Hello world! – Gerry van der Walt

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Sweat, Tears and the View From the Top

gerryvanderwalt

Mindset & Performance Coach
International Expedition Leader
Co founder: @wildeyesa
Partner: @helly_hansenza
Partner: @omsystem_sa

These six slides carry the essence of my final new

These six slides carry the essence of my final newsletter. Each sentence a reminder that our deepest truths don’t pause for seasonal timing.

From Monday, I’m stepping away from Instagram until mid-January 2025. You’ll find occasional updates on my ‘Arctic Expeditions - Training, Mindset & More 🐋’ channel - raw glimpses into what lies ahead, my training and preparations as my way of sharing this journey with those who’ve supported it.

You can find the link to my last 2024 newsletter in my bio. It’s a longer conversation about what happens in this strange space between reflection and action, between rest and relentless pursuit.

Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and thank you for walking this path with me. See you in 2025, when quiet revelations turn into reality.

With gratitude,

G.
✌🏼

PS: And don’t forget to be awesome.

#mindset #motivation #coaching #personaldevelopment #goals #performance #transformation #journey #mentalhealth #Adventure #Travel #WildEyeSA #mindsetcoach #2025

Dining with giants: A lesson in nature’s enginee

Dining with giants: A lesson in nature’s engineering that was years in the making.

These images from the Great Bear Rainforest have been sitting in my archives, waiting for the right moment to share. That moment came during a recent Arctic expedition, when a fascinating discussion with my client about whale feeding behaviors reminded me of these spectacular encounters.

Inside these massive mouths lies one of nature’s most sophisticated filtering systems. Those pink ridges you see are part of the palate, working in harmony with hundreds of baleen plates - those bristle-like curtains of keratin (the same material as our fingernails) hanging from the upper jaw. These natural filters can be up to 3 feet long, perfectly spaced to let water flow through while trapping prey as small as a grain of rice.

The real maestro of this feeding symphony is the tongue - a muscular marvel weighing as much as an elephant. It orchestrates the whole operation, directing water flow through the baleen and guiding trapped food toward the throat, processing swimming pools worth of water in minutes with remarkable precision.

What you’re witnessing here is bubble-net feeding - a coordinated hunting technique where multiple humpbacks work in perfect synchronization. Some blow bubble nets to corral fish, while others surge upward through the feast with mouths agape. It’s a testament to both their intelligence and efficiency.

So @lr4 - promise kept - I finally posted these images after our Arctic conversations during a next-level amazing trip.

Whether in Norway’s cold fjords or British Columbia’s temperate waters, these giants never cease to amaze.

Stay safe. And don’t forget to be awesome.
 G.

#HumpbackWhales #BubbleNetFeeding #WildlifePhotography #MarineLife #GreatBearRainforest #WhaleBehavior #MarineBiology #WildlifeWonder #BritishColumbia #WhaleWatching #OceanLife #MarineMammals #WildCanada #Arctic #WildEyeSA

Surrounded by endless snow-draped forests and skie

Surrounded by endless snow-draped forests and skies that paint themselves in winter’s softest light, we’re reminded that some places on Earth still hold the pure enchantment of childhood dreams.

This is Lapland – where wonderland isn’t just a word, but a reality we get to touch and feel.

This is why Wild Eye.

Stays safe.
And don’t forget to be awesome.

G.
✌🏼

#LaplandMagic #WinterWonderland #TravelGoals #BucketListCheck #ArcticBeauty #ColdIsBeautiful #NordicDreams #ChristmasInLapland #WanderlustWinter #ThisIsWhyWildEyw #WildEyeSA

Arctic urbanism meets aurora and photographed hand

Arctic urbanism meets aurora and photographed handheld with my iPhone.

The lights of Tromsø below, the lights of nature above - one of those rare moments when city and cosmos align. Shot during our evening dinner cruise, where good food meets light chasing in the most Norwegian way possible.

There’s something special about witnessing the aurora dance over a city that’s built its identity around these celestial shows. Tromsø, the Paris of the North, knows how to frame nature’s greatest performance with its own urban glow.

From a gently swaying deck, drink in hand, watching the green ribbons stretch across the polar night - sometimes the best way to experience wilderness is with a touch of civilization.

With our Tromsø chapter complete, my @wildeyesa guest and I are now heading to Svalbard for four nights of polar darkness adventures. Dog sledding under star-filled skies, more aurora hunting, and exploring some of the world’s northernmost restaurants - all part of the continuing Arctic story before our journey takes us onwards.

Winter magic, served with a side of sophistication.

Stay safe.
And don’t forget to be awesome.

G.
✌🏼

#Tromsø #NorthernLights #ArcticCity #NorwayTravel #AuroraBorealis #ArcticNight #NordicLights #CityLights #NorthernNorway #iPhone #NightPhotography #ArcticLife #NorwegianCity #AuroraChasing #DinnerCruise #ArcticLuxury #PrivateTravel #PrivateGuide #WildEyeSA

A quintessential Norwegian road scene: curves disa

A quintessential Norwegian road scene: curves disappearing into snow-draped forests, mountains standing guard, beneath that distinctive Arctic sky.

