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ZEGRAHM & ECO EXPEDITIONS — Giving You The World 1-800-628-8747 or 206-285-4000 |
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Field LeadersWorld-class naturalists and experts lead Zegrahm's small-group expeditions. They are beside you every step of the way, enhancing your experience with their insights and informal presentations on a region's natural and cultural history.
 Thomas BaechtoldBorn and raised in Switzerland, Thomas has been exploring and photographing all seven continents over the last twelve years. Certified as a scuba diving instructor with PADI eleven years ago, he found a new passion in the underwater world. His career as a dive instructor, underwater cameraman, and trip director aboard expedition ships and live-aboard dive vessels has taken him to hot spots such as the Great Barrier Reef, many of the Pacific islands, Malaysia, Thailand, Belize, and Zanzibar. After pursuing a new career as a safari guide in southern and eastern Africa, he returned to his true passion, diving. For the last three years, Thomas has been living in the Republic of Palau, acting as operations manager at a well-established dive and kayaking facility. On the side, Thomas continues to work as a freelance photographer and videographer, publishing many of his images in a variety of media. View this leader's trips | back to top  Natalia BaechtoldA native Australian, Natalia found her true passion for diving after visiting the remote islands of Palau. As a certified PADI dive master, she has explored and shared the experiences of the deep with many. Natalia's training in business management has allowed her to hold various managerial positions in a variety of fields, ranging from retail pharmacy to hospitality. A true love of nature and travel has allowed Natalia to indulge her photographic eye in dramatic land and seascapes, as well as focus on the individuality of the world's indigenous peoples. Many of Natalia's images have been reproduced in various publications. Working as a videographer, Natalia has also produced many underwater videos, capturing the abundance of marine biodiversity across the South Pacific region. Natalia continues to pursue her desire to travel, to experience the beauty of people, place, and our natural world. View this leader's trips | back to top  Dr. T. H. BaughmanDr. T.H. Baughman is a professor of history at the University of Central Oklahoma. Tim has taught European history for more than 30 years, and has been leading travelers through Europe for 25 years. He is the author of six books, lectures widely on European and polar history, and teaches courses in 20th-century European history. His tales of the history of Russia and the whole Black Sea region, including the relationship of Turkey to the European Union, will bring to life the vibrant history of this part of the globe. Tim combines a scholar's rigor with a storyteller's images to describe and explain the European past. View this leader's trips | back to top Michel BeharSince 1987, Michel has worked in the travel industry as a photographer and trip leader throughout Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, and North Africa. He speaks twelve languages fluently and studied advanced Arabic at the University of Khartoum in Sudan. Having traveled extensively in North Africa, he has led desert survival tours in Algeria, Mauritania, Senegal, Mali, and Libya. Michel is also a freelance reporter and photographer, focusing on technological and economical issues worldwide, and has a deep interest in world music, particularly classical Andalusian and North African Jewish music. He is extremely knowledgeable about the culture, religion, history, politics, and economic affairs of places on our itinerary. He lives in the Netherlands. View this leader's trips | back to top Sugata BoseSugata Bose is the Gardiner Professor of Oceanic History and
View this leader's trips | back to top  Victor BoyarskyVictor has 30 years of experience in the polar regions. From 1973 to 1987, he participated in four Antarctic and six Arctic expeditions. As a member of international teams, Victor has crossed Greenland, Antarctica and the Arctic Ocean by ski and dogsled. He has also led 14 ski expeditions to the North Pole and served as lecturer and leader aboard 11 trips to the North Pole aboard nuclear icebreakers. In addition to numerous articles on remote sounding of glaciers and sea ice, Victor has published books on his Antarctic and Greenland crossings. He is currently director of the Arctic and Antarctic Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, where he lives. View this leader's trips | back to top  Dr. Mark BrazilMark developed his fascination with the natural world, especially birds, during his boyhood in the landlocked English county of Worcestershire. He then pursued his academic interests in biology during studies in England and Scotland, while exploring the coasts and mountains of Britain in search of birds. Mark earned his Ph.D. from Stirling University, Scotland, for his work on avian ecology and behavior in Iceland. Ornithological research, natural history consultancy for TV companies, and guiding naturalists and wildlife photographers have taken him to all continents, and he currently works as a professor of biodiversity and conservation at Rakuno Gakuen University near Sapporo. In addition to being a field naturalist, he is a columnist, author, and editor. His books include Wild Asia: Spirit of a Continent, The Birds of Japan (the definitive text of bird biology and distribution in the Japanese archipelago), the recently published monograph The Whooper Swan, and the forthcoming Field Guide to the Birds of East Asia. View this leader's trips | back to top  Mark BuckinghamExpedition cruising has dominated Mark's life since university, leading to journeys across six of the seven continents. Although lecturing on a diversity of scientific subjects, he still maintains a strong interest in his specialty pursuit of venoms and marine toxins, likely to have spawned from an Australian upbringing. PADI certified, Mark has led scuba expeditions to many of the world's diving hot spots. Mark also runs his own adventure and education travel company from his home in Cairns, Australia. View this leader's trips | back to top Deborah BundyDeborah worked until 1992 as an assistant to the Curator of the Latin American & Iberian Collections of the Stanford University Libraries. Her love of the natural world has its roots in childhood family camping trips to remote places in the American West. With a B.A. in English from Stanford, she has translated essays and stories from Spanish and lived in Spain and Peru. She and her husband, Richard Fagen, have participated in expeditions to Cuba, Patagonia, Baja California, the