We are a few months late sending out this trip report but it was a great adventure, and we wanted to share the highlights with you. Madagascar is an incredible, but mostly undiscovered, island off the coast of Africa. The wildlife are unique to this island, similar to the Galapagos, and lemurs and other wildlife are fun and friendly!
Our 2025 trip is already full but we do have openings in our just announced 2026 tour if you’d like to join us on an adventure to this incredibly unique place!
Check out our Madagascar 2026 Photo Tour
“Against the Light” – Ring-tailed Lemur – This was an image that Steve had in his head for a while. Finding the right situation to create it was the tricky part as usual!
Z9, 180-400mm, 1/400th @ f8, ISO 500, Image cropped 0% for final composition
“Hidden Surprise” – Leaf-tailed Gecko – These special animals are absolute masters of camouflage. They can be virtually impossible to see. The trick is to look for a weird bump on the bark that has eyes!
Z9, 180-400mm, 1/40th @ f 14, ISO 250, Image cropped 10% for final composition.
“The Forest has Eyes that See Everything” – Verreaux’s Sifaka – You know that feeling when you are out in Nature…that feeling that something is watching you. Well, that feeling is almost always right!
Z9, 600mm TC, 1/30th @ f11, ISO 400, Image cropped 0% for final composition.
“A Place to Spend the Day” – Sportive Lemur – This small lemur is mostly active at night but can often be found near their sleeping quarters during the day – gotta love those eyes!
Z9, 600mm TC, 1/40th @ f10, ISO 1000, Image cropped 10% for final composition.
“Piggyback Ride” – Ring-tailed Lemur with Baby – Of course our Madagascar trip is timed for baby season. This mother is feeding in the Spiny Forest. Those leaves must be especially tasty to warrant a trip though all those thorns!
Z9, 180-400mm, 1/250th @ f 5.3, ISO 2000, Image cropped 0% for final composition.
“What a Cutie” – Baby Ring-tailed Lemur – This little fellow is maybe a few weeks old and just now starting to explore the world on its own.
Z9, 600mm TC, 1/1,250th @ f 6.3, ISO 800, Image cropped 0% for final composition.
“What in the World?” – Fossa – Yes this is a Fossa: a member of the carnivore family, this cat-like animal is found in forested areas throughout Madagascar. However, it is never common and we were very lucky to find this one.
Z9, 100-400mm, 1/200th @ f8, ISO 1,250, Image cropped 0% for final composition.
“Another Fossa Shot’ – Fossa – This animal is so unique, we thought we would show you two of them! The Fossa is a predator and makes its living eating rodents and lemurs. It is looking up here because it spends much of its time hunting up in trees. In fact, it has a long tail used mostly for balance when climbing.
Z9, 100-400mm, 1/200th @ f7.1, ISO 1,000, Image cropped 10% for final composition.
“An Unusual Sighting” – Red-ruffed Lemur – This is a lemur that we don’t always see in Madagascar because unfortunately it is critically endangered. Like all of the lemurs, the main threat to this animal is loss of habitat.
Z9, 180-400mm, 1/160th @ f5.6, ISO 2000, Image cropped 15% for final composition.
“A Close Cousin’ – Black and White Ruffed Lemur – This is a very close cousin to the Red-ruffed Lemur. Luckily this one is a bit more common as well.
Z9, 180-400mm, 1/40th @ f7.1, ISO 1600, Image cropped 10% for final composition.
“My What a Long Neck You Have” – Giraffe-necked Weevil – This is one of the more sought-after macro subjects in Madagascar. While both male and females of this species have long necks, the male (pictured here) has a super long neck!
Z9, 105 macro, 1/250th @ f14, ISO 160, R1C1 Macro flash, Imager cropped 5% for final composition.
“Coming At You” – Ring-tailed Lemur – One of the most iconic things about these lemurs is their beautiful tails. And, they seem to be quite proud of them, as they always carry them straight up when they walk, making for some fun photographic opportunities!
Z9, 600mm TC, 1/200th @ f8, ISO 1600, Image cropped 0% for final composition.
“Leaping Lemur” – Verreaux’s Sifaka – These Lemurs usually travel in small family groups. Once the first one came across the field, we were pretty sure the others would follow. So, I was quickly able to get low and line up this dark background and wait… soon enough right on cue this one came leaping toward me!
Z9, 180-400mm, 1/1250th @ f 6.3, ISO 1600, Image cropped 5% for final composition.
“Coming in for a Landing” – Diademed Sifaka – Another critically endangered Lemur, this beautiful Sifaka travels through the forest by leaping from tree trunk to tree trunk. In this shot he is just about to land on a snag.
Z9, 180-400mm, 1/1000 @ f 4, ISO 1600, Image cropped 15% for final composition.
“A Splash of Color” – Golden Mantella Frog – Unfortunately this beautiful frog like so many of the things we see in Madagascar is also critically endangered. The bright coloring serves as a warning to would be predators letting them know that this tiny frog carries a potent toxin.
Z9, 105 Macro, 1/200th @ f 20 ISO 200, R1C1 Macro flash Image cropped 10% for final composition.
“Creature of the Night” – Aye Aye – One of the most unusual creatures in Madagascar is the nocturnal Aye Aye. This lemur uses its very long fingers to tap on trees in search of grubs. Once a grub is located, it gnaws a hole into the tunnel and then uses its long fingers to tease out its yummy prize!
Z9, 180-400mm, 1/6th @ f 6.3, ISO 2000, Image cropped 0% for final composition.
Madagascar is full of wonders – These are just a few of the crazy cool creatures we encountered.
We’d love to share our Madagascar 2026 Photo Tour with you!
| Our 2026 Schedule is Open but Filling Fast |
| Yellowstone in Winter, Trip 1: January 3 – 11, 2026 – 1 spot left Yellowstone in Winter, Trip 2: January 11 – 19, 2026 – 1 spot left India – Ultimate Tiger Safari: January 30 – February 12, 2026 – 1 spot left Tanzania – Wildlife Adventure: February 15 – 26, 2026 – half full Raptors in Flight – Winter Session: February 21 – 22, 2026 Costa Rica – A Nature Paradise: March 24 – April 4, 2026 – Full Pumas of Patagonia: May 4 – 13, 2026 – Full Raptors in Flight – Spring Session: May 16 – 17, 2026 Alaska – Brown Bears and More: June 24 – 29, 2026 – Full Kenya – Great Wildlife Spectacles: July 25 – August 5, 2026 – Full Brazil – Jaguars and Other Wildlife: August 26 – September 5, 2026 Madagascar – The Land of Lemurs: October 5 – 18, 2026 Kenya – Cats of the Mara: October 23 – November 2, 2026 – 2 spots left Raptors in Flight – Fall Session: October 24 – 25, 2026 |
Good Luck and Good Light!
Steve and Nicole