A whale-watching trip last summer led to photographing more than cetaceans.
Taking a break from seeking whales, we made a side jaunt to visit a rich kelp forest. Sampling the bull kelp, we were assured our harvesting would have little impact given that the algae can grow up to 17cm (7 inches) per day. As you might imagine, it tastes like the ocean.
Fasinating kelp photo! many thanks!!
Do you have more photos of early desert wildflowers in the Tucson and Death Valley area? We would like to take a trip to the Death Valley area the first of March. Is there an area that you recommend at that time of the year? Is Mothers day week-end too late for wildflowers in the Sonoran Desert Museum area? We usually go the first of April?
Many thanks and so glad you are back!!
Ann Young, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
PS Have you seen the 2015 book STEPPES by the Denver Botanic Gardens Staff ? It is outstanding.
Daniel MosquinFebruary 8, 2017 at 2:03 pmPermalink | Reply
Yes, I absolutely have more–for every photo you see here, I have tens to hundreds (perhaps even thousands) more from the same areas. But, I don’t want it to be Western North American Botany Photo of the Day, even though that bias is already there. If only I could travel more!
As for advice re: Death Valley. This year will not be spectacular, though it should still be good in some places. They’ve had late winter rains, so it sounds like early March would be a good time to visit. Best advice I can give for casually visiting is to check in at the ranger station–they will be able to direct you to the best sites for the week. It’s a huge park, rain falls in patches. That said, some places I had luck last year: for diversity of species, park at the exit to Titus Canyon (it isn’t necessary to drive Titus Canyon to get there), and walk around to the entrance to the Fall Canyon. You likely won’t find much in bloom in Fall Canyon proper until later in the year, so skip that hike if time is a factor–just explore the washes and areas where the canyon exits. Then, there are some washes along Warm Springs Canyon Road that could be good. The dirt road across from the Ashford Mills site is where I photographed the sand-verbena, that was okay for diversity.
Depending on how much time you have or how set you are on Death Valley, you may want to consider substituting or adding Anza-Borrego into your plans. That is looking to be spectacular this year (and where I’ll be headed).
I’ve only been to Tucson once. Let me check with a colleague who has lived there on and off about the best times.
Eric La FountaineFebruary 8, 2017 at 4:23 pmPermalink | Reply
The timing of the dessert wildflowers varies quite a bit from year to year. You can check online for reports of blooms. There are different reports. Try a search for “Sonoran wildflowers report”. There is a good one for the Tucson area from Arizonensis.
Eric La FountaineFebruary 8, 2017 at 4:24 pmPermalink | Reply
Sorry, don’t eat the flowers. I meant desert.
Frances Bennett-SuttonFebruary 8, 2017 at 1:35 pmPermalink | Reply
Sadly for me, the photo will not load. It’s been a good five minutes and it still says “transferring data….” Daniel, do you have any suggestions on how I might resolve this? Thanks.
Daniel MosquinFebruary 8, 2017 at 2:21 pmPermalink | Reply
It’s not on your end. As I mentioned in the entry: “I am researching and planning out how to implement my next attempted fix of the image display issues for here and the forums”. I know what to do (at least, in theory), but I need to carve out the time to do it.
Just refreshing the page should work as a temporary fix.
Glad you are back. ( and that I am receiving just one email a day! The first day there were, many). The refreshing the page advice works, went back and saw the rest of the photos. Thank you.
Melanie ThompsonFebruary 8, 2017 at 2:35 pmPermalink | Reply
You have been missed in New Orleans.
Karin EnglandFebruary 8, 2017 at 2:37 pmPermalink | Reply
I am so glad that Botany Photo of the Day is back. Thanks, Daniel.
Gorgeous photos! Reminds me of grabbing onto bull kelp to rest during a kayak journey against the current in Gwaii Haanas, a most welcome stronghold in unrelenting water, singing the old Beatles tune, “Kelp.”
Katy McCoyFebruary 11, 2017 at 12:18 amPermalink | Reply
😉
Terry-Anya HayesFebruary 8, 2017 at 4:16 pmPermalink | Reply
Nereocystis luetkeana is the most delicious sea vegetable I have ever tasted. I know this thanks to Washington herbalist Ryan Drum, who used to harvest, dry, and sell it by the pound at herbal conferences. My children loved it at first bite, crunchy and raw and lacking whatever component makes most seaweeds (including Atlantic kelp, which is more readily available in my neighborhood) take getting used to. Sadly, since the Fukushima disaster, I have abstained, since my understanding is that seaweeds sequester radiation. Hopefully I’m overreacting — can you reassure me on that?
