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20150524 - Australia - “Fingers” Mitchell Cullen is a talented multi-instrumentalist from Albany, Western Australia. I had the pleasure of meeting him when he came to the North West Cape as a headline act for the Ningaloo Whaleshark Festival 2015. This photograph was taken at the Exmouth Yacht Club during that tour. He is a Sea Shepherd supporter and named his 2015 album Shepherd of the Seas and gained permission to use the Sea Shepherd logo on the cover. - PHOTO BY 2015©TomBalks.com/Tom Balks, all right reserved. -
This photo was in Finalist in the 2014 Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Category:“Reptile.” This young Perentie (Varanus giganteus), the Australian version of the monitor lizard, will reach over 2.5 metres in length, making it the largest lizard in Australia. I was looking for a bird of prey to photograph in North West Cape, when I was lucky enough to come across this little fella, looking for a feed (snakes are a favourite snack). Despite their size, perenties are rarely seen. - photo by 2012©Tom Balks/TomBalks.com, all right reserved. -
This photo was a Semi-Finalist in the 2012 Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Category: “The Underwater World.” While snorkelling with some divers, I found this Net-patterned Jellyfish (Pseudorhiza haeckeli) off the coast of Rottnest Island in WA Australia. Net-patterned Jellyfish are a distinctive species of the phyla Cnidaria (ny-dare-ea) Class Scyphozoa. They can be easily recognised by their single long, clubbed feeding arm which is often brightly coloured red or purple. The Net-patterned Jellyfish is common out on the open water to 30m depth but depending on prevailing winds and tides may be washed into coastal and shore waters. They reach around 30 centimetres length across the bell. - Photo by 2009©Tom Balks/TomBalks.com, all right reserved. -
This photo was Semi-Finalist in the Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Animals in their Environment. 20090611 - Australia - Coral Bay. - Green Sea Turtle, (Chelonia mydas) is one of six species found in Australian waters, only seven marine turtles in the world, with their numbers on the decline. I was lucky to have this time. - Photo by 2009©Tom Balks/TomBalks.com, all right reserved. -
Whaleshark with its friends the remoras. Remoras attach to large fish or whales with a sucker like organ on the top of their head. Whale sharks are found in tropical waters and live in the open sea. The largest confirmed individual had a length of 12.65 m (41.50 ft). They have a lifespan of approximately 70 years. They are listed on the IUCN red list as a vulnerable species. Every spring the coral spawning brings their migration to Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia where they can spend up to 5 months feeding on plankton. Ningaloo attracts individuals 4m to 10 m in length and it is possible to swim with these majestic beautiful fish through licensed operators. – photo by 2009©Tom Balks/TomBalks.com, all right reserved. -
If you look in the rocky outcrops of the Cape Range National Park in Western Australia you will find the black footed rock wallaby (Petrogale Laterelis).One of sixteen species of rock-wallaby. Endemic to Australia and listed by the IUCN as near threatened, it is great to see this little Joey’s head out of it mother's pouch. If you sit still you can watch them going about their daily routine. When the foxes were introduced to Australia, Competition with goats and rabbits as well as livestock for food, making it challenging for them - Photo By 2013©TomBalks.com all right reserved.
