I first stumbled across Vanessa Pirotta's fascinating work involving whales through Twitter. She is an Australian based wild life conservationist working with cetaceans (a word that refers to whales, dolphins and porpoises). Her investigative work has led her to locations around the world collecting various data. She is most known for her research in collecting whale snot through the use of a customized collection system carried by drones. She is … [Read more...]
At the Edge of Africa : Cape Agulhas.
I have hired a car for the day. Early on a Sunday morning it’s quiet and once out of Cape Town the roads are emptier still. I take the main road, the R316, in a south-east direction. The countryside is deserted apart from the odd group of cattle or sheep out on the rolling yellow fields. The terrain becomes mountainous as I pass Napier and strangely in Bredasdorp I am welcomed to Agulhas, even though it’s another thirty-five kilometres … [Read more...]
Expedition Cruise Specialist Expands Program to Include New Trip to Chilean Fjords
Vancouver – Following the announcement that One Ocean Expeditions (OOE) will be celebrating its 10th anniversary year with the addition of RCGS Resolute to its fleet in November 2018, the expedition cruise specialist has also revealed that it will be expanding its cruise program in 2019 to include several new itineraries in Chile. The first voyage of this new programme, which will also be the inaugural non-polar expedition on board RCGS … [Read more...]
Going Green: Alaska Ecotourism
There is a rush to Alaska. In 1898 the stampede was for gold. Today visitors are heading to the 49th state seeking the ultimate wilderness experiences in a land filled with superlatives. Alaska is the largest and western-most state. It has the longest days, the biggest fish, the longest coastline, and the most extensive wilderness (53 percent). The challenge is how to balance over two million visitors a year with conservation ethics, … [Read more...]
Hitchhiking a boat across the Atlantic Ocean
My mission was clear: "Hitchhiking from Austria to America" by land and sea. Sailing across the Atlantic Ocean was the last episode of this first part of my world trip. And there had been moments when I seriously wondered "why the hell am I doing that?" Why should I cover a distance of 2.700 nautical miles on a 38 feet sailing catamaran? What's the point in swinging over a million waves when one can so easily fly over the? Why taking a boat, that … [Read more...]
The Best Santa Cruz Beaches
California is well known for its awesome weather, beloved beaches, and monster waves. Originally known as the Grizzly Bear State but the bear population went extinct due to hunting and human activity, the state is now commonly known as the Golden State. The sun is what makes California so epic and especially the beaches of Santa Cruz. There is a stunning array of beaches in Santa Cruz, you would be hard pressed to visit them all in one day … [Read more...]
Activities to do in the Cape Winelands
Aside from swirling and sipping in tasting rooms of fabulous wine estates, there are plenty of scenic activities to be done in the Cape Winelands. The rows of vineyards against the majestic background of mountain ranges, and the narrow roads that expose lush gardens are ample reason why it’s essential for you to explore while visiting Cape Town. Explore the towns on a bicycle With a bicycle, you’ll appreciate meandering through the towns of … [Read more...]
5 Australian Road Trips That Guarantee An Adventure
Wide, open roads, perfect weather, and gorgeous landscapes come together to make Australia the perfect destination for a road trip. There’s a reason tourists and foreigners prefer touring this country on four wheels. Once you grab a car and set off on the road, it just feels like the country was meant to be explored this way. Here are the five most adventurous road trips you can take down under. Tasmanian Loop Tasmania is a small … [Read more...]
Visit Antarctica – September 2016
Antarctica is a unique experience. Natives have never called this continent home and the land is not owned by any one country. A visit here can be life changing; the experiences are truly unique and so is the visually stunning scenery. Very few people live here year round - they are in some of the bases operated by various countries around the continent. One tour operator, Oceanwide Expeditions offers several trips a year to Antarctica. Their … [Read more...]
Whales & Wine: The Perfect Pairing
Every fall, more than 20,000 Pacific gray whales begin to migrate south from their feeding grounds in the Bering Sea to their breeding grounds in the warm waters of Baja California. They pass by Mendocino County twice: going south from November through February, and going north from February through May. With an average lifespan of 50 years, they swim an astonishing 10,000 miles each and every year. Calves are at least a month old before they … [Read more...]