PS, Welcome back! Missed you!
Bob PodgorskiFebruary 8, 2017 at 4:21 pmPermalink | Reply
Oh MY… nice to have you back… Seeing a picture early in the morning started my day… then none…kicking my Rottweiler and Chihuahuas didn’t help. But then it never does… So I waited and waited and boy I’m glad I did… Forgot how good your pic’s are.
We don’t do kelp like this in our Florida waters… unreal…
Thank you…Bob, Fort Myers, FL.
So glad you are back!
The Feb. 6th photo would not open for me, but the Ponderosa Pine, yesterday, opened easily. Today—no luck! I have tried and will try again. Sorry for your trouble- you give so many people (myself included) so much pleasure! Thank-you.
Just returned to the top and find the photo has finally opened- and beautiful it is too! Will try the Feb. 6 photo as well- just have to have more patience, I guess!
Bull kelp. Yum! Have a jar of pickles in the fridge!
Richard WindsorFebruary 8, 2017 at 5:35 pmPermalink | Reply
Hi Daniel
It’s good to have you back!
I have issues with page displaying correctly (P4, 3GHz, 4 GB ram Windows XP SP4, FireFox 51.01 32 bit)
Initially the page would not load, 3 attempts later the page loaded but only one image is visible, one partly visible. The page will not refresh while it is attempting to download the unfinished image.
I’m not keen on having to hover the mouse over the image in order to see it.
However, I’ll live with that in order to get your wonderful imagess and commentary
Wonderful images and delighted to receive in my mailbox! Thanks you for years learning and sharing. Also use this sea vegetable dried for cooking to season and add nutrients to our local foods.
Katie McIntoshFebruary 8, 2017 at 9:49 pmPermalink | Reply
So happy to see your gorgeous photos again, and get inspired for my own photography.
Pierre CrozatFebruary 8, 2017 at 11:08 pmPermalink | Reply
Glad to have you back- has it really been 18 months?!
I look forward to seeing the new posts!
Zoo GardenerFebruary 9, 2017 at 5:15 amPermalink | Reply
Once again it’s so nice to have BPotDay when I get to work! Your pictures are amazing and I enjoy puzzling out what I’m going to see, by just looking at the scientific name. As a horticulturist, I don’t see much (or any) kelp, but I love this picture! Thanks again for all you do.
Wow. Photos worth waiting for.
Fasinating kelp photo! many thanks!!
Do you have more photos of early desert wildflowers in the Tucson and Death Valley area? We would like to take a trip to the Death Valley area the first of March. Is there an area that you recommend at that time of the year? Is Mothers day week-end too late for wildflowers in the Sonoran Desert Museum area? We usually go the first of April?
Many thanks and so glad you are back!!
Ann Young, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
PS Have you seen the 2015 book STEPPES by the Denver Botanic Gardens Staff ? It is outstanding.
Yes, I absolutely have more–for every photo you see here, I have tens to hundreds (perhaps even thousands) more from the same areas. But, I don’t want it to be Western North American Botany Photo of the Day, even though that bias is already there. If only I could travel more!
As for advice re: Death Valley. This year will not be spectacular, though it should still be good in some places. They’ve had late winter rains, so it sounds like early March would be a good time to visit. Best advice I can give for casually visiting is to check in at the ranger station–they will be able to direct you to the best sites for the week. It’s a huge park, rain falls in patches. That said, some places I had luck last year: for diversity of species, park at the exit to Titus Canyon (it isn’t necessary to drive Titus Canyon to get there), and walk around to the entrance to the Fall Canyon. You likely won’t find much in bloom in Fall Canyon proper until later in the year, so skip that hike if time is a factor–just explore the washes and areas where the canyon exits. Then, there are some washes along Warm Springs Canyon Road that could be good. The dirt road across from the Ashford Mills site is where I photographed the sand-verbena, that was okay for diversity.
Depending on how much time you have or how set you are on Death Valley, you may want to consider substituting or adding Anza-Borrego into your plans. That is looking to be spectacular this year (and where I’ll be headed).
