GALLERY OF THE MONTH SEP 2023: NATURE OF THE UAE

September 22, 2023

GALLERY OF THE MONTH SEP 2023: NATURE OF THE UAE

The gallery I choose this month is my "NATURE OF THE UAE" collection; as the name implies a series of image shot in "nature", not in public or private zoos, some in conservation reserves. When one thinks about the UAE, sand and desert is probably the only nature that comes to mind. While the basis of the UAE Nature is obviously centered around these things, there is a fair bit of wildlife to be spotted throughout the country.

Let's start with the national animal of the UAE, the Arabian Oryx. For those that are not familiar with the animal, in the early 1970s, the Arabian Oryx was considered all but vanished due to hunting and poaching. Today, thanks to efforts spearheaded by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, experts are citing the swell in its numbers as one of the world’s biggest conservation success stories.

During the pandemic I witnessed the birth of a new Oryx at the DDCR; something that will stay with me forever! The Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve (DDCR), has been one of the leaders in bringing back the Oryx from an all time low 40 years ago. DDCR, is a 225-square-kilometre natural reserve in the emirate of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. It was established by Emirates decree on 9 January 2002 and comprises some 5% of the Emirate of Dubai's total landmass. Those visiting the UAE, make sure to visit them through an organized tour!

I also, shot some interesting Aerial work of the Oryx for the DDCR.

My favorite place for bird spotting, is the Al Qudra lakes area, officially called the Al Marmoom Desert Conservation Reserve. Found about 40min out of Dubai, the unfenced area Nature conservation reserve, consists of a series of man-made desert wetlands (lakes), with large variety of birds, reptiles and other mammals such as the Arabian sand gazelle.

Especially around sunrise and sunset, I like to shoot a bit of a different approach to bird photography but shooting silhouettes.

Closer to the city center, we find the Ras al Khor wildlife sanctuary, with lots of migratory birds, especially a lot of Greater Flamingos.

When I first arrived in the UAE more than 20 years ago, the sanctuary with multiple viewpoints was very much isolated. Nowadays it's surrounded by urban infrastructure and roads. While some birds there still make the yearly trek during summer, a large part stays in Ras al Khor.

The fact that they are being fed a food supplement on a daily basis, likely has something to do with this. Nevertheless, it's still a great place for shoot some interesting large bird photography. Try to stay away in the weekends as this free entrance place often gets packed.

Lastly, even after having been here over 20 years, I do enjoy going out to the desert. Often not more than a 30 to 45min drive away, the desert landscapes can be quite spectacular. It keeps surprising me how some trees and bushes manage to survive the harsh summer weather.