South Pacific, and Antarctica. View this leader's trips | back to top Clive ByersClive lives in Norwich, England and has been birding since the age of 11. He is the senior author and illustrator of Buntings and Sparrow: A Guide to the Buntings and North American Sparrows and illustrator of A Guide to the Warblers of the Western Palearctic. He has also contributed plates or information to a number of other books, including Birds of the Indian Subcontinent. He has traveled widely in Asia, Australia, and North America and has nearly two years of field experience in Africa. More recently, he has been concentrating his efforts on the Neotropics, particularly Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil and painting plates for The Handbook of the Birds of the World. View this leader's trips | back to top Richard CahillBorn and raised in Panama, Rich is one of the most experienced guides in that country, having led ecotravelers throughout the region for the past ten years. He is a veteran of four trans-Darien expeditions, more than 250 excursions to the Barro Colorado Nature Monument, and countless other adventures in the rain forests of the isthmus. Rich's knowledge and enthusiasm make him popular with travelers. He is an experienced diver, and in addition to his work in Central America, has also traveled in the Galápagos. View this leader's trips | back to top Shirley CampbellDr. Shirley Campbell is an anthropologist specialising in the indigenous peoples of Australia and Papua New Guinea. Born and raised in California, her interest in different cultures was sparked as a child finding many Native American artifacts near her home. She holds degrees from Stephens College, Missouri and the Australian National University in Canberra, and is currently a research fellow at the Australian National University. View this leader's trips | back to top  Julie ChristensenA thirst for adventure and discovery has been a part of Julie’s life from an early age, leading her to explorations throughout the world. With a special interest in Spanish and Latin American cultures, she holds a B.A. in Spanish from Western Washington University. Before officially embarking on a career in adventure travel, Julie had biked across the United States and traveled to Mexico, Central America, India, Portugal, and Spain. Since joining Zegrahm Expeditions as a cruise director in 2005, Julie has been aboard voyages to all seven continents, to places like the Russian Far East and Alaska and the numerous countries rimming the Mediterranean and Black Seas. When she isn’t traveling, Julie makes her home on Whidbey Island in Washington State. View this leader's trips | back to top  Kevin ClementZegrahm Expeditions Director Kevin Clement is fortunate enough to live within the boundaries of Denali National Park. His specialty is subarctic ecology, but his work as a naturalist and an ecotourism and adventure travel guide has taken him from his home in Alaska to all seven continents. On those rare occasions when he’s home, Kevin serves as the Denali Foundation instructor for natural history and as a trainer for the park’s staff of naturalists. In 1995 he became a Certification Instructor for the Wilderness Education Association and in 1997 joined the adjunct faculty of the University of Alaska. That same year he initiated an outdoor leadership program for the non-profit Foundation, leading students on month-long backcountry courses. He has lived in several other national parks and has guided groups in whitewater rafts, in sea kayaks, and on foot. He holds certifications in scuba diving, swiftwater rescue, and wilderness medicine, as well as a Coast Guard Master’s license. Kevin is also an artist. His first career was as an illustrator, and his work has appeared in various art shows, several times winning juror’s or people’s choice awards. He never travels without his sketchbook. View this leader's trips | back to top  Kevin CoateKevin is a well-known West Australian naturalist with more than 30 years experience in the Kimberley region. He has a strong interest in birds, animals, plants and aboriginal rock art, as well as extensive knowledge of the history and culture of the Kimberley region. For many years, Kevin was an owner/operator of a safari tour company specializing in natural history tours; he has been guiding Kimberley coastal trips since 1983 and has also participated in backpacking expeditions to remote areas of the region. Kevin has written numerous articles on the areas he has visited, as well as a number of papers, primarily on birds. He and his wife, Yvonne, have published three books on lonely graves, many of them to do with the Kimberley coast. He was winner of the Western Australian Tourism's FACET Golden Guide Award in 2000. View this leader's trips | back to top  Chris CookChris was born in Dorset, on the south coast of England, and as a youth he spent much time at Portland Bird Observatory, where he trained to be a bird bander. He is especially interested in seabirds and bird migration, and for some years was on the committee of Cape Clear Bird Observatory in southwest Ireland, one of the premier seabird migration points in western Europe. Chris has lived in Japan for over 17 years and has traveled extensively throughout the country, visiting most of the birding sites and guiding travelers. For six months in 1998-99 Chris was a volunteer guide at two tiger reserves in central India, and in 2003 he led a birding expedition in China to search for the rare crested ibis. Between 1986 and 1996, Chris was the fashion editor at the Japan Times, and he still contributes fashion articles to that newspaper, where he now works as a news editor. He has also written many travel/nature articles for publications throughout Asia. View this leader's trips | back to top  Ian CookeA native of England, Ian's background is deeply seated in practical ornamental horticulture. Since the mid 1980’s Ian has been involved in all aspects of ornamental horticulture, plant propagation, garden construction, design, plant selection and education. Introduced to horticulture by his grandfather at an early age Ian enjoyed the many merits associated with growing plants. After graduating from Pershore College of Horticulture in the Cotswold's, England, Ian embarked on a diverse career featuring a wide range of ornamental horticultural initiatives. He has received numerous awards from the Royal Horticultural Society for displays at their shows. He moved to New York USA in 2000 to take on the challenge of American horticulture where he managed the construction of numerous private estate gardens. Ian now lives in Franklin, Tennessee with his wife and two boys, where he consults for business and private clients. Allow Ian to introduce you to the remarkable world of ornamental horticulture with