In Focus: Big Sur, California
Big Sur is one of the most dramatic landscapes in the world. Here, coastal mountains drop precipitously into the Pacific Ocean. Secluded beaches, valleys, mountains, and tall California Redwoods standing among countless streams to complete the scene.
If you are lucky, you may spot whales, seals, condors, or even a mountain lion.
I visited in winter because the waves are often larger. On the downside, rains are more common. Regardless of the season, Big Sur does not disappoint. California has an excellent state park system all along the coast.
Photographed from Gamboa Point, near the Big Creek Bridge.
In Focus: White Rhinoceros
Rhinos have been poached relentlessly. Some cultures believe the rhino horn possesses medicinal properties, none of which has been proven clinically. Poachers kill the rhino, then saw off the horn, a material simlar to matted hair or fingernails. If a mother is killed for her horn, the orphaned rhino is left to die. Rhinos are endangered as a consequence.
Anti-poaching has improved greatly with a range of techniques. Look closely at the mother rhino, right. Her horn was intentionally removed by game managers in an effort to deter poachers. When the horn regrows to a size that places the animal at risk, it will be pruned again.
Photographed in the Karongwe Private Reserve (near Kruger National Park), South Africa.