I’ve only been to Tucson once. Let me check with a colleague who has lived there on and off about the best times.
The timing of the dessert wildflowers varies quite a bit from year to year. You can check online for reports of blooms. There are different reports. Try a search for “Sonoran wildflowers report”. There is a good one for the Tucson area from Arizonensis.
Sorry, don’t eat the flowers. I meant desert.
Missed you! Glad to have you back online.
Welcome. Back!
Sadly for me, the photo will not load. It’s been a good five minutes and it still says “transferring data….” Daniel, do you have any suggestions on how I might resolve this? Thanks.
It’s not on your end. As I mentioned in the entry: “I am researching and planning out how to implement my next attempted fix of the image display issues for here and the forums”. I know what to do (at least, in theory), but I need to carve out the time to do it.
Just refreshing the page should work as a temporary fix.
Daniel – you do a great job
Glad you are back. ( and that I am receiving just one email a day! The first day there were, many). The refreshing the page advice works, went back and saw the rest of the photos. Thank you.
You have been missed in New Orleans.
I am so glad that Botany Photo of the Day is back. Thanks, Daniel.
I’m so glad you are back. I had missed getting that daily bit of nature in my inbox!
Gorgeous photos! Reminds me of grabbing onto bull kelp to rest during a kayak journey against the current in Gwaii Haanas, a most welcome stronghold in unrelenting water, singing the old Beatles tune, “Kelp.”
😉
Nereocystis luetkeana is the most delicious sea vegetable I have ever tasted. I know this thanks to Washington herbalist Ryan Drum, who used to harvest, dry, and sell it by the pound at herbal conferences. My children loved it at first bite, crunchy and raw and lacking whatever component makes most seaweeds (including Atlantic kelp, which is more readily available in my neighborhood) take getting used to. Sadly, since the Fukushima disaster, I have abstained, since my understanding is that seaweeds sequester radiation. Hopefully I’m overreacting — can you reassure me on that?
PS, Welcome back! Missed you!
Oh MY… nice to have you back… Seeing a picture early in the morning started my day… then none…kicking my Rottweiler and Chihuahuas didn’t help. But then it never does… So I waited and waited and boy I’m glad I did… Forgot how good your pic’s are.
We don’t do kelp like this in our Florida waters… unreal…
Thank you…Bob, Fort Myers, FL.
Beautiful photos, Daniel. Are these taken in the Strait of Georgia? Never thought a kelp could be so photogenic!
Cyndy, location of photos is often noted above the photograph–sometimes even with a Google Map link to where the photo was taken!
So glad you are back!
The Feb. 6th photo would not open for me, but the Ponderosa Pine, yesterday, opened easily. Today—no luck! I have tried and will try again. Sorry for your trouble- you give so many people (myself included) so much pleasure! Thank-you.
Just returned to the top and find the photo has finally opened- and beautiful it is too! Will try the Feb. 6 photo as well- just have to have more patience, I guess!
Bull kelp. Yum! Have a jar of pickles in the fridge!
Hi Daniel
It’s good to have you back!
I have issues with page displaying correctly (P4, 3GHz, 4 GB ram Windows XP SP4, FireFox 51.01 32 bit)
Initially the page would not load, 3 attempts later the page loaded but only one image is visible, one partly visible. The page will not refresh while it is attempting to download the unfinished image.
I’m not keen on having to hover the mouse over the image in order to see it.
However, I’ll live with that in order to get your wonderful imagess and commentary
Wonderful images and delighted to receive in my mailbox! Thanks you for years learning and sharing. Also use this sea vegetable dried for cooking to season and add nutrients to our local foods.
So happy to see your gorgeous photos again, and get inspired for my own photography.
looks like some kind of marine monster
Glad to have you back- has it really been 18 months?!
I look forward to seeing the new posts!
Once again it’s so nice to have BPotDay when I get to work! Your pictures are amazing and I enjoy puzzling out what I’m going to see, by just looking at the scientific name. As a horticulturist, I don’t see much (or any) kelp, but I love this picture! Thanks again for all you do.
So nice to see your photos again !
Krissy Boys
Mundy Wildflower Garden
Cornell Botanic Gardens
Ithaca NY
Welcome back! I’m always learning something new because of your posts…..thank you.
Great to have you back…..you post great photos !!