all it’s flower, fragrance, foliage and fruit. View this leader's trips | back to top Jonathan CooleyJonathan grew up on the south shore of Long Island, where time spent exploring the bays and estuaries behind Fire Island sparked an early interest in aquatic biology. Although the Colorado Rockies seemed a strange place to pursue a formal education in marine biology, the study of paleontology and geology allowed Jonathan to combine the three disciplines to complete a degree in marine paleobiology at the University of Colorado. The mountains’ spell held Jonathan for another year as a white-water raft guide and rock-climbing instructor. But five years in the mountains left Jonathan with a desire to return to the sea, and fixing up 30-year-old, 25-foot sailboat he set out on a three-year odyssey sailing from New York to Venezuela, returning via the Mississippi River, Great Lakes, and Hudson River. View this leader's trips | back to top Claudio CristinoAn archeologist with degrees in social anthropology and archeology from the University of Chile, Claudio has spent most of his adult life in Polynesia. From the mid-80s to 1990, Claudio lived and worked in French Polynesia, contributing to the organization of the Archaeological Survey of French Polynesia, and was responsible for several major restorations of ceremonial sites at the Papeno'o Valley in Tahiti. He also explored and studied several islands of the Society, Marquesas, Austral, and Tuamotu archipelagoes. He continues to carry out numerous studies in archaeology, anthropology, ethnology, and ethnohistory on Easter Island and Eastern Polynesia in addition to codirecting the Rapa Nui Archaeological Survey. Claudio's connection with Easter Island dates to 1976, when he arrived to participate in the restoration of the famous birdman cult ceremonial site of Orongo. In the following years he excavated and restored several other monuments, and in 1978 he cofounded the Easter Island Studies Institute of the University of Chile at Hanga Roa. View this leader's trips | back to top Taylor CrosbyCurrently a teacher of Arabic languages and a strategic planner for the Sheridan County, Wyoming, school district, Arabist Taylor Crosby has lived and worked in Egypt, Yemen, and Oman. Taylor brings with him a precise and practical knowledge of the customs, modern political situations, and policies of the Middle East. His considerable expertise includes extensive knowledge of Arabic manuscripts (he worked as archivist and conservator at Yale University's Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library). His 15 years as a field project manager and training specialist include ten years implementing development programs in Arabic countries. View this leader's trips | back to top Barry DaviesBarry is one of Australia’s most respected interpretive guides. He holds a degree in ecology and natural resources management and after graduating worked as a guest in the national parks systems of the United States and Canada and as an international ecotourism guide in Europe and South America. He worked for 20 years as a guide and manager at Binna Burra Mountain Lodge in Australia’s Lamington National Park and is considered one of the most knowledgeable naturalists in the area. His work as a guide has earned him several awards and he holds qualifications in outdoor leadership, vertical rescue, and workplace assessment and training. View this leader's trips | back to top David DeardorffDavid holds a Ph.D. in botany from the University of Washington, and has spent decades traveling beyond the chlorophyll curtain to reach a greater understanding of the plant world. His career in biology has included heading up major research projects at the University of Hawaii, creating curricula for and teaching Watershed Stewardship at Washington State University, and co-founding Plants of the Southwest, one of the first native plant nurseries in the United States. He has also served as research coordinator for ecological monitoring in the Pacific Island Network of the U.S. National Parks. With his wife, Kathryn Wadsworth, he has led many eco-tours aboard ships in Southeast Alaska, making popular educational presentations, publishing articles and photographs, and writing books that express their commitment to the natural world. View this leader's trips | back to top  Jim DelgadoAs a historian, land and sea archaeologist, scientist, researcher, deep-sea diver, television host, museum director, lecturer, author, and storyteller, Jim Delgado has built an incredible foundation of knowledge and experience. Best known publicly as host and archaeologist for the international TV documentary series, The Sea Hunters, he has led or participated in shipwreck expeditions around the world. His list of projects includes RMS Titanic, Carpathia, the ship that rescued Titanic's survivors, the notorious "ghost ship" Mary Celeste, as well as surveys of USS Arizona, USS Somers, Sub Marine Explorer, Kublai Khan's lost fleet, an underground, flooded nazi concentration camp, the sunken atomic-bombed fleet at Bikini Atoll, and buried Gold Ships beneath downtown San Francisco. His research and travels have taken him throughout the classical world and the Mediterranean. Executive Director of the Institute of Nautical Archaeology, the world's leading institute for the study of humanity's interaction with the sea, Dr. Delgado is the author or editor of nearly 30 books and numerous articles, most recently Waterfront: The Illustrated Maritime History of Greater Vancouver, Adventures of a Sea Hunter: In Search of Famous Shipwrecks, Lost Warships: An Archaeological Tour of War at Sea, and Across the Top of the World: The Quest for the Northwest Passage. Jim is a Fellow of The Explorers Club and the Royal Geographical Society. View this leader's trips | back to top  Richard DeweyDick Dewey is on the faculty of Oregon's Portland State University (PSU), where he teaches marine biology and directs the largest wetland and river-restoration training program in the U.S. As part of PSU's International Special Programs team, Dick has frequented Micronesia for over a decade as an expedition leader, teacher, and research consultant. Prior to this, Dick developed wildlife parks in Ethiopia, directed the management of over 200 preserves for The Nature Conservancy's 13-state western region, directed the U.S. Virgin Island's Fish and Wildlife program, and represented these islands in the Caribbean Fisheries Management Council. A widely published author and environmental photographer, Dick is primarily interested in tropical island conservation biology. He has a contagious enthusiasm for understanding island wildlife and the connections linking the viability of native peoples to the sustainability of island ecosystems. View this leader's trips | back to top  Chris DoneChris