JJ Emerson - The Wild Side of Travel

JJ Emerson - The Wild Side of Travel Forever on the hunt for wildlife and wild places! Come join the adventure! ✌️

Kiwi, a New Zealand icon.But not just any Kiwi, a Rakiura Tokoeka... That is really fun to say... If you struggle with t...
04/10/2026

Kiwi, a New Zealand icon.

But not just any Kiwi, a Rakiura Tokoeka... That is really fun to say... If you struggle with that you can call them the Stewart Island Southern Brown Kiwi, the southern most Kiwi and a species that is relatively common on Stewart Island (Rakiura) in the absence of stoats.

We sought these guys out on a night tour with Natural Habitat Adventures and were lucky enough to come across three individual birds! Foraging around mostly, but a few cool interactions which I shared in another reel.

Tough photography subjects, under red light and in the dark, but a very fun one at that.

There are so many wonderful things I could tell you about Kiwi but I think I will save that for future posts. What a bird! 🥝

03/10/2026

Kiwi fight! 🥝🥊

Kiwi are incredibly territorial, and these two young males were having a bit of a blue, nothing too serious... But once they are older and find partners, they will defend their territory with true ferocity!

Taken on location on Rakiura, New Zealand with Natural Habitat Adventures

22/09/2026

Let's dive into what makes the Australian Snubfin Dolphin so special! 🐬

1. Officially identified as a new species in 2005
2. Spit water jets to herd fish
3. Some say they look a bit like Kermit the Frog... I'll let you be the judge of that one!

Snubbies rule!

17/09/2026

The Elephant Gathering of Sri Lanka.

An unparalleled wildlife spectacle that draws in hundreds of Elephants, seeking permanent water.

The boys and I spent a good couple of hours with this gorgeous herd of Elephants in a truly magical wildlife encounter.

Elephants rule! 🐘

Kakadu National Park is iconic for a reason.Remarkable wildlife, ancient and vibrant culture and unmatched natural beaut...
15/09/2026

Kakadu National Park is iconic for a reason.

Remarkable wildlife, ancient and vibrant culture and unmatched natural beauty. You feel something deep inside as you soak in the views of the Arnhem escarpment and vast floodplains.

Shots taken on tour with Natural Habitat Adventures



Saltwater Crocodiles lurk in every billabong.

Agile Wallabies flourish in the floodplains

Access to ancient stories and history of a vibrant and living culture

Kapok flowers

Azure Kingfisher

'Marrawuddi', the White-Bellied Sea Eagle

Black-Necked Storks, stunning birds!

Little Pied Cormorant

The Floodplains change as the seasons roll by

Royal Spoonbill

Whistling Kites are common

The shy Green Pygmy Goose

Australasian Swamphen

X-Ray art at Ubirr

Epic mates and epic views, Jai + Emily

Beautiful water lilies

Anbangbang Billabong

14/09/2026

The BEST Australian animal... the Echidna!

You cannot change my mind... I love these guys so much! Always a treat to have close up encounters, where they just carry on with their business like no one is there!

12/09/2026

The law of the jungle...

Hornbills are generally known for their diet of fruit, but can be voracious predators too. It's not too hard to believe looking at their weaponry!

This rodents number was up... Amazing to capture this moment on safari in Sri Lanka.

11/09/2026

Is this the best looking Eagle in the world? 🦅

This is the Changeable Hawk Eagle, so named due to its wide variety of colour morphs. But that isn't what stood out for me with this bird...

One of the best hair styles I've ever seen and a ferocity in the eyes that only an Eagle can muster.

Our bird of prey viewing in Sri Lanka was out of this world INSANE with several species perching low in forest, making for encounters just like this one.

03/09/2026

Cute and derpy, the Sri Lankan Mouse Deer!

We spotted this little guy on safari in Wilpattu, Sri Lanka which was a pretty rare find for a species so elusive! They only get to 3kg in weight, so are truly tiny!

29/04/2026

Did I just witness crocodile poaching...? 🐊 I am still a bit shook with what I saw this afternoon and after leaving the situation, I can't be sure he put the baby croc back, which has left me feeling uneasy and without closure...

I do acknowledge that people's behaviour and relationship with wildlife is different around the world, but since chatting with a wildlife expert, he assured me what I witnessed was illegal (let alone unethical). Even on a boat-based wildlife tour this afternoon, we got way closer to crocs than I would back home, which goes to show how different things are here in Mexico (to be fair, Croc ethics in Australia are questionable at best anyway, but that's a whole other discussion...).

Was there more I could have done in the moment for that maybe croc? Maybe... would it have made a difference long term? Probably not...

I wanted to address what I saw here as I want my vlog to be about the positive attitudes of people towards this environment.. I'm going to head back this afternoon to try and appreciate the crocs for what they are, beautiful, ancient survivors and hope that every other one of those little tackers grows up big, strong and firey like mum 🔥🐊

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