The Blue Morpho is found in South and Central America. Or, at the festival of Butterflies here at Powell Gardens! The Blue Morpho is an absolute beauty and is about as big as my hand if not bigger. My photo doesnt show it well, but the Morphos have a iridescent shimmer to them. When the Blue Morpho has his wings up you would never know he's blue.
Look at those peacock eyes when he's folded up, it's extraordinary. I wouldn't mind having one like that on my hand for a while. It looks like a jewel.
I love these fotos and this butterfly. I saw one in the wild once on a boat trip in Mexico. We took a little trip back in the overgrown waterways. We just spoke to a few of the guys in a small town called Catemaco who were hanging around the docks and agreed upon a price. The man took us into a maze of narrow and dark tributaries which looked like tunnels that were punctuated with shafts of sunlight here and there. It was something right out of Indiana Jones with those low-hanging branches with snakes on them and exposed mangrove-like roots along the banks. At one point we were gently paddling along in the dappled light and one of these huge irridesent beauties came wafting by in it's peculiar up and down flying pattern. Every time the butterfly flew through a sun shaft, he blinked this remarkable blue light. It was a magical moment. I tried to get a foto--but it didn't come out so well in the rush--I just didn't want to miss seeing it. I have had a few memorable moments in Mexico, and this was one of them.
Nice memory Sjoerd, I could picture it from your description. Sometimes it is better to commit a sight to memory rather than to photo. That is one amazing looking butterfly, your close up shots are magic Joann.
That is a real beauty...I wish we had some large butterflies here. I have been trying to get a swallowtail picture but the butterfly is too fast...are these fast ? I love the beautiful color..thanks for sharing.
Sjoerd tells an exceptional story. Watching a Blue Morpho is indeed magical and surreal. When they were in flight everyone just stopped in their tracks with their mouths open. Sherry, they arent fast. As Sjoerd mentioned they fly in an up and down pattern and also in circles as they chase each other. They are easily caught. Taking a photo though is a different story because they dont sit still for long. It was a case of being in the right place at the right time to capture the moment because off they'd go. I had many blurred pictures on my memory card.
Peacock eyes on the outside and that wonderful bright, metallic blue on the inside - aren't butterflies just the most amazing creatures?!!
The butterfly is beautiful...well that doesn't really describe it! Sjoerd, thanks for the exciting trip!
Joann you really do have a beautiful butterfly, i don't recall seeing one, maybe i'll keep a closer eye out. Surely it'll come by here.
Hi Jeffery..that's not my butterfly, I just took a picture of him. They had the Blue Morphos and others out at the Festival of Butterflys at Powell Gardens. I'm afraid we'll never see one here flying around unless it escapes an exhibit somehow.
Yes, i caught on after a few more post, we need to get down to Powell Gardens. I dove past a few times, but it just wouldn't be right to stop in with out my Wendy. Hope one escapes and comes on over.
Thanks Frank...you are 100% correct when you say a mental image is better than a foto sometimes. This was indeed one of those moments. I don't know when I shall ever have another experience like that--if ever. I have purchased a scanner that scans slides and makes digital images of them for making shows or storage on cd's/dvd's. This winter I shall begin converting our thousands of dias from all out journeys to foreign countries. I shall not forget this thread and will look especially for my poor shots of this trip and sighting. Joann-- yes, that open-mouthed reaction is what my bride and I did when he first appeared. I can remember that I was sort of transfixed. I began to fumble with my camera without letting my eyes leave the butterfly... flicked a couple of times on auto and then just let the camera hang. We looked at eachother silently and just blinked. Mouths still open. You're welcome KG. You were right when you said that "beautiful" doesn't really describe Joann's foto--or the butterfly itsself.