was born and raised in Australia and after finishing his formal studies, he lived and worked in Papua New Guinea for seven years, traveling to almost every province. In the mid-1970s he moved to Western Australia, where he subsequently became regional manager of the Department of Conservation and Land Management in the Kimberley region. While working in both Papua New Guinea and the Kimberley, Chris was involved in biological survey work and management activities, including coastal expeditions to sawmilling enterprises and forest concessions along the coast of New Guinea and its sovereign islands. As a local guest lecturer, Chris has accompanied Zegrahm Expeditions on almost all of its voyages to the Kimberley. He has a good knowledge of, and strong interest in, the geology, wildlife, and plants of the region, as well as an understanding of the Aboriginal art and culture. View this leader's trips | back to top Dorothy Drummond (American Geographical Society lecturer)Dorothy is an author and very popular educator, now retired from teaching geography at both Indiana State University and Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. A lifetime world traveler, she has often focused on the lands of the eastern and central Mediterranean. In addition to several textbooks on world geography, Dorothy is the author of Holy Land, Whose Land? Modern Dilemma, Ancient Roots, now in an updated second edition. She is a Fellow of the American Geographical Society, has served on its research staff, and has written for the AGS's Ubique and Focus on Geography magazines. View this leader's trips | back to top Robert DunbarProfessor Rob Dunbar is the Vicky and Roger Sant Director of the Earth Systems Program and Senior Fellow of the Institute for International Studies at Stanford University. In the fall of 2001, he also became the first director of Stanford’s new Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Environment and Resources. In over twenty trips to Antarctica, Rob has conducted extensive research on oceanography, glaciology, and climate dynamics. In 1983, working at Rice University, he began leading teams of scientists and graduate students to Antarctica’s Ross Sea to study the impacts of climate change on Southern Ocean ecosystems. He now leads groups of Stanford undergraduate and graduate students on research expeditions to the Ross Sea and the Antarctic Peninsula. View this leader's trips | back to top  Nancy Jane EarnhardtNancy Jane received her B.S. degree in Biology at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. During college, she spent a Semester at Sea, sailing around the world while taking classes. Since then she has channeled her passion for exotic places and the natural and cultural world into working with travel companies and cruise lines, visiting more than 95 countries in the process. She has led expeditions the world over by ship, plane, and on land, reaching remote regions in such places as Oceania, Africa, South America, and Europe.
View this leader's trips | back to top  Edmundo EdwardsEdmundo is extremely knowledgeable about the peoples, customs, living patterns, and legends of the South Pacific, and is considered one of the major experts on Easter Island and Eastern Polynesian history and culture. Until recently, he was Chief Archaeologist in charge of the archaeological survey of French Polynesia under the auspices of the Human Sciences Research Center and the Department of Archaeology of French Polynesia. Edmundo now resides on Easter Island and, besides lecturing to various groups, he is dedicated to writing up his recent archeological work in the Marquesas, Society and Tuamotu group of islands. View this leader's trips | back to top George Eogan (Archaeological Institute of America lecturer)Professor George Eogan earned his Ph.D. from Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. He is a leading expert in the archaeology of Ireland, with particular interest in the Neolithic and Late Bronze Ages. He is also the director of the Knowth Research Project and has been excavating at Knowth for more than 40 years as part of his investigation of the Passage Tomb builders in Ireland and Western Europe. George is a native of Ireland and has taught and lectured extensively on the country's archaeology. Now professor emeritus of archaeology, University College, Dublin, his archaeological research has led to approximately 90 papers and nine books, including The Accomplished Art: Gold and Gold-working in Britain and Ireland During the Bronze Age; Knowth and the Passage Tombs of Ireland; and (with M. Herity) Ireland in Prehistory. View this leader's trips | back to top  Dr. Ralph EshelmanRalph was director of the Calvert Marine Museum in Maryland from 1974 to 1990. In 1974 he received his Ph.D. in geology and vertebrate paleontology from the University of Michigan. Ralph is now a research associate in the Department of Paleobiology at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. He is widely published and lectures on maritime and military history, polar exploration, and paleontology. Ralph has traveled to many parts of the world including Alaska, Labrador, the Great Lakes, and Canadian Maritime Provinces. View this leader's trips | back to top Steve EspositoSteve's life-long fascination with the Far East led to an M.A. degree in East Asian Studies at the University of Illinois at Champaign. Over the last 25 years, Steve focused his area of interest and study on the history of French Indochina and the contributions of diverse traditions to Vietnam's unique culture. His education also includes an advanced degree in business, a certificate in Travel and Tourism, and a law degree. Steve is skilled in the languages of East Asia and the Mekong, in spoken Mandarin Chinese and Vietnamese, and has a working knowledge of Cambodian and Japanese. He is a museum docent at the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago. View this leader's trips | back to top  Greg EstesGreg has served as a licensed naturalist guide in the Galápagos Islands since 1982. After graduating with a degree in biology from the University of London, he led the Cambridge Darwin Centenary Galápagos Expedition of 1982, which studied the feeding ecology of marine iguanas. He has extensively researched Charles Darwin and is currently writing a book on Darwin and the Galápagos. Greg has participated in several other research projects, including studies of sperm whales and the dark-rumped petrel, a seabird endangered due to the presence of introduced animals. Maker of the Galápagos video Timeless & Fearless, Greg has been active in saving the Galápagos marine environment, which is becoming increasingly threatened by the impact of indiscriminate illegal fishing. He recently filmed the evacuation of the giant tortoises that were