ZECO TRAVEL TALK

Wahlenbergfjorden, Spitsbergen to the White Sea

We had a great day again today… Went to a fjord called Wahlenbergfjorden and then up a side arm called Palanderbukta. We did a great walk on a glacier this morning, and in the afternoon we visited some absolutely amazing bird cliffs, Alkejfillet, where there were thousands and thousands of birds. The rock cliffs themselves were spectacular; we saw small chicks dive-bombing into the sea with their dads, then having to learn to swim… all in a couple of minutes. We saw gulls eating chicks… big drama, fast action, and everything you could imagine in this bird colony. In the evening we made a landing to view a large number of walrus and 71 passengers got out there to quietly watch and photograph the walrus. They got really close and had a great look at them.

Liefdefjorden, Spitsbergen to the White Sea

A change of plan turned out to be just what we needed today and we had a fantastic time up in Liefdefjorden where we started the morning with a polar bear sighting… it was eating a seal! We spent some time with him and when he went into the water we continued up the fjord where we found another bear rolling around on a piece of ice. Last night we stopped at Moffen Island after dinner and had a great experience from the ship with a number of walrus.

As the ornithologist and birding leader for Zegrahm Expeditions, one of my greatest joys is the start of a trip. The air is charged with anticipation with people arriving from all corners of the globe. There are smiles, handshakes, and humorous banter as you meet previous traveling companions and relive previous adventures shared together. However, despite all this fanfare, what you really are eagerly awaiting is the start of the next great adventure.For one couple, Don and Donna, the start of our recent Azores to Gibraltar expedition was filled with even more excitement and anticipation than usual. Keen birders, they have traveled the world in search of birds and had arrived at São Miguel in the Azores on April 13th, 2007, poised to break the 5,000 barrier. For the uninitiated, the 5,000 barrier may not mean that much. However, to a birder it is one of life’s mega-events. Managing to see your 5,000th bird species puts you in a class all on your own. With 10,068 known species that means that you have seen just about half of all of the bird species that inhabit our planet. Read more

Calf of Man, Circumnavigation of Ireland

We were greeted by an unusual welcoming committee as we sailed toward the Calf of Man this morning: sharks! About a dozen basking sharks, a couple up to 30 feet long, surrounded the ship as they fed on the surface plankton and everyone rushed to get their cameras. Some of us took Zodiacs out to see them at close range… where one Zodiac had stopped, a shark swam right beneath it and surfaced at the bow for the perfect cameo close-up!

Dingle Bay, Circumnavigation of Ireland

As we approached Dingle Bay a resident dolphin leaped out of the waters to say hello. We learned that he was first observed by a lighthouse keeper in 1984 who, after watching him swim among the fishing boats for nearly a year, officially confirmed his residency and named him “Fungie” the Dingle dolphin. We felt so privileged that this 500-pound bottlenose charmer chose to escort our Zodiacs around the harbor as delighted passengers snapped photos of Ireland’s first aquatic friend.

Croatia, Crossroads of Empires: Crete to Venice

Today was another beautiful day on the Med—or I should say Adriatic Sea. We entered the ‘fjords’ of Kotor at 0700 this morning and took on the pilot. He and the Captain navigated us through the Kotor Gulf, skirting the little islands and passing small hillside village towns. We arrived in darling Kotor around 9 and immediately disembarked for our walking tour—a few passengers commented that it’s like a Hollywood set, it’s so perfect! Kevin and I took the hikers 1,617 steps up to the fortress that overlooks the town and the bay. There were great views of the ship and lots of people were ashore…In the late afternoon we set sail for Dubrovnik and arrived at sunset. It was gorgeous… Everyone was on the top deck and eager to go ashore. Le Levant’s tenders shuttled people back and forth all evening; many of us took the opportunity to enjoy the evening, walking around the old city’s beautiful medieval streets.

La Gomera, Azores with Madeira, Canary Islands, Morocco, and Gibraltar

What a spectacularly beautiful island, maybe because it’s off the beaten track. Our hiking group really enjoyed their trek, capped off by tapas on the beach… Damien, our local guide, was able to get two school girls to give a short whistling demonstration. The birders returned from their day excited that they had seen “everything!”

Albania, Crossroads of Empires: Crete to Venice

After a relaxing early afternoon on board, we “surprised” the passengers with a stop at Porto Polermo! It was incredible. We pulled alongside this teeny tiny dock which felt like it was in the middle of nowhere. The hotel department disembarked first thing and ran to Ali Pasha’s Castle, an old abandoned castle right on the water. We were the only ones there. When we walked to the entrance of the castle it was illuminated with kerosene lanterns! It was beautiful and quite romantic. On the rooftop terrace, the Le Levant hotel staff set up a bar and served champagne and appetizers! It was such a special treat!