ZECO TRAVEL TALK

Congratulations Valene Smith! On January 28, 2010, Valene, who has traveled with Zegrahm & Eco Expeditions an astounding 27 times since 1993, will be recognized at the grand opening of the Valene L. Smith Museum of Anthropology. Since its inception in 1970, Valene has made significant contributions to the museum on the California State University, Chico’s campus (where she is also a professor emerita in the field of anthropology); the museum has been renamed in her honor. Read more

We are delighted to welcome Simon Bellingham to the expedition leader team! Simon developed a passion for wildlife as a young child growing up in rural Zimbabwe where he fostered his love of the bush during holidays in remote regions such as Mana Pools National Park. Although he went on to obtain a Master’s Degree in Chiropractic, his passion for nature could not keep him away from the lure of the wilderness and he soon resigned from the comforts of life as a doctor for a career in wildlife. Read more

As our 2010 Antarctica, South Georgia, and Falkland Islands’ trip comes to a close, we thought it was the perfect time to learn more about the important climate work being conducted in this remote area of the world. Below is a post written by Spruce Schoenemann, a Glaciology graduate student in the University of Washington’s Department of Earth and Space Sciences.

It’s a pleasure to be sharing some of my Antarctic experiences with you! I’m sure some of you probably wonder why or how one ends up working in Antarctica anyway? Here is the why. The intricacy of climate science is what fascinates me, particularly the multiple interactions and feedback processes which interrelate between the hydrosphere, the atmosphere, the biosphere, and the cryosphere. I am drawn to those icy, snowy, remote, and dramatic places on this earth, and I feel a responsibility to protect the intrinsic value of these unique environments. How? After learning about a job posting by the UNH Science Coordination Office, I applied to work as a Science Tech on the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) Divide Ice Core Project during the 2008/2009 austral summer. The ice core project was in its second season of drilling, and our goal for the season was to drill 1,000 meters of ice. The WAIS Divide Ice Core would be 3,500 meters long once the drill reached the base of the ice sheet scheduled for 2011. The WAIS Ice Core is unique in the high resolution of annual layers preserved in the ~125,000 years of ice. Read more

What a great day! Greg Homel kicked off the morning by providing insights about the little known and seldom seen birds of the Darien. After an early lunch we boarded a flotilla of local boats—modified dugouts, in fact—for an hour long ride to the coast and up the winding Mogue River. Our drivers swept from side-to-side on the broader areas to facilitate photography as we rode the incoming tide. The tide is critical to access the upper reaches. Soon it narrowed and we could hear the drums of the Chocó Emberá as we were rounding the final bend. Waiting for us were many of the villagers in traditional dress, including musicians and a gaggle of children who were shy, but curious and who quickly took us by the hand for the walk along the path to their home. They speak Spanish as a second tongue, but smiles went miles and language provided no barrier. Read more

We set out today to hike and retrace the steps of the last four miles of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s epic 22-mile (that is to say . . . 22 “as the crow flies” miles) journey of 1916. Ninety-one passengers and expedition leaders hiked across the path Shackleton took after he landed his lifeboat at South Georgia and then tried to get to Stromness, a Norwegian whaling station.

Our hike was in a spectacular location—dramatic glaciers and steep granite mountains surrounded us—and the snow was gently falling when we began. Setting off from Fortuna Bay, we were afforded exceptional views as we walked over picturesque sandstone and shale, past snow and icefields, and around Crean Lake. The hike up was aerobic—a great workout after being on the ship a week. Read more

With smooth seas, tropical temperatures, and sunburns, it’s hard to believe that we are in the Southern Ocean en route to Antarctica. Our first landing in the Falklands was celebrated as ‘A Zegrahm First’ because never before had the expedition been able to make first landing on day one—typically, we spend a full day at sea sailing from Ushuaia to the Falkland Islands. We celebrated by stepping ashore early evening at New Ireland and enjoyed sunset over a menagerie of black-browed albatross, rockhopper penguins, and imperial cormorants perched on cliffs high above the cold waters of the Scotia Sea. Read more

Calling all shutterbugs: Do you have great photos from your travels to the Falkland Islands? If so, our friends at the Falkland Islands Tourist Board are sponsoring a ‘Falklands Exposed’ photography contest for professionals and amateurs alike. Enter you best photos in six different categories and you could win cameras, camera equipment, magazine subscriptions, and more. Photos must be submitted by March 31, 2010. Visit their contest website at www.falklandislands.com/exposed to read the rules and enter your photos. Good luck!

While the Great Blue Hole and extensive reef system are the main attraction for many, our river trip to the Mayan ruins of Lamanai was definitely the highlight while in Belize, due in large part to our enthusiastic and humorous local guides. Along the way, they pointed out limpkins, laughing falcons, Wish Willy iguanas, Jabiru storks, and the Belizean provision tree (its bark is highly regarded as a blood tonic and is used to help anemia, low blood pressure, and fatigue). They also taught us local proverbs; a favorite was: Read more