Thar He Goes

Charles Nicklin is nicknamed "Flip." He's a good man, and he can dive a heck of a lot deeper than you and I ever could even if we took twenty years of lessons. Nicklin is a marine biologist and a photographer who's generally lauded as being the world's foremost cetacean photographer, i.e., lensman of whales. He can free-dive at depths of up to 90 feet, which permits him the kind of close-up access to whales that produces stunning photographs — without interrupting the cetaceans' spontaneous, natural behavior. It's a kind of candid camera of the deep and the beautiful, endangered mammals that inhabit it. You can meet Flip Nicklin and hear him discuss his book Among Giants: A Life with Whales tonight at 7:30 p.m. in the Living World area of the Saint Louis Zoo in Forest Park (314-231-2306 ext. 1302 or www.explorers-stl.com). The event is part of the zoo's "Conservation Conversations" series; no reservations are necessary, and admission is free.
Tue., May 10, 2011