Voting time!
Help decide which photos will be in my 2024 WILD calendar?
 
The calendar is aimed at creating awareness and positive action for the mysterious and fragile life hidden in our cold, dark, northeast Pacific Ocean.
 
I enjoy, and learn, a great deal from your input. But sharing my photos with you is, equally, intended to highlight the astounding life off our coast. 💙
 
There are 44 images in the selection below. You can select up to 13 of your favourites from the choice below by June 5. If you prefer, you can also vote via my Facebook page at this link.
 
Your votes will count heavily in determining which images will be included in the calendar. Please know that I will also have to reflect on the diversity so that there is balanced colour and species representation e.g. the images in the calendar can't all be marine mammals, kelp, fish or nudibranchs!
 
Feel free to indicate too in the comments if there is a photo you would like to see on the front cover or back cover. Please note that the back cover image will ONLY be on the back cover.
 
If one of your favourite images from what I posted in the last year is NOT here it may be because that species was in last year’s calendar e.g. there won’t be an Alabaster Nudibranch in the 2024 WILD calendar because there was one in the 2023 calendar. I promise I am filing those photos to be voted on in another year.
 
Great thanks!
 
 

Question Title

* 1. Is this one of your 13 choices for the WILD 2024 calendar?
It's the 1st of 2 photos of Nakwakto Barnacles. The red is hemoglobin!
One of the two photos will definitely be in the calendar.
Your votes will determine if it is this one or the next one. 

Question Title

* 2. Is this one of your 13 choices for the WILD 2024 calendar?
It's the 1st of 2 photos of Nakwakto Barnacles. The red is hemoglobin!
One of the two photos will definitely be in the calendar.
Your votes will determine if it is this one or the previous one. 

Question Title

* 3. Is this one of your 13 choices for the WILD 2024 calendar?
Hooded Nudibranchs. 
This is the 1st of 5 photos featuring nudibranchs to be voted upon.
No more than 3 would end up in the calendar.

Question Title

* 4. Is this one of your 13 choices for the WILD 2024 calendar?
Red Gill Nudibranchs feeding on Bushy Pink-mouth Hydroids.
This is the 2nd of 5 photos featuring nudibranchs to be voted upon.
No more than 3 would end up in the calendar. 

Question Title

* 5. Is this one of your 13 choices for the WILD 2024 calendar?
Cryptic Nudibranchs with their egg masses! The nudibranchs are only about 1 cm long and look at how astoundingly evolved they are! They are virtually invisible on the Kelp-encrusting Bryozoan which is growing on the kelp.

This is the 3rd of 5 photos featuring nudibranchs to be voted upon.
No more than 3 would end up in the calendar. 

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* 6. Is this one of your 13 choices for the WILD 2024 calendar?
Gold Dirona

This is the 4th of 5 photos featuring nudibranchs to be voted upon.
No more than 3 would end up in the calendar. 

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* 7. Is this one of your 13 choices for the WILD 2024 calendar?
Monterey Dorid (nudibranch).
White-spotted Rose Anemone
Whitecap Limpet with a Crenate Barnacle on its shell.
And what I think might be a Benthand Hermit Crab in a shell once made and inhabited by a Threaded Snail.

This is the final of 5 photos featuring nudibranchs to be voted upon.
No more than 3 would end up in the calendar. 

Question Title

* 8. Is this one of your 13 choices for the WILD 2024 calendar?
Sand Rose Anemone - one of the world's largest anemones at up to 1 metre across and 25 cm high.

This is the 1st of 5 photos featuring anemones to be voted upon.
No more than 2 would end up in the calendar

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* 9. Is this one of your 13 choices for the WILD 2024 calendar?
Sand Rose Anemone with Candy Striped Shrimp - one of the world's largest anemones at up to 1 metre across and 25 cm high.

This is the 2nd of 5 photos featuring anemones to be voted upon.
No more than 2 would end up in the calendar

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* 10. Is this one of your 13 choices for the WILD 2024 calendar?
Male Crimson Anemone spawning.

This is the 3rd of 5 photos featuring anemones to be voted upon.
No more than 2 would end up in the calendar

Question Title

* 11. Is this one of your 13 choices for the WILD 2024 calendar?
Ochre Stars and Giant Green Anemones reflected against the surface. These anemones have symbiotic algae.