being threatened by the lava flow from the eruption of Cerro Azul volcano on the island of Isabela. Greg has traveled extensively throughout Europe, North America, Central and South America, and northern Africa. View this leader's trips | back to top  Russell EvansRussell Evans is a 6th generation Falkland Islander who grew up working on farms on Pebble and Saunders Islands. In the mid 1990s, Russell left farming to pursue his interest in the sea and small boats (especially sail boats), and he went to work crewing and skippering commercial work boats for island companies. He has spent the past few years as dive boat support, assisting with scientific research and medical evacuations, conducting sightseeing trips to local islands, and working with cruise ships that visit the region. His work background and independent sailing explorations provide him with considerable cumulative knowledge of the waters around the Falklands. Russell began working on expedition ships as a Zodiac driver/ naturalist in December 2003. After falling under the spell of the Antarctic, he takes every opportunity to return. His passion for the sea and interest in travel has led Russell to choose a career in expedition travel and he has recently worked in that capacity as a Zodiac driver in the Arctic and British Isles. He is very much an outdoors person, enjoying hiking and camping with a keen interest in wildlife and photography. View this leader's trips | back to top Richard FagenRichard graduated magna cum laude from Yale and then earned an M.A. and
View this leader's trips | back to top  Holly FaithfullHolly's love of the great outdoors began at a young age on her family farm in rural England, rapidly expanding in her teens to include more exotic wildlife destinations. Her interest in photography and mammals has since led to travel on six continents, with extended periods spent in Latin America, Asia, and Australasia. While continuing her travels, Holly qualified as a lawyer, spending seven years as a commercial litigator in an international law firm in London before her wanderlust finally drew her away from the legal profession and into the world of ecotourism that now occupies a central position in her life. During her tenure with Zegrahm & Eco-Expeditions, Holly has scouted and led our inaugural programs to places such as Borneo and Brazil. View this leader's trips | back to top  Conrad FieldConrad Field is a professional naturalist residing in Homer, Alaska. He is an accomplished artist in the mediums of pen-and-ink and scrimshaw, and currently works as program consultant and environmental educator for the Kachemak Bay Learning Center in Otter Cove near Homer. In honor of his efforts, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) named Conrad Volunteer of the Year in its 2003 Excellence Awards for Coastal and Ocean Resource Management. Conrad and his wife, Carmen, also own Northcountry Nature, a small natural-history publisher, and in 1999 wrote a guide to spineless wonders of the north, Alaska's Seashore Creatures - A Guide to Selected Marine Invertebrates. Since 1989 Conrad has been a naturalist-lecturer aboard a variety of expedition vessels. On these voyages, he has lectured on natural history, seabird biology, marine mammals, whaling, the art of scrimshaw, marine invertebrate life, and local flora and fauna. View this leader's trips | back to top Carmen FieldCarmen is a professional naturalist residing in Homer, Alaska, who works as an environmental education specialist for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game at the Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (KBNERR). She develops and delivers marine-science education programs for the Research Reserve at the Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center in Homer. Carmen and her husband, Conrad, own Northcountry Nature, a small natural-history publisher. In 1999 the Fields wrote a guide to spineless wonders of the north, Alaska’s Seashore Creatures – A Guide to Selected Marine Invertebrates. Since 1989 Carmen has been a naturalist-lecturer aboard a variety of expedition vessels. Carmen has made 54 trips during the austral summer to the Antarctic—to the Antarctic Peninsula, Ross Sea, and Indian Ocean sectors of the Ice. On these voyages, she has lectured on natural history, seabird biology, marine mammals, marine invertebrate life, Falkland and South Georgia Islands flora and fauna, and historical expeditions. View this leader's trips | back to top  Scott FitzsimmonsCurrently president of Zegrahm Expeditions, Scott has enjoyed a 21-year career in the travel industry, serving as a leader in the field and holding a variety of executive positions. After graduating from the University of Washington, Scott began his career as a tour leader in Alaska and China, just as the country began accepting foreign travelers. During his subsequent tenure at three different cruise lines, Scott became acquainted with the Zegrahm founders, and eventually joined the company in 1997. At Zegrahm, Scott has been involved in the development, marketing, and operations of many innovative travel programs, and has personally completed basic cosmonaut training in Star City, Russia, a submersible dive to the Titanic, and many other Zegrahm adventures. A Fellow of The Explorers Club, Scott now heads up Zegrahm's Seattle office. View this leader's trips | back to top Larry FordLarry is a geographer who specializes in the cities of the world, with expertise in urban geography and design, historic preservation, and comparative urbanization. He has visited and photographed approximately 1,000 urban areas in 70 countries on six continents, and has been traveling in Europe for nearly forty years. A Professor of Geography at San Diego State University, where he has been teaching since 1970, he is also the author of more than 65 articles and five books. Larry has been an American Geographer Society Councilor for 10 years, and has written many articles for the Geographical Review and FOCUS on Geography magazine. In 2005, he taught as a Fulbright distinguished scholar at the University of Trieste, Italy, and has continued to do collaborative research on the Mediterranean region. View this leader's trips | back to top  Sergey FrolovSergey is a Russian-born mariner, explorer, sled-dog musher, and businessman. Throughout his career, he has undertaken dozens of unique explorations. Between 1987 and 1991, Sergey lived in the Russian Arctic, where the Siberian Yupik Eskimos taught him to build umiaks, traditional skin boats. During this time, he and the Eskimo elders crossed the Bering Strait to Alaska three times, in umiaks, reuniting Eskimo families split by the Cold War. In 1992 Sergey brought the first foreign-flag expedition ship to Kamchatka. View this leader's trips | back to top Simon