The Magazine of The Sierra Club
The Most Daring Nature Footage Captured by Drones
Videos courtesy of Firefight Films, bcnDRone, Matt Quest, Shaun O'Callaghan, pomfretvids and Justin Edwards
Ever since there has been beauty in the wilderness, humans have sought to capture it — through paintings, photos, and the most recent iteration, high-flying drones. Taken through icy caves, rushing falls and sandy shores, drone footage is yet another way to explore the great outdoors. Enjoy these beautiful videos that go where no human could go alone.
Bigger Than Life — Ice Caves
This gorgeous short film was shot in Alaska, and according to the video description, is the “first documented drone flight through ice caves.” The drone moves slowly above and through the caves, panning from one icy shelf to the next. Each shot is soothing, and the video takes its time considering mountains, crevasses, and turquoise blue chunks of ice.
The Namibian Dream
Shot by kite surfers, this video has choice surfing footage, but what’s most impressive is the rolling desert and the striking time lapse footage of clouds rolling overhead. Perhaps most memorable are the glimpses of animals in their natural habitat; one herd of zebras regards the drone quietly for a few seconds before jolting away.
DJI Phantom — Niagara Falls
If you’ve ever stood next to the great, rushing Niagara Falls, part of you wondered what it would be like to flow with the water. Not in a barrel, and not with a fatal design in mind, but just to see where the water’s journey would take you. This video spends a dizzying amount of time above the falls’ crest, asking that question.
Dji Phantom Flies into Volcano
Shot on Tanna Island, an island within the archipelago nation of Vanuatu, this video shows an active volcano erupting. Lava vents out of the volcano, perilously close to the drone, although as the video description reassures, “Amazingly[,] no phantoms where harmed while filming!”
Iceland from the Air
Rocky cliffs, icy shores, and snow-capped ridges abound in this short visual tour of Iceland, but the waterfalls are the stand-out feature. The drone flies over vast swaths of land and, in one particularly beautiful shot, it's buoyed among birds at a waterfall’s edge.
Humpback Whales in Maui from a Drone
This drone caught a sweet moment between two humpback whales off the coast of Maui. Seen swimming and cuddling from above, this pair is as heartwarming as any animal duo.
