Calakmul Expedition

My Scholarship entry - The Wildlife of Calakmul Reserve

Mexico | Friday, November 7, 2014 | 5 photos

I am currently finishing my third and final year of university, studying Zoology at the University of Southampton. Animals have always been a great passion of mine and since buying my first SLR last year, being able to photograph them, has personally taken it to the next level for me. The enjoyment of being able to study organisms outside the lecture room and up close in their natural habitat is far more enjoyable than a picture in a textbook.

This summer (2014) I had the fantastic opportunity to go to the Calakmul Reserve in Mexico as part of my studies to gain data about the jaguar population for my dissertation. This trip has for the first time allowed me to photograph some incredible creatures, of which my favorite were the Howler monkeys, in the fantastic semi-deciduous forest. Being out in the wilderness for 6 weeks living in a hammock with all the teeming wildlife around me, just gave me so much excitement for the possibility of having a career in this area. Therefore this scholarship would give me a foundation to be able to improve my photography skills, explore more in depth about the animals I am passionate about, and help me on my way to the beginning of my future.