Video: Drones Over the Serengeti

While I was in Tanzania climbing Kilimanjaro I couldn't help but wonder what kind of awesome drone footage could be captured over the Serengeti – the premiere safari destination in the world as far as I'm concerned. It turns out I didn't have to wonder for long, as this video not only takes us to the savannah of Africa, it also stops at Lake Manyara and Ngorongro Crater too. As you can imagine, the scenery and wildlife are exceptional. Great footage from one of my favorite places on Earth.

DJI Inspire 1 // Tanzania from Electric Peak Creative on Vimeo.

Video: The Wild Northern Rockies

Shot in British Columbia, this amazing short film captures the breathtaking landscapes and vistas of that region – and it's numerous national parks – in spectacular fashion. The wonderful scenery has to be seen to be believed, and the exceptional shots of the local wildlife only add to the allure of this video. The Northern Rockies are wild indeed, and that can be easily seen in every shot of this wonderful film. Enjoy!

The Wild Northern Rockies from Marty Mellway on Vimeo.

Video: Exploring Norway with a Wildlife Photographer

This video takes us on an incredible journey through Norway with wildlife photographer Michael Martinez has he goes in search of the perfect shots of animals in their natural habitat. He finds plenty of wildlife to shoot, but it is the stunning landscapes of Scandinavian country that will leave you breathless. The clip takes us to some truly wild places, with amazing images of those remote destinations. Beautiful.

NORWAY - A WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER'S JOURNEY from Romain Decomble on Vimeo.

Video: GoPro Captures Cyclist's Collision with Kangaroo

For every jaw-dropping video that we see captured on an action camera, we also get others like this one, which are simply downright painful. A cyclist in Australia was wearing her GoPro when she ran head-on into a kangaroo. The animal comes out of nowhere at about the 20-second mark of the clip, sending the rider down hard. Apparently she suffered nothing more than a few scrapes and bruises, although one cut required eight stitches to close. The "roo" wasn't so lucky. After surviving the accident with the cyclist, it apparently was hit by a car on another nearby road. They really are like deer in Australia.

Video: GoPro Camera Accidentally Captures Great Underwater Images of Sea Life

We've seen a lot of great video captured by GoPro cameras over the years, some of it on purpose and a lot of it accidentally. You can put this clip squarely in the latter category, although the results are pretty great. The person who captured the footage was flying a radio controlled airplane over Cape Range National Park in Australia. A few minutes into the flight, he became disoriented by the sun, and lost his little aircraft. Desperately trying to find the plane, the pilot sends it spiraling into the ocean, where it soon sputters to a halt. Meanwhile, the GoPro Hero Black 3 mounted on the aircraft continues to shoot video footage, capturing images of numerous fish, sharks, a sea turtle and more. It ends up being quite a great video, although the RC airplane probably didn't survive.

The first three minutes of this clip features the aircraft flying around over the park. Some of the footage is quite nice, but if you want to skip ahead to the undersea imagery, jump to the three-minute mark.

Video: The Amazing Wildlife of Africa

One of the reasons I love Africa so much is the amazing array of wildlife found there. That continent has a staggering number of large creatures, and some of the largest concentrations of mammals found anywhere on the planet. This two-and-a-half-minute video captures some fantastic shots of those creatures, with the stunning landscapes they call home as a backdrop. If you haven't been to Africa before, this video will give him a tiny peek at what makes it such a special place.

Africa from Andrew_Cut on Vimeo.

Video: Wildlife Photographer Goes To Great Lengths To Get The Perfect Shot

Wildlife photographer Aaron Gekoski is use to spending days in the wild to try to capture unforgettable images of some of the world's most amazing wildlife. But what does he have to do to capture the annual sardine migration off the coast of South Africa? Just plunge into shark-infested waters to shoot an iconic image that will be good enough to make the cover of a magazine. Unfortunately, that proves much more difficult that he imagined, and we get an inside look at what these photographers must go through to get the photos they need.

This video kicks off an interesting new series called Fish 'n Tings at EpicTV and it promises to be a fascinating one to follow. The highlight of this clip is an impressive encounter with a massive whale.