This is the 4th of 5 photos featuring anemones to be voted upon.
No more than 2 would end up in the calendar

Question Title

* 12. Is this one of your 13 choices for the WILD 2024 calendar?
Rose Anemone - can be 30 cm tall and 30 cm wide. What us noteworthy about this Rose Anemone is that it was managing to hold on to the stipe of Split Kelp in the surf zone.

This is the final of 5 photos featuring anemones to be voted upon.
No more than 2 would end up in the calendar

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* 13. Is this one of your 13 choices for the WILD 2024 calendar?
Close up on a Puget Sound King Crab. Species is up to 30 cm across the carapace / shell.

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* 14. Is this one of your 13 choices for the WILD 2024 calendar?
Orange Sea Pen - colony of animals that can retract. Divers in the background.

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* 15. Is this one of your 13 choices for the WILD 2024 calendar?
Red Irish Lord camouflaged against so much colourful life.

This is the 1st of 7 photos featuring fish to be voted upon.
No more than 3 would end up in the calendar.

Question Title

* 16. Is this one of your 13 choices for the WILD 2024 calendar?
Tiger Rockfish - I saw this female in the same home over eight years. Species can live to 116 years old. Yes, 116 years.

This is the 2nd of 7 photos featuring fish to be voted upon.
No more than 3 would end up in the calendar.

Question Title

* 17. Is this one of your 13 choices for the WILD 2024 calendar?
Mature male Scalyhead Sculpin.

This is the 3rd of 7 photos featuring fish to be voted upon.
No more than 3 would end up in the calendar.

Question Title

* 18. Is this one of your 13 choices for the WILD 2024 calendar?
China Rockfish near her home. Species can live to 78 years.

This is the 4th of 7 photos featuring fish to be voted upon.
No more than 3 would end up in the calendar.

Question Title

* 19. Is this one of your 13 choices for the WILD 2024 calendar?
Cabezon! This is a female and size is up to 99 cm long. Usually, a very cryptic fish species where you only know they are there when they dart away. Sea Star species is a Leather Star.

This is the 5th of 7 photos featuring fish to be voted upon.
No more than 3 would end up in the calendar.

Question Title

* 20. Is this one of your 13 choices for the WILD 2024 calendar?
Grunt Sculpin on Finger Sponge.

This is the 6th of 7 photos featuring fish to be voted upon.
No more than 3 would end up in the calendar.

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* 21. Is this one of your 13 choices for the WILD 2024 calendar?
Living gem - a Longfin Sculpin.

This is the final of 7 photos featuring fish to be voted upon.
No more than 3 would end up in the calendar.

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* 22. Is this one of your 13 choices for the WILD 2024 calendar?
Mature male Steller Sea Lion. Largest sea lion species in the world.
1st of 2 photos of a Steller Sea Lion.
There's strong motivation to have one photo of a sea lion in the calendar because there is so much negativity around seals and sea lions and a lack of knowledge / appreciation of their importance in the ecosystem.


Question Title

* 23. Is this one of your 13 choices for the WILD 2024 calendar?
Mature male Steller Sea Lion. Largest sea lion species in the world.
Final of 2 photos of a Steller Sea Lion.
There's strong motivation to have one photo of a sea lion in the calendar because there is so much negativity around seals and sea lions and a lack of knowledge / appreciation of their importance in the ecosystem.


Question Title

* 24. Is this one of your 13 choices for the WILD 2024 calendar?
Mature male Steller Sea Lion. Largest sea lion species in the world.
Final of 2 photos of a Steller Sea Lion.
There's strong motivation to have one photo of a sea lion in the calendar because there is so much negativity around seals and sea lions and a lack of knowledge / appreciation of their importance in the ecosystem.


Question Title

* 25. Is this one of your 13 choices for the WILD 2024 calendar?
Inukshuk the Humpback Whale breaching.

This is the 1st of 2 Humpback Whale photos to be voted on for this calendar. Both could end up being included.

Photo taken when doing my work for the Marine Education and Research Society. Photo taken outside 200 metres with a telephoto lens.

Question Title

* 26. Is this one of your 13 choices for the WILD 2024 calendar?
Guardian the Humpback Whale tail-lobbing. Alert Bay / Yalis in the background.

This is the final of 2 Humpback Whale photos to be voted on for this calendar. Both could end up being included.

Photo taken when doing my work for the Marine Education and Research Society. Photo taken outside 200 metres with a telephoto lens.

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* 27. Is this one of your 13 choices for the WILD 2024 calendar?
This is the 1st of 5 Bull Kelp photos to be voted on. At least one Bull Kelp photo will end up in the calendar because of kelp's importance, and beauty.

