ZECO TRAVEL TALK

Larry Taylor explored Melanesia & Micronesia onboard the Clipper Odyssey with Zegrahm Expeditions and wrote an insightful article about his travels in the region. As Larry so cleverly explains it ‘Going from one intense experience to the next–that is travel at its best.’ Read the article, Sailing the South Seas to Fun and Adventure for his views on the myriad of natural wonders and friendly islanders he encountered along the way.

When we scouted Algeria more than 18 months ago, we knew we would be visiting a land only recently opened to outside travelers. As shore excursions were established, we sought to make the experience as personal as possible for our travelers. We wanted to share with you what amazing things can happen when simple face to face interactions occur between people who often see the world through different eyes. This is the letter we received from our local tour operator in Algeria:

“Thanks to your insistence that your travelers visit both the Koranic School and Great Mosque, along with the Basilica of St. Augustine in Annaba, we managed to draw together the leaders of the two largest religious institutions in Algeria. Father Raphael and the Imam, Cheikh Sid Ahmed Kaila, knew of each other but had never had the occasion to meet, so inevitably there were some misconceptions. We invited them both for dinner (it was quite a job to find a good restaurant that does not serve alcohol—which would have offended the Imam), and they got along remarkably well. The Imam mentioned that he buys delicious Hobz tal-Malti (Maltese Bread) from a local bakery, something Father Raphael loves but was not aware it even existed in Algeria. Well, since then, the Imam has sent Father Raphael several loaves at the Basilica.

So, in the moment when there has been growing religious tension in the country, the Muslim community thought the Rector of the Basilica was causing problems… once these two holy men sat down together and, while breaking bread, discovered the source of their misunderstanding, they began to enjoy each other’s company so much that close to midnight we had to remind them that other groups of travelers were arriving early in the morning. You can imagine how relieved we were to have this encounter turn out so well… we were terribly worried that their meeting could have been a PR disaster, but in fact it was a great success. If there was wine on the table, you can be sure we would have toasted you. Thank you for bringing our two worlds together and allowing us to give cruise passengers an insight to Islam—a religion that is often misunderstood and misreported by the media. Enjoy the photo of that special evening.”

Zegrahm Cofounder and world-renowned expert on sea birds, Peter Harrison will be the featured speaker at the 60th anniversary and annual meeting of the New York State Ornithological Association in Rochester, New York. The event is held in September, the time of annual bird migrations along the shores of Lake Ontario. Rochester is close to a number of Global Important Bird Areas—sites identified as high priority for conservation action. Peter is the author of the highly acclaimed Sea Birds: An Identification Guide; his speech—Seven Years and Seven Continents—will highlight his adventures to some of the most remote places on the planet.

In the program notes, he is given this introduction: “Peter has spent years traveling all the oceans of the world doing fundamental research and leading tours. An entertaining and incisive speaker, he delivers a serious message, with wit and passion, about the need to conserve habitats for all birds.” Those of us who have worked and/or traveled with Peter have often witnessed this dedicated passion. For more information, go to: www.nybirds.org

All of us at Zegrahm Expeditions are very pleased to see today’s announcement by Secretary of the Interior, Dirk Kempthorne, that the polar bear is now officially listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Using 28 years of research and study findings on receding sea ice—the primary habitat of polar bears—the Fish and Wildlife Service proposed the threatened listing in January 2007. The dramatic loss of ice in the past five years exceeded all previous records, and in the last year alone, Arctic ice fell to the lowest levels ever recorded by satellite. One of the five determining factors in listing a species is evidence of “present or threatened destruction, modification, or curtailment of habitat.”

Many of our travelers who have joined us on past expeditions to Spitsbergen, Greenland, and Baffin Island have witnessed polar bears hunting from ice floes or pebbly shores—a sight never to be forgotten. In 2008 & 2009 we are continuing our tradition of adventures in the far north with expeditions to Greenland and the Svalbard Archipelago with the renewed hope of continuing to see these magnificent animals.