GikandiProfessor Simon Gikandi graduated with a first-class degree in literature from the University of Nairobi, was a British Council Scholar at the University of Edinburgh, and received his Ph.D. in English from Northwestern University. His major fields of research and teaching are the Anglophone literatures and cultures of Africa, India, the Caribbean, and Postcolonial Britain, the "Black" Atlantic and the African Diaspora. He is the general editor of The Encyclopedia of African Literature and co-editor of The Cambridge History of African and Caribbean Literature and is currently completing a book on the relation between slavery and the culture of taste. View this leader's trips | back to top Nathan Glazer & Sulochana Raghavan GlazerNathan Glazer received his Ph.D. in sociology from Columbia University. He taught at several colleges and universities before settling at Harvard in 1968 as professor of Sociology and Education. He has been a regular visitor to India since 1966, lecturing at various Indian universities and research institutes, along with his wife, Sulochana Raghavan Glazer, who also joins our expedition. Sulochana was born in India and received her master's degree in philosophy from Nagpur University. Her main interest in recent years is United States-India relations. She speaks two Indian languages fluently, and has intimate knowledge of South Indian culture. View this leader's trips | back to top  Jeff GneiserMountaineer, ski instructor, sailor and scuba diving professional—all of these titles describe Jeff’s ability to share the outdoors with others. His appreciation for nature’s pristine beauty and awesome power is rivaled only by his love for the sea. Jeff spent his summers working on charter boats, sailing and taking passengers scuba diving. After graduating with a bachelor of science in computer/electrical engineering at the University of Colorado, Jeff returned to the travel industry as a dive instructor and expedition leader. In the past decade, Jeff has earned his 100-ton U.S. Coast Guard Captain license, Medic First Aid Instructors ticket, and traveled the far corners of the earth. Jeff’s experience and accessible personality make him a natural leader and a valuable asset to our expedition team. View this leader's trips | back to top  Lynne GreigLynne was born and raised in South Africa and after finishing her education spent several years teaching there. Her love for travel led her around the globe, and eventually turned into a career in the adventure travel industry as cruise director. Since 1995 she has traveled from Antarctica to the Arctic, through Africa and the Indian Ocean, Russia, the South Pacific, and Australia. Voyages have taken Lynne to every continent and across every ocean aboard expedition vessels ranging from Russian icebreakers to Australian catamarans. She has tried to settle down on numerous occasions; however, the lure of the sea is too strong, and she keeps going back out in the field, where her cheery personality, abundant energy, and industry knowledge serve her well in her positions as expedition leader and cruise director. View this leader's trips | back to top  Jack S. GroveA marine biologist and professional naturalist, Jack has spent much of the past two decades traveling on, and lecturing about, the world's oceans. Cofounder of Zegrahm Expeditions and research associate in the Section of Fishes at the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, Jack is a leading authority on the fishes and marine environments of the eastern tropical Pacific. For seven years he lived in the Galapagos, where he carried out extensive marine biological studies. In 1997 Stanford University Press published his comprehensive volume The Fishes of the Galapagos Islands, and he received his Ph.D. from Pacific Western University. A true adventurer and Fellow of The Explorers Club, Jack has led numerous expeditions to the remote corners of the world, participating in polar expeditions as marine naturalist, photographer, and expedition leader, as well as working with noted scientists and explorers such as Jean-Michael Cousteau. Jack is an avid scuba diver, certified dive master, and dedicated conservationist. In 2002 he was one of 57 scientists invited by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) to participate in a conference in Hanoi to discuss a strategy for the preservation of marine biodiversity. When not traveling, he manages his own photography business in the Florida Keys, where he lives with his wife, Paulina. View this leader's trips | back to top  Paul HarrisPaul was born in England and graduated from Aberdeen University in politics and international relations. He wrote his first book—on pirate radio ships—while he was at university and has now published more than 40 books on subjects ranging from art and architecture to war. His real passion is photography, and several books of his photographs, which reflect his extensive travels, have been published, including Somebody Else's War (1992), Cry Bosnia (1995), Fractured Paradise: Images of Sri Lanka (2001), and About Face: Photographs from the Streets of Shanghai (2003). He became a journalist by accident in June 1991 when his aircraft was destroyed in a bombing attack on Ljubljana airport in Slovenia. For ten years he reported from conflicts in places such as Bosnia, Kosovo, Sri Lanka, Aceh, Nepal, Manipur, Algeria, the Sahara, Eritrea, and Uganda. He now lives in Malta, where he writes and photographs and works as a political risk analyst specializing in southern Europe and northern Africa. View this leader's trips | back to top  Peter HarrisonPeter Harrison, MBE - A professional birder, artist, author, and screenwriter, Peter is widely considered the world's foremost authority on seabirds. Often credited with having seen more seabirds than anyone, past or present, Peter has written and illustrated over a dozen books, of which Seabirds: An Identification Guide is considered the bible of seabird identification. Peter has led expeditions the world over and is noted for his quick thinking and derring-do in tight situations. An active conservationist, he has been honored by Queen Elizabeth II with the title Member of the British Empire for services to natural history. He is also a cofounder of Zegrahm Expeditions and a Fellow of The Explorers Club. View this leader's trips | back to top Dr. John H. HarwoodDr. John Harwood was born in 1944 in Stoke-on-Trent, England. He received a first class honors degree in botany from the University of London in 1966 and a doctorate in microbiology from the same university in 1970. John is well traveled, having lived and worked in Swaziland, France, Burundi and the U.S. before moving in 1978 to his present home in Manaus in the Amazon. In 1986, he became a full-time naturalist and lecturer, working