Question Title

* 28. Is this one of your 13 choices for the WILD 2024 calendar?
This is the 2nd of 5 Bull Kelp photos to be voted on. At least one Bull Kelp photo will end up in the calendar because of kelp's importance, and beauty.

Question Title

* 29. Is this one of your 13 choices for the WILD 2024 calendar?
This is the 3rd of 5 Bull Kelp photos to be voted on. The light patches you see here are the spore packets
At least one Bull Kelp photo will end up in the calendar because of kelp's importance, and beauty.

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* 30. Is this one of your 13 choices for the WILD 2024 calendar?
This is the 4th of 5 Bull Kelp photos to be voted on. 
At least one Bull Kelp photo will end up in the calendar because of kelp's importance, and beauty.

Question Title

* 31. Is this one of your 13 choices for the WILD 2024 calendar?
This is the final of 5 Bull Kelp photos to be voted on. This one has a Water Jelly reflected against the surface.
At least one Bull Kelp photo will end up in the calendar because of kelp's importance, and beauty.

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* 32. Is this one of your 13 choices for the WILD 2024 calendar?
This is the 1st of 2 Giant Pacific Octopus photos to be voted upon. A maximum of one would end up in the calendar.

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* 33. Is this one of your 13 choices for the WILD 2024 calendar?
This is the final of 2 Giant Pacific Octopus photos to be voted upon. The fish here are Black Rockfish.
A maximum of one octopus photo would end up in the calendar.

Question Title

* 34. Is this one of your 13 choices for the WILD 2024 calendar?
This is the 1st of 3 Orca photos to be voted upon. A maximum of 1 may be in the calendar.
Here, Bigg's Killer Whale brothers T101A and T101B near Port McNeill (mammal-hunting population).
Photo taken outside 200 metres with a telephoto lens.

Question Title

* 35. Is this one of your 13 choices for the WILD 2024 calendar?
This is the 2nd of 3 Orca photos to be voted upon. A maximum of 1 may be in the calendar.
In this photo, Pacific White-sided Dolphins are interacting with a member of the A54 matriline of Northern Residents (inshore fish-eating Orca).
Photo taken outside 200 metres with a telephoto lens.

Question Title

* 36. Is this one of your 13 choices for the WILD 2024 calendar?
This is the final of 3 Orca photos to be voted upon. A maximum of 1 may be in the calendar.
In this photo - mature male Bigg's Killer Whale T002C1 aka "Rocky" (mammal-hunting population).
Photo taken outside 200 metres with a telephoto lens.

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* 37. Is this one of your 13 choices for the WILD 2024 calendar?
Mature male Sea Otter.
This is the 1st of 3 photos of Sea Otters to be voted on. A maximum of 1 would end up in the calendar.

Question Title

* 38. Is this one of your 13 choices for the WILD 2024 calendar?
Mature male Sea Otter breaking open a clam by whacking it against the big rock he has on his belly i.e. he is using the rock as an anvil.
This is the 2nd of 3 photos of Sea Otters to be voted on. A maximum of 1 would end up in the calendar.

Question Title

* 39. Is this one of your 13 choices for the WILD 2024 calendar?
Mature male Sea Otter. Same individual as in the previous photo.
This is the final of 3 photos of Sea Otters to be voted on. A maximum of 1 would end up in the calendar.

Question Title

* 40. Is this one of your 13 choices for the WILD 2024 calendar?
Rose Star - no two alike. As unique as snowflakes.
This is the 1st of 3 photos of sea stars to be voted on.
A maximum of 2 would end up in the calendar.

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* 41. Is this one of your 13 choices for the WILD 2024 calendar?
Sunlight refracting atop an Ochre Star in the shallows.
This is the 2nd of 3 photos of sea stars to be voted on.
A maximum of 2 would end up in the calendar.

Question Title

* 42. Is this one of your 13 choices for the WILD 2024 calendar?
Striped Sun Star AND also a Decorator Crab and a Scalyhead Sculpin.
This is the final of 3 photos of sea stars to be voted on.
A maximum of 2 would end up in the calendar.

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* 43. Is this one of your 13 choices for the WILD 2024 calendar?
Multispecies / underwater scenery - in this photo are juvenile Widow Rockfish and so much more.

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* 44. Is this one of your 13 choices for the WILD 2024 calendar?
Multispecies / underwater scenery - Giant Plumose Anemones, Ochre Star and Blood Star.

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