Video: The Joys of Birdwatching

In terms of people who are passionate about their outdoor pursuits, it is tough to find a group that is more dedicated than birders. They'll often go to great lengths to enjoy their favorite activity, and will often travel the world to visit amazing places with unusual bird species to spot. This video is a wonderful introduction to birding, and comes our way via mountain guide and filmmaker David Anderson. Dave is an avid birder, and his love for the activity shines through in this great little documentary. While not as "extreme" as some of the other activities I cover with regularity here on The Adventure Blog, birding is never the less a fantastic way to enjoy the outdoors, and pass on that love to a younger generation. I hope you enjoy this short film.

Birding from David E. Anderson on Vimeo.

Best Hike Treks The Simien Mountains of Ethiopia

If you're looking for a spectacular destination for an adventure in 2015, than perhaps the Simien Mountains in Ethiopia will make a suitable location. My friend Rick McCharles, the editor of BestHike.com, just returned from that amazing setting, and as usual he has all kinds of great tips and photos to share with readers.

Rick launched his journey in Gondar, a small town that is one of the best places to find guides, supplies, and information prior to setting out into the Simien Mountains. A typical trek through the region – which is both a national park and a UNESCO World Heritage site – takes roughly four days to complete. Along the way, travelers pass through the spectacular Ethiopian highlands, visiting local villages, and encountering amazing wildlife as they go.

For those unfamiliar with the Simiens, they are a chain of mountains that stretch across northern Ethiopia. Rugged and remote, the region features rocky plateaus separated by deep gorges and valleys, and towering peaks. The highest mountains in the Simien Range climb above 4400 meters (14,435 ft), making a dramatic and breathtaking backdrop to the walk.

You can read Rick's account of all four days of his journey – starting with Day 1 – by clicking here. Each of his daily reports include very helpful information for anyone who would like to do this trek themselves, as well as an array of great photographs that he shot along the trek. He offers valuable tips that will make anyone's journey to the Simiens an easier one, and helpful advice on how to make such a journey possible. His Simien Trek information page is especially helpful in this regard, and should serve as a great resource for anyone thinking of visiting this part of the world.

One of the parts of the trek that Rick enjoyed the most was spotting wildlife along the trail. He especially enjoyed seeing and interacting with the baboons that were plentiful in the highlands. Seeing those primates in their natural environment was a real treat, and true highlight of the experience for sure.

This isn't the fist time I've had a friend recommend the Simien Mountains as a great trekking destination. I understand that it a truly spectacular part of the world, and that the people there are incredibly friendly and accommodating too. As you start looking ahead for new adventures in 2015, perhaps you'll keep this trek in mind as well. It looks like it was an amazing experience.

Video: The Eagle Hunters of Mongolia

I came across this video while reading the Adventure Journal yesterday, and thought it was incredibly compelling. It is just two minutes in length, but manages to give us an intriguing look at the Kusbegi, a nomadic group of eagle hunters that inhabit remote areas of Mongolia. The video is filled with amazing scenery from that part of the world, while members of the Kusbegi share their thoughts on the eagles, protecting the environment, and more. It is an incredibly powerful and moving clip, with images that will certainly inspire thoughts of adventure.

THE KUSBEGI from Johnny Cullen on Vimeo.

Video: Bear Encounters in the Tongass National Forest

Located in Alaska, the Tongass National Forest is a vast wilderness that spreads out across more than 17 million acres. It is a wild, untamed, and temperate rain forest that is home to numerous species of wild animals, including the majestic brown bear. Those creatures lured filmmaker Ben Hamilton to the forest, where he captured some amazing footage of the bears in their natural habitat. The video below, which comes our way courtesy of National Geographic, shares some of those encounters, and as you can probably imagine, they were pretty amazing.

Video: GoPro Camera Mercilessly Killed by Grizzly Bear

It never ceases to amaze me what a well-placed video camera can capture these days. In this case, it is some amazing footage of numerous grizzly bears near Glendale Cove in British Columbia. The cameras were set up by ecologist John Kitchen, who was accompanied by bear biologist Melanie Clapham at the time. They managed to catch the massive creatures as the wandered on to a bridge that allows the bears to look into the river below, and spot the salmon as they run upstream. At one point, one of the bears gets overly interested in John's GoPro camera, and decides to play with it a bit. The footage is both humorous, and frightening at the same time. There are truly some great shots of these magnificent animals throughout the four-minute video. If you love wildlife, you'll certainly get a kick out of this.