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ecotourism

A Month and a half of Adventures... From Anacondas to Right Whales!

We are gearing up for the next month and a half of epic adventures.

We’re about to embark on back-to-back trips that promise incredible wildlife encounters, breathtaking landscapes, and unforgettable moments.

It’s going to be so good, and I can’t wait to share this journey with you all.

Week 1: Swimming with Anacondas in Brazil

We kick off our adventure in Brazil diving with anacondas. For the first week, we'll be diving in the clear waters of the Formoso River in the heart of the Brazilian Pantanal.

Here, we'll search for the elusive green anaconda, the largest snake in the world. There's something truly thrilling about being in the water with these massive ancient predators.

It’s an experience that challenges our perceptions of snakes and allows us to see them in a whole new light.

We'll also be on the lookout for other fascinating creatures, like giant anteaters, dwarf caimans, capybaras, and a plethora of bird species that make this region so unique.

Week 2: Jaguars and Maned Wolves in the Northern Pantanal

From the water to the dense, lush forests of the Northern Pantanal, our second week will be all about big cats and other iconic wildlife.

This region is one of the best places in the world to photograph jaguars in their natural habitat, and we’re hoping for some spectacular encounters.

There's nothing quite like the thrill of spotting a jaguar stalking through the underbrush or lounging by the riverbanks.

But jaguars aren't the only stars of the show. We’re also on the lookout for giant river otters, caiman, capybaras, tapirs, and the elusive manned wolf, with its long legs and striking red fur.

Week 3 and 4: Exploring the Amazon River with Botos

Our adventures continue as we head deeper into Brazil, this time to the Amazon River. For our third week, we will be immersed in the dense, vibrant rainforests of the Amazon, home to some of the most diverse wildlife on the planet.

Our primary focus will be the Amazon river dolphins, or botos, known for their playful behavior and distinctive pink color.

We have back-to-back trips planned, which gives us ample opportunity to photograph and interact with these incredible dolphins in their natural environment.

Alongside the botos, the Amazon offers an array of wildlife encounters, from colorful macaws, caiman, curious monkeys that are seen regularly at our eco-lodge.

A big goal for me while in the area is to see and photograph a sloth. There are three different species that can be found in the area we will be visiting. I really dont care what species we find. I just really want to photograph one.

Weeks 5: Right Whales in Argentina

After four weeks in the wilds of Brazil, we are flying to Argentina for one of the highlights of our season: spending time diving with right whales in Patagonia.

This part of the journey is truly a dream come true for me. There's a particular magic in observing these gentle giants up close, watching them breach, slap their tails, and with our special government permits, swimming alongside these gentle giants.

We will be based in the Peninsula Valdés, a UNESCO World Heritage site, where these whales come to breed and give birth. It’s a unique opportunity to witness these majestic creatures in a protected environment, and it always leaves me in awe of the beauty and complexity of the natural world.

Magellanic penguin in Patagonia

These trips are more than just a chance to see incredible wildlife; they’re an opportunity to connect with nature, to learn from it, and to help protect these wild places and the wildlife that inhabits them.

As much as we are here to enjoy and photograph the wildlife, we also have a responsibility to protect it.

Ecotourism plays a vital role in conservation efforts, providing financial support for the communities and the protection of habitats and wildlife.

My hope is that these adventures inspire you to appreciate the beauty of our planet and to consider how you, too, can contribute to preserving what remains of our wild places.

Stay tuned for a lot of photos, blogs and videos from our adventures, and thank you for reading and joining us on this journey!

A GOLDEN MOMENT

Life on Location.

In our last newsletter, I shared with you our new sponsor Cinebags. When I received the box with all my goodies in it, I was excited about everything sent to me. It is always fun getting new gear for your travels.

I can't wait to use it all.

However, what stood out for me was their product Thank You card and the small catalog in the box, promoting all their bags and merchandise. On the cards and catalogs were images of their gear, out in the world, being used by people just like me and you - experiencing life, with the words, Life on Location on it.

