After completing my university course, I went on a trip to Slovenia with a small group of friends to celebrate the end of that chapter. The week-long excursion combined diving, hiking and wildlife photography.
We spent most of the week in the Slovenian Alps, hiking through varied mountain terrain in search of invertebrates and other wildlife. The alpine environment presented different challenges from rainforest or desert ecosystems. As before, much of the work involved slow, patient searching and careful observation.
One of the highlights of the week was diving in Lake Bled. The experience remains one of my most memorable dives. Being underwater with large catfish and gar, surrounded by the dramatic mountainous backdrop above the surface, felt distinctly different from my previous marine work. The freshwater conditions, cooler temperatures and varying visibility were a really interesting change of pace.
I also spent a day exploring historic cave systems and visited a research centre where I was fortunate to observe their Olms up close. Seeing this species in person was significant for me. As someone drawn to lesser-known and often overlooked wildlife, encountering such a specialised and rarely seen amphibian was an important moment.
The majority of our time was spent hanging out and having fun, which was a really nice break after the stress of University deadlines!
My friends are also excellent photographers, and it was fun searching for subjects together everywhere we went.
