. Widespread across the savannahs and scrublands of sub-Saharan Africa, this small, graceful bird enlivens the Ethiopian landscape with its vivid colors and energetic movements, often found in pairs or small groups.

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