Natureman's Top 5 Animal Encounters

For me, there’s no greater pleasure than spotting an animal in the wild. That’s why I dedicate so much effort to travelling to remote locations - just in the hope of seeing some rare species. Whether by luck or skill, I’ve had some spectacular animal encounters over the years. So, in celebration of National Wildlife Day, here are my top 5...

Natureman's Top 5 Animal Encounters

1. Blue Whales in Sri Lanka

Being the largest animal to ever exist, you’d think a blue whale would be easy to see, but in the vast ocean and with their surprising camouflage, they aren’t as easy to find. I chartered a boat to explore the busy shipping lanes around the southern coast. After a few hours, I was rewarded with a plume of water and air in the distance. It was a Blue Whale! It’s difficult to explain the enormity of its form. It was like seeing a building moving under the waves! I’d estimate it was 4 x the length of the boat I was standing on. Occasionally, its tail would break the water, and it looked like the size of an articulated lorry!

2. Tigers in India

This was a very special experience. Tigers are an iconic species, and they are nothing less than majestic. I have seen many other big cats, but Tigers are the ones that I had only dreamt of seeing. Tracking them down was an exciting activity. Listening out for warning calls from deer gives you an idea of where the tiger could be. Then.. you sit and wait. If you are lucky, the tiger will break cover, and you might get a few seconds to observe it. I don’t think any species on earth combines beauty and power like tigers!

3. Rhinoceros viper in Uganda

Snakes in general can be extremely difficult to detect, and they often turn up when you don’t expect them to. I witnessed a rhinoceros viper getting killed by some farm workers on a road in rural Uganda. I was very sad when I saw this, as it was a very rare species. I decided to spend the next day walking the roads in the hope of finding one. By that evening, I gave up - no luck at all. On my way back home, I decided to explore an old trail in the forest where I heard some birds attacking something. I looked deep into the bush and saw the side of a massive viper! I carefully moved it out, and it sat nicely on the path as I photographed it! Nearly 20 years later, I consider it the most amazing snake I’ve found!

4. Starling murmuration in the UK

In late March, I get incredible murmurations of starlings in a nature reserve near my house. I have seen many of these, but a few years ago, I had a special encounter where there were tens of thousands of them, and while it’s normally something I see off in the distance, this time they were directly overhead. The sound of thousands of wings moving creates a roaring sound, and when they went over, it started to rain poop! The swirling patterns were totally mesmerising, and for half an hour I just looked up in awe. It was an important reminder to myself that sometimes the most amazing sightings can occur in your own village!

5. Octopus in the Mediterranean

Octopuses are my favourite animal, and even as a child, I dedicated any time I had on holiday to finding one. It took years. I remember being around 7 and in the car on the way to the airport, wondering whether this would be the time that I would find one. After a long day lifting rocks on the beach, my family went to the hotel to get ready for dinner. I said I’d catch up to them as I wasn’t quite ready to give up!

Suddenly, I saw what I’d been looking for! The octopus seemed to be just as surprised and shot under a huge boulder. I decided to sit on top of the rock and wait. A few minutes later, it slipped back out, and I gently picked it up. It crawled up my arm and around my neck. I then released it back into the water. I ran to tell my family, only to see my mum in the hotel lift. “Mum! You won’t believe it!”... “You found an octopus”, she said. I asked, “How do you know?” I then caught my reflection in a mirror and saw my whole upper body was covered in tiny ‘love bites’ made by its suckers!

Learn more about animal encounters