with individuals, specialist groups, academics and the media, including projects for CBS, BBC, and National Geographic. John's research has resulted in the publication of more than 30 articles in English and Portuguese journals. View this leader's trips | back to top Hamish HenryAustralian born, Hamish has been diving the world's oceans professionally for the past 12 years. As a diving instructor, he has shared the wonders of the underwater world with scuba divers in Tahiti, Fiji, and the Great Barrier Reef. Hamish is also a highly qualified commercial diver. So, when not working on expedition cruise ships throughout the Indo-Pacific, Hamish is diving under extreme conditions within the oil and gas, salvage, and underwater construction industries in such exotic locations as China, Indonesia, the Philippines, and northern Australia. Hamish's specialist knowledge has also been called upon in his role as marine crew for numerous television productions such as Survivor (Thailand 2002) and Castaway (Fiji 2000). View this leader's trips | back to top  Lex HesLex Hes, a naturalist and wildlife photographer, was born and educated in Johannesburg and has been involved in the world of wildlife for the past 25 years. Previously a guide at the world-famous Londolozi Game Reserve, Lex is now a popular freelance nature guide who imparts his wealth of knowledge of Africa's ecosystems in an easygoing and friendly manner. He is an author and nature photographer with five books to his credit — the highly acclaimed Leopards of Londolozi; a children's book called Bushschool; Attracting Birds to Your Garden in Southern Africa; The Complete Book of Southern African Mammals; and Wild South Africa, about the biomes of his native country. In addition to time spent in the Mpumalanga Lowveld and guiding visitors around South Africa, Lex has been involved with biological work on the sub-Antarctic islands of Amsterdam and Marion and has led tours to Kenya, Botswana, and Namibia. View this leader's trips | back to top James Higginbotham (Archaeological Institute of America lecturer)Jim is an associate professor of classical archeology at Bowdoin College and holds a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in classical art and archeology. His scholarly interests focus on ancient Greek and Roman colonies as well as the social history of the late Roman Republic. Jim was the recipient of several fellowships, including a Fulbright-Hays Research Grant to Italy and the Oscar Broneer Fellowship in Classical Archaeology at the American Academy in Rome. In addition to teaching courses in archeology and the classical languages, Jim has excavated classical sites in Israel, Greece, and Italy. His recent publications include Piscinae: Artificial Fishponds in Roman Italy and contributions in J. G. Pedley and M. Torelli's The Sanctuary of Santa Venera at Paestum I. View this leader's trips | back to top  Greg HomelGreg is an ornithologist, award-winning international nature photojournalist, and documentary film producer who operates Natural Encounters Birding-Tours, Inc. and Natural Elements Photo-Video Research, Inc. A birder-naturalist since early childhood, Greg now travels the world on a full-time basis in search of rare and little-known birds and wildlife, which he then brings to the rest of us through his state-of-the-art digital lecture series, television, and publications. At first his work appeared regularly in books and magazines as diverse as Wildbird, The Audubon Society Field Guides to (both) Eastern and Western Birds, Time, Birder's World, Tucson Lifestyle, and Texas Monthly, but since the digital revolution, Greg has moved into television production with the hope of "giving a voice to his truest love, which is the natural world and its inhabitants." Recent documentary work includes a film for Panama's National Association for the Conservation of Nature in the Darien Gap, as well as a 2004 film project for the World Wildlife Fund/Russian Wildlife Authority on the wildlife and culture of the Commander Islands. Since 1990 he has guided, educated, and inspired travelers in over 80 countries throughout the world. Greg has personally seen over 50 percent of the planet's roughly 9,800 bird species in the wild. View this leader's trips | back to top  Karen HunttKaren is a documentary photographer, photo editor, and web producer with a passion for international culture. She began her career as a photojournalist in Colorado while earning a degree in anthropology. She then went on to direct international assignments for the TV division at The National Geographic Society. She has edited for numerous publications and companies, and was managing photo editor of Bill Gates' groundbreaking digital archive, Corbis. In 2005 she co-led an expedition to Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands with Michele Westmorland and is developing a book, film, and exhibit about the project. Her photography has earned her national recognition and awards, and is represented by Alamy, Corbis, Getty Images, and Houserstock. View this leader's trips | back to top  Wolfgang KaehlerWolfgang has photographed around the world for prestigious magazines and travel companies since 1977, and has traveled to Antarctica over 20 times. In 1988 he was selected by National Geographic as one of 100 photographers for a worldwide exhibit and book Odyssey - The Art of Photography at National Geographic. Wolfgang will be accompanied by Keren Su, founder of ChinaSpan and accomplished professional photographer, artist, painter, and full-time explorer. Keren has led trips throughout China, Asia, and South America, including the 1990 Peace Expedition to Mt. Everest. View this leader's trips | back to top  Yasar KaradagYasar was born in the Caucasus Mountain region of Turkey. His deep interest and passion for history and archaeology were obvious at an early age, and his teachers encouraged him to pursue a profession guiding travelers. Yasar has traveled almost every inch of his home country, and credits himself fortunate to be born in the same land as Homer, Herodotus, Strabo, St. Paul, and Mevlana. With over 18 years of experience, Yasar chooses to remain in the field, sharing his knowledge, expertise, and excellent service with those who visit his beloved country. Yasar also owns and operates New Faces Tourism and Travel, based in Kusadasi, Turkey.