Life on Location is the company's motto or tagline. Their motto and their catalog got me so fired up. As I looked at those images and read those words, my mind magically transported me to my next adventure. I felt travel anxiety and wanted to be out there right now.

Receiving that package was an experience. I loved it.

Markus (the owner of Cinebags), left me in awe of not only his product but his storytelling abilities. I was sitting there, with my mind racing about my own storytelling skills, hoping that is what we are able to do when we share experiences with you all.

Jaguar off the Northern Pantanal, Brazil.

Every time I share images or write a trip report or a travel blog, my goal is to hopefully transport you to wherever it is we are. I want you to feel the excitement we feel when we photograph or find the animals we are looking for, helping you long for your own adventures.

I am sure we do not always accomplish this, but I hope that most of what we put out into the world gets you fired up. Of course, sometimes I think I over-share by writing about our bad days - talking about terrible seas or days that the animals do not show up.

Beluga whales in the Churchill River. Churchill, Canada.

That is not good business, I am told.

But to me, if I just shared only the good things from our adventures, my stories wouldn't be stories, they would be fairy tale sales pitches, and that is not me.

We have good days and bad days. That is just life and the reality of looking for wild things. I know our job when we write is to transport you to a magical place, but those far away sites are real, and this is not Disney - they sometimes have crappy weather and hard-to-find animals.

Off the Beaten Path. Searching for anacondas on the Southern Pantanal, Brazil.

That is just part of the job, and what makes each interaction so special. 

To find the animals we photograph takes work. They are wild and free, and sometimes nature is not kind.

Leopard shark diving off La Jolla Shores, California.

Night safari off Borneo Malaysia.

For me, it should not be easy, it should be a challenge. So that when you do find them, the emotions you feel are the true reward, and the excitement is just the best.

Of course, when we do find them, those are my favorite stories to write. Journaling my thoughts, and looking at the images we captured at the end of a long exciting day… I am filled with fire as I am writing. 

And that fire is what I hope comes out in the writing and images that I share.

Orca diving off Baja, Mexico.

I want to move you so much that you take action in your own life. I want you to create your own memories and write your own stories… all of those perfect and imperfect moments that you will happily carry with you forever.

Thank you for reading.

Crocodile diving off Banco Chinchorro, Mexico.


Storytelling... I Absolutely LOVE IT!

I just finished up my second article for The Journal of Wildlife Photography, which I was thrilled about. My second 3000 plus word article. It is stressful but in a good way. The reason it is stressful is because I want to tell a good story; I am hoping the reader takes something from it and is entertained at the same time. That is always my hope when I write, but you never know. It could be a total lemon, as I am sure I have written many lemons throughout my career. 

Thinking about that got me to looking back at my role as a storyteller. I have been writing and sharing stories for years; on paper, in newsletters, in my journal, and my blog. I began writing in a journal right out of high school, and I started a blog back in 2005 on our old website. Sadly I took down that website to divert the old traffic to our new website, and in doing so, all those years of blogging disappeared. I am sure if I wanted to, I could find them floating in cyberspace, drifting endlessly among millions of other web pages. All of them lost with nowhere to go.

Thankfully, I still have those pages and writings saved on a hard drive, so they are there for me whenever I want to look back to read my thoughts from those long-lost days.

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I do enjoy writing; I enjoy the art of getting lost in a story, or taking a reader on a journey. Sharing ideas and worlds and moments, I love that about writing. As a kid, all my favorite books were from writers who would take me with them to farway places; exotic lands, exotic animals, exotic people. I wanted to be there, I wanted to see that animal, to breathe in the air, to feel the wind. Those escapes are what helped to turn me into the person I am today. 

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I do hope that when you read my blogs and stories, you feel the same way - That I have taken you on a journey. I know not all my stories have because sometimes they are just rants that I need to get off my mind. But hopefully, more often than not, I take you on a ride, somewhere… anywhere.

Thanks for reading.