ZECO TRAVEL TALK

We are excited to announce that Mark Brazil’s new book—Birds of East Asia—is available on book stands and already receiving great reviews.
Birds of East Asia is an identification guide to the birds of eastern China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan and northeast Russia, it is quickly becoming the must-have field guide for naturalists visiting the region. The volume describes not only all of the species, but also provides information on all of the sub-species recorded from the region—the residents, migrants, and vagrants. This is the first time that all of the birds of East Asia have been described and illustrated in a single volume. The elegant illustration plates (236 of them) were contributed by an international team of artists.

Mark Brazil is part of our Zegrahm Family, often leading and lecturing on our expeditions around the world. Mark’s work as a field naturalist, author, researcher, and guide has taken him to every continent. He is the author of several ornithological books and the leading authority on the natural history of Japan. Acknowledged for their help and support are two other Zegrahm family members; Ted Kenefick, a veteran program manager and our in-house bird specialist and Zegrahm co-founder and seabird expert, Peter Harrison.

Perhaps the more relevant opinion is a non-Zegrahm biased point of view which is why I want to mention the five-star rating on Amazon’s site.  Click here to read the full review: Best Guide to the Region by Far!

As Le Ponant approached Poivre Island the weather was sunny but the winds were kicking up and the water was quite choppy. Captain Daumesnil determined that the 25-knot winds would make our landing on the island, and snorkeling outside the reef, very tricky indeed. Plans clearly needed to change and the crew immediately went into “expedition mode.”

On the Captain’s suggestion we sailed around to the south side of nearby Desroches Island where the surrounding reef offered better protection for our landing and snorkeling inside the lagoon at Bombay Beach. Our shore walk and underwater forays went ahead as scheduled—only the island had changed!

Jack and Jonathan anchored a snorkel boat off the beach inside the reef in a lagoon-like setting and we felt as though we were in our own private aquarium. As we snorkeled in the crystal clear, 78-degree water we had an opportunity to swim with a variety of colorful reef fish as well as view a massive spiny lobster and a beautiful whiptail sting ray. We also spotted a cleaning station and watched as a school of endemic Squirrel fish was cleaned by several species of wrasse. The beautiful coral garden was surrounded by an extensive, healthy sea grass bed busy with many small fish and invertebrates.

Meanwhile, the onshore walkers, led by our local guide Gemma and our historian Larry Bowman, headed off down the trail to visit with the workers on the Copra Plantation. A tour gave us a look at the coconut husk drying rooms and an understanding of the inner workings of an operation which exports the oil and husks to mainland Africa. Desroches is not known for its birdlife but Gemma quickly spotted a few blue-cheeked bee-eaters for all to see and capture on film!

Because nobody wanted to leave this idyllic paradise, the bartenders brought the bar to the beach! After swimming and snorkeling we were all too happy to accept a cocktail from Ian and Randy and their floating bar. Our day on Desroches was unscheduled but utterly perfect. This is the beauty of traveling on an expedition with our own private yacht and a flexible Captain; you can change plans for the best experience with nary a ripple in the smooth operation!

Recreational underwater photographers and divers brought attention to five previously undocumented species of pygmy seahorse in central Sulawesi, Indonesia and in the Red Sea. Measuring in at a painfully cute inch, or 2.5 centimeters, all five species are now officially among the tiniest known vertebrates. Divers must be extraordinarily patient when searching for pygmy seahorses as they are tiny, make only tiny movements, and blend almost perfectly into their coral habitats. (click here) National Geographic’s News site produced a gorgeous photo essay on this story.

Surprisingly, seahorse males, rather than seahorse females, give birth to live young—complete with simulated contractions. Now we can look forward to the first photographs of baby pygmy seahorses to surface!

When the Ecuadorian government asked the world’s largest electric companies to help bring renewable energy to the Galapagos Islands—one of the world’s most environmentally sensitive places—they turned to a wind farmer from Maine.

Engineer Jim Tolan spent five years as project director, under the umbrella of an international energy partnership, overseeing the construction of three 800 kilowatt wind turbines which will provide 80 percent of the necessary power for San Cristobal, the largest island and home to about 6,000 residents. Being too far off the electrical grid, the islands had to rely on oil tankers for energy; a massive oil spill in 2001 forced the government to seek alternate energy sources to protect the 5,000 different species of plants and animals—many of them endemic—to the islands.

Inaugurated in April 2008, the three turbines—the first stage of the island-wide project—illustrate the power of renewable energy in some of our last remaining pristine environments.

The enchanting landscapes of Japan in winter provided our small group of travelers with an extraordinary expedition that included wildlife, culture and an incredible variety of exciting bird sightings. The cohesive and adventurous group was led by Dr. Mark Brazil, acclaimed Japanese wildlife expert, author, and naturalist.

Among the many highlights of the trip was the time spent in Jigokudani, a steep-sided valley set amid forested mountains, observing and photographing the resident troops of Japanese macaques (snow monkeys) bathing in their very own hot pools. The viewing area has an online ‘Monkey Cam’ that we regularly stopped to pose in front of, not knowing exactly when the snap shots would be taken. As luck would have it, we managed to capture this picture with Mark on the left and travelers, Jan and Anne, in front of the hot pools. It serves as a great reminder of an unforgettable adventure through Japan.

Mark is currently leading a second group of travelers through Japan and we hope to spot more happy adventurers on the ‘Monkey Cam.’ You can access the Monkey Cam at this link: Snow Monkey Cam

For more information on the Snow Monkeys & Cranes expeditions in Japan, view our web site at this link: Snow Monkeys & Cranes of Japan

Scientists from 20 countries gathered in 2006 to survey the biodiversity of a very small island in the Republic of Vanuatu. They discovered an impressive array of life, examining mountains, forests, caves, reefs, and water for all living organisms.  The 153 scientists gathered 10,000 species, two thousand of which may prove to be new to science. This web link will take you to photographs of some of the exciting species collected. Species Photos