Author Archives: Gábor Ruff

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Laysan Albatross at Sunset in Hawaii

Hawaii is famous for its spectacular sunsets and I’ve always wanted to combine my favorite Hawaiian bird, the Laysan albatross and a stunning sunset in one photo. The picture in my mind was a close […]

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Wedge-tailed Shearwater at Kaena Point – Hawaii

Last week I visited the Kaena Point Natural Area Reserve on Oahu again and I saw that the Laysan albatross chicks are growing well. I took some photographs of them, but an other bird caught […]

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The Night of an Albatross in Hawaii

The Kaena Point Natural Area Reserve on Oahu, Hawaii is the number one place I go to take shots of the night sky. It’s the only area on the island with a relatively low light […]

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The first eight weeks of a Hawaiian Monk Seal

The Hawaiian Monk Seal (Neomonachus schauinslandi) is an extremely rare animal. It is a critically endangered species with only about 1100 left. Fortunately, about two months ago, a monk seal pup was born on the […]

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Laysan Albatrosses by Night at Kaena Point – Hawaii

I started doing night sky photography a few months ago. On the island of Oahu in Hawaii, probably Kaena Point is the best place to see a relatively clear night sky because it is the […]

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Juvenile Hawaiian Monk Seal

The Hawaiian Monk Seal mom stays with her baby for five or six weeks after giving birth. Last Sunday, after a little more than six weeks of nursing, Honey Girl left Ola Loa on the […]

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Five weeks old Hawaiian Monk Seal

The Hawaiian Monk Seal like other Phocids has an interesting reproductive strategy. Mother monk seals fast while lactating. They build up fat reserves before they return to the breeding site and use their stored energy […]

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Four weeks old Hawaiian Monk Seal

Last weekend Gabi and I went to the North Shore of Oahu again to watch and hopefully photograph a Hawaiian monk seal named Honey Girl and her latest pup. Altough they weren’t as active as […]

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Three weeks old Hawaiian Monk Seal

A few days ago, Gabi and I visited the Hawaiian monk seal pupping site on the North Shore of Oahu, where Honey Girl gave birth to her newest daughter. Fortunately both mom and pup are […]

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Baby Hawaiian Monk Seal on Oahu

The Hawaiian Monk Seal (Neomonachus schauinslandi) is one of the rarest animals on Earth. This critically endangered mammal is endemic to Hawaii and there are only 1100 monk seals left in the wild, so it’s […]

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Feeding Laysan Albatross Chick in Hawaii

Last week I went to Kaena Point again to see what was going on in the Laysan albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis) colony. The chicks are already hatched a few weeks ago and I was hoping to […]

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Laysan Albatross Hatchling at Kaena Point – Hawaii

February is normally the time in Hawaii for hatching the Laysan albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis) eggs. A few days ago, I visited the albatross colony at Kaena Point (Oahu) and I was happy to see that the […]

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Hawaiian Monk Seal at Golden Hour

The Kaena Point Natural Area Reserve is the favorite resting place of the Hawaiian Monk Seal (Neomonachus schauinslandi) on the island of Oahu. When I visit this field to work with the Laysan albatross, I […]

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Record Number of Laysan Albatrosses at Kaena Point – Hawaii

I started my field work in 2015 at Kaena Point on Oahu, Hawaii. The main reason I chose to visit this place is the Laysan albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis). The breeding season of the Laysan albatross […]

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Highlights from 2014

As we count down to the new year, it’s a good time for reflecting back on the past year, so I created this gallery with 10 images that mostly highlight my year of 2014. I […]

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Self Portrait under the Stars in Hawaii

Growing up in a small village in Hungary far from light pollution, I had plenty of opportunities to watch the stars at the sky even from our backyard. I loved doing this very much. Watching […]

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Endangered Hawaii

This is probably the best nature documentary about the Hawaiian Islands and the native Hawaiian birds:

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Hawaii: Isles of Extinction

Most people think that Hawaii is a paradise with golden beaches, crystal clear waters and dense rainforests in the center of the islands. This idea of paradise is so engrained in people that most of […]

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Fall Colors in Europe and North America

Autumn is a beautiful time of year in most regions of Earth, especially in Europe and North America. Before nature settling down into winter’s monochcrome quiet, autumnal leaf color change transforms the entire landscape into […]

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Basking Sea Turtle on the North Shore of Oahu – Hawaii

The North Shore of Oahu has many beautiful beaches and some of them are among the favorite resting places of the Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas). Most of these beaches are well known by tourists […]

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Pollinators of the ie ie vine in Hawaii

The ie ie (Freycinetia arborea) is a woody climber plant, that is endemic to the Pacific Islands. I first met this plant a few weeks ago, when I hiked the Aiea Trail in the Koolau […]

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