Sometimes the most captivating scenes unfold through a car window - this one caught on an iPhone, which these days can rival pro gear when the light’s right. (The iPhone 16 Pro Max and the @halideapp is next level amazing together!)

At the end of week, the northern road calls again. This time, guiding my client through a full Arctic immersion: Tromsø, Longyearbyen, Oslo, Helsinki, and into the depths of Finnish Lapland.

We’re chasing every experience the north has to offer - from dancing auroras and hunting orcas to dog sledding through silent forests. The journey ends at the @leviniglut glass igloos, where luxury meets wilderness.

This trip is about experiencing the Arctic in all its forms - wild encounters balanced with world-class hotels and outstanding restaurants. 🛞⭐

And in a break from tradition, I’ll be photographing using only my iPhone - but more on that soon. When the technology fits in your pocket, sometimes it’s nice to travel light and stay present in the moment. Will be posting here as well as on my @gerrysiphone feed.

Some places just keep calling you back.

Stay safe.
And don’t forget to be awesome!

G.
✌🏼

#ArcticLife #NordicLuxury #WinterExperience #NorthernNorway #ArcticAdventures #ShotOniPhone #NordicNature #WinterWonderland #NorthernLights #OrcaWatching #DogSledding #Lapland #MichelinStar #NordicCuisine #ArcticExploring #TravelNorth #WildEyeSA #PrivateTravel #LuxuryTravel #Experience

Arctic paths lead to green skies. In Øksfjord, e

Arctic paths lead to green skies.

In Øksfjord, even a simple evening walk can turn magical. A snowy trail through the winter woods, mountains standing guard, and above it all - the northern lights doing their thing against that deep blue Arctic night.

Not every aurora show needs to be spectacular to be special.

Sometimes it’s just about being in the right place when the lights decide to dance.

Another night under Norway’s glowing sky.

End of this week, I’m heading back north with my @wildeyesa private client to chase more of these moments through Norway, Finland, and Lapland. Different locations, same dream - finding those quiet spots where the lights paint the Arctic night.

Stay safe.
And don’t forget to be awesome.

G.
✌🏼

#NorthernLights #ArcticNorway #NordicLight #AuroraChasing #NightPhotography #NorthernNorway #Øksfjord #ArcticLife #NightSky #LandscapePhotography #NorwegianNature #AuroraBorealis #WinterNights #MountainNight #NordicNature#wildeyesa

A humpback’s fluke drips silver against Norway’s winter peaks.

In monochrome, with just a whisper of Arctic blue, these moments become timeless. The gentle curve of the fluke, water cascading from its edges, tells a story of grace despite size - a reminder that even the ocean’s giants can move with impossible elegance.

Here in Northern Norway’s fjords, where mountains meet sea, these encounters feel like a privilege every single time. When a humpback shows its fluke before a deep dive, it’s both a goodbye and a promise to return.

Sometimes the most powerful wildlife images are the simplest - just whale, mountain, and the space between.

Stay safe.
And don’t forget to be awesome!

G.
✌🏼

#HumpbackWhale #ArcticLife #NorthernNorway #WildlifePhotography #MonochromeNature #WhaleWatching #NordicNature #MarineLife #WhaleTale #NorwegianFjords #WinterWhales #OceanLife #MarineMammals #WildlifeEncounter #ArcticWinter #WildEyeSA

Dovrefjell in winter becomes an ethereal canvas, a

Dovrefjell in winter becomes an ethereal canvas, a pencil sketch from another time. When the light strips away color, you’re left with something that feels more like a prehistoric dream than reality.

Four musk ox, dwarfed by their domain, remind us how these survivors have roamed these slopes since the last ice age.

Swipe to travel from landscape to legend.

Meet the gaze of an ancient. There’s something both intimidating and sage-like in those eyes - as if they hold memories from a time when mammoths still roamed. This is what it feels like when wisdom meets wild.

Strange how a species can be both so powerful and so vulnerable, so fierce yet so fragile. Here in their Norwegian stronghold, these ice age relics continue their timeless march across landscapes that seem purpose-built for their story.

Photographing musk ox in Dovrefjell feels less like wildlife photography and more like time travel.

Stay safe.
And don’t forget to be awesome.

G.
✌🏼

#MuskOx #Dovrefjell #NorwegianWildlife #ArcticLife #WildlifePhotography #MonochromeNature #NordicNature #WildlifePortrait #NorwayNature #ArcticWildlife #WinterLandscape #LastIceAge #WildernessPhotography #NaturePortrait #WildNorway #WildEyeSA

PS: Thanks for the pic and sharing the experience @johan_van_zyl_photography - time to start planning the next adventure!! 🙏🏼😉

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