Travel: Making buuz (Mongolian steamed dumplings) with Tuul and Nara, along Onon river, near Norovlin, Khentii, Mongolia.

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Tuul is making buuz (Mongolian steamed dumplings) in Nara's ger, along Onon river, near Norovlin, Khentii, Mongolia

Making buuz (Mongolian steamed dumplings) with Nara in his ger, along Onon river, near Norovlin, Khentii, Mongolia

Bethanie and Nara compare their buuz making skills (Mongolian steamed dumplings), along Onon river, near Norovlin, Khentii, Mongolia

Asian wildlife: Mongolian gazelles (Procapra gutturosa) in winter habitat, Khentii, Mongoli.

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Mongolian gazelles (Procapra gutturosa), near Norovlin, Khentii, Mongolia

Asian wildlife: Mongolian gazelles (Procapra gutturosa) in winter, Khentii, Mongolia.

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Mongolian gazelles (Procapra gutturosa), near Norovlin, Khentii, Mongolia

Nara and his family, Yogi, Suuri, Tuul and Bethanie and Marcel at Nara's camp, along Onon river, near Norovlin, Khentii, Mongolia. This is the location of the winter camp of Nara and his family. One of Nara's sons got married just a few weeks before during the Mongolian Lunar New Year celebrations (Tsagaan Sar, 11-13 February). A newly wed couple usually receives their own ger (yurt) and the one the right with the brightly painted door is theirs.

Nara and his family, Yogi, Suuri, Tuul and Bethanie and Marcel at Nara's camp, along Onon river, near Norovlin, Khentii, Mongolia

Image below: Saddled horse at nomad camp along Onon river, near Norovlin, Khentii, Mongolia

Saddled horse at nomad camp along Onon river, near Norovlin, Khentii, Mongolia Click here for other images from Mongolia.

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Asian wildlfie: Mongolian gazelles (Procapra gutturosa), running in grassland, Khentii, Mongolia. This was one of the first groups of gazelles we encountered as we neared Nara's ger along the Onon river. The males have horns that curve backwards and gray necks. Click here for other images from Mongolia.

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Mongolian gazelles (Procapra gutturosa), running in grassland, Khentii, Mongolia

Travel: Introduction to the team. We partnered with Nomadic Journeys for a tailored wildlife viewing and photographing trip in Mongolia. Our team from Nomadic Journeys consisted of:

1. Yogi, our English speaking guide who is also an incredible wildlife spotter and an accomplished chess player.

2. Suuri, our ever cheery and talented driver and mechanic. Suuri's experience as a Mongolian wrestler came in handy when steering the Furgon (a Russian made 4wd van) through snow drifts.

3. Tuul, our cook who kept us fed with delicious meals after we burned off some calories in the frigid weather. Tuul is rumored to be an even better chess player than Yogi, but she decided not to embarrass us.

Image below: Nara (he is the nomadic livestock herder whose ger we stayed at), Marcel and Yogi discuss how the Mongolian gazelles might move across the landscape and where Marcel should position himself with his camera, along Onon river, near Norovlin, Khentii, Mongolia

Nara, Marcel and Yogi discuss how the Mongolian gazelles might move and where Marcel should set up his camera, along Onon river, near Norovlin, Khentii, Mongolia

Image below: Suuri, our driver and mechanic from Nomadic Journeys Ltd., near Bayan-Adarga, Khentii, Mongolia

Suuri, our driver and mechanic from Nomadic Journeys Ltd., near Bayan-Adarga, Khentii, Mongolia

Image below: Tuul warms up delicious soup in the Furgon 4wd Russian van, near Bayan-Adarga, Khentii, Mongolia

Tuul warms up delicious soup in the Furgon 4wd Russian van, near Bayan-Adarga, Khentii, Mongolia

Image below: Bethanie and Suuri have confidence in the adventure we are about to undertake.

Bethanie and Suuri, our driver and mechanic from Nomadic Journeys Ltd., give the thumbs up

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We set off on a journey in a Furgon (a Russian made 4wd van) to look for Mongolian gazelles (Procapra gutturosa). The animals were said to be wintering in the grasslands north-east of the Khenteyn Nuruu (Khenteyn mountains) and Ereeniy Nuruu, Mongolia, about 60 km from the Russian border. It took two days of driving from the capital (Ulaanbaatar) to get to the area, mostly on dirt roads (about 500 km distance in total with about 250 km on dirt roads). The going was slow as the dirt roads are not really roads, at least not all the time. The definition of roads in Mongolia is a rather fluid one; they are often wide zones (sometimes hundreds of meters wide) where people usually travel and they consist of parallel and braided two tracks on open grasslands. The zone with the multiple two tracks gets wider and wider over time as people avoid deep snow, mud, or deeply rutted tracks. There are no road signs and there are many two tracks that veer off, perhaps to gers (yurts) of nomads somewhere else in the valley or mountains. Other two tracks may join the ones you are following a little further up the valley. Orientation is mostly done based on landscape features such as valleys and mountain ridges. You really need an experienced driver with good local knowledge or a GPS with a pre-loaded route and a healthy supply of batteries to find your way in this vast landscape. Click here for other images from Mongolia.

Dirt road and vehicle in winter near Omnodelger, Khentii, Mongolia

Image below: Car on dirt road (parallel two tracks) just north of Khustain Nuruu National Park, Mongolia

Car on dirt road (parallel two tracks) just north of Khustain Nuruu National Park, Mongolia Image below: Parallel dirt roads, near Shiveegovi, Govisümber, Mongolia

Parallel dirt roads, near Shiveegovi, Govisümber, Mongolia

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Asian wildlife: Cinereous vulture (Aegypius monachus), Khentii, Mongolia. This large bird has a wingspan of 2.5–3.1 m (8.2–10 ft) and its weight ranges between 7-14 kg (15-31 lbs) which makes it one of the world's heaviest flying birds. Click here for other images of cinereous vultures.

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Cinereous Vulture (Aegypius monachus), Khentii, Mongolia

Florida wildlife: Florida panther (Puma concolor coryi), Florida, USA (captive animal).

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Florida panther (Puma concolor coryi), Florida, USA

Genghis Khan statue, east of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Height 40 meters (~131 ft) on a 10 meter (~33 ft) high base. Ghingin Khan created the world's largest contiguous empire in the 13th century and was named "Millennium Man" by the Washington Post. Click here for other images of this statue.

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Genghis Khan statue, east of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Florida wildlife: West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus) close-up, Florida, USA. Click here for additional manatee images.

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West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus), Crystal River, Kings Bay, Florida, USA.

Florida wildlife: Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), Florida, USA (captive animal). Click here for other other images from Florida.

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Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), Florida, USA

Travel: snorkeling with the manatees (Trichechus manatus). The manatees come to the freshwater springs in the winter, especially during cold spells. The manatees do not tolerate long periods with a water temperature below 20C (68F). The springs are a constant 22C (72F) which is an attractant to the manatees in winter. If you don't splash about and move your body slowly, some manatees will swim right up to you and actively seek interaction.

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Click here for more info from US Fish and Wildlife Service including manatee viewing guidelines and prohibitions.

Click here for more info from Save the Manatee Club, including rules on how to interact with manatees to minimize human disturbance.

Click here for info on the nearby zoo Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park with manatees and other Florida wildlife. Most of the animals in the zoo are native to Florida and roam in relatively large enclosures. The animals, including manatees, can be viewed from a pathway, observation deck and underwater observatory. Wild manatees can often be seen from the observation deck.

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West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus), Crystal River, Kings Bay, Florida, USA.