View this leader's trips | back to top  David Keeling (American Geographical Society lecturer)David is a professor and the head of the Department of Geography and Geology at Western Kentucky University and a national councilor of the American Geographical Society. He received his Ph.D. in geography from the University of Oregon, and his research interests include the historical geography of exploration and global change. David lectures widely and has published numerous books, articles, and reviews. His travels include more than 174 countries, including previous visits to northern Africa. View this leader's trips | back to top Jake KritzerJake was raised in New England, and developed his love of the sea on the beaches and marshes of Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Nantucket. After earning his bachelor’s degree in biology at Vermont’s Middlebury College, Jake worked at the University of California at Davis marine laboratory in Bodega Bay, before venturing to Australia, where he spent six years studying coral reef ecology on the Great Barrier Reef and earned his doctorate at James Cook University. Jake then spent three years as a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Windsor in Canada, where he continued studying coral reefs in Central America and the Arabian Gulf. The author of several scholarly articles and senior editor of the recent book Marine Metapopulations, Jake is currently a staff scientist with the Oceans Program at Environmental Defense, a national non-profit conservation organization based in New York City. View this leader's trips | back to top  George LakeInspired from a young age by world-traveling grandparents, George developed a love for travel, adventure, and nature—especially pertaining to the sea. He became a certified scuba diver at age 14 and worked many years as a commercial diver, assistant dive instructor, and sailor working on charter vessels. He has recently retired from a successful career in computer network security and cryptography and returned to a life of travel and his passion for the sea. View this leader's trips | back to top Allan LangdaleAllan earned a doctorate degree in art history from the University of California at Santa Barbara and has taught in the University of California system for more than 12 years. His specialties include Italian Renaissance art and architecture, medieval art, and Byzantine art; he has recently completed a documentary film on the history and architecture of the medieval city of Famagusta, on the east coast of Cyprus. Allan has also published a number of works of travel photography. View this leader's trips | back to top  Susan B.M. LangleySusan is the State Underwater Archaeologist for the Maryland Historical Trust. She received her B.A. in anthropology from the University of Toronto and her M.A. and Ph.D. in archaeology from the University of Calgary. She is a Dive Safety Officer for the state of Maryland and is a Master Scuba Diver Trainer through PADI. Her long-standing interest is updating international and national heritage protection legislation, to which end she often consults and advises UNESCO. She has published numerous academic articles in journals and books as well as educational materials for government agencies, including the National Parks Service. Susan teaches classes and seminars on marine archaeology and works as a consulting archaeologist for various projects as well as developing public education programming for use in interpretive centers, schools, and outreach programs. She also raises bees and is a master spinner who gives demonstrations and presentations on textiles of cultural and historical importance. View this leader's trips | back to top  Elise LocktonField courses and a degree in Environmental Studies introduced Elise to the world of interpreting nature as a passion and profession. Her love of travel and natural history has strong roots in the places where she has chosen to live and work. Since 1993 Elise has worked as a naturalist-at-large, leading trips through the remote jungles of Costa Rica, Panama, Peru, Ecuador, and Hawaii, with summers in Alaska. Elise has spent eleven years in Alaska working both on land and onboard ship leading trips for intrepid travelers. There is nothing she enjoys more than integrating biological, cultural, and historical information and sharing that knowledge with those seeking an ecological adventure. When she is not working or traveling, Elise resides near the entrance of Denali National Park. View this leader's trips | back to top Mary MacLeod (Archaeological Institute of America lecturer)Mary was born in London and, as her father's family was from the Outer Hebrides, spent a lot of time in the Hebrides as a child. She earned her B.A. from the University of Cambridge, specializing in Roman, Anglo-Saxon, and medieval archaeology; her M.A. from the University of York, specializing in the age of the Vikings; and her Ph.D. from the University of Glasgow. Mary has done fieldwork in Sweden and the U.K., is fluent in Swedish, and has a reading knowledge of Norwegian, Danish, French, medieval Latin, and Old Norse. She began working as a regional archaeologist in the Outer Hebrides in 1998, and is now settled on a family croft, which she runs with her partner, landscape artist Simon Rivett. View this leader's trips | back to top Lyn MairBorn and raised in Zimbabwe, Lyn has traveled extensively in Africa, searching for rare and endemic birds in all the major habitat regions, from Ethiopia to East Africa, from the equatorial forests of West Africa to the dry, Sahelian areas of Mali. She first visited Madagascar in 1994 and has been leading birding and natural history expeditions to that fascinating island ever since then. She has also explored most of the western Indian Ocean Islands, leading travelers into Mauritius, the Comoros, Zanzibar, and many of the islands off Tanzania and Mozambique. Lyn lectures on board ships about the natural history of Madagascar, the Seychelles, Antarctica, and Africa and has spent time plying the waters of the Red Sea and Western Indian Ocean. She is senior author and photographer of Seychelles: The Bradt Travel Guide, a contributor to Mali: The Bradt Travel Guide, and publishes articles in various wildlife and travel magazines. Lyn lives in Cape Town, South Africa. View this leader's trips | back to top Bobbie MartinOur Zegrahm representative, Bobbie, will also accompany you on your Turkey adventure. Having traveled throughout Europe as a child with her parents, Bobbie pursued her passion for travel at Becker College in Massachusetts where she obtained a degree in Travel and Tourism Services. Now a 20-year travel industry veteran she joined Zegrahm Expeditions in 2000 as a program manager and has been assisting clients in their travels to all corners of the globe. She has traveled to six continents and more than 20 countries. Her home base is Seattle where she lives with her husband and twin sons. View this leader's trips | back to top  Geraldine MassynJD comes from Pretoria, South Africa. While studying law at the University of Pretoria, she accepted the first of many short-term contracts in public relations aboard cruise ships, which took her around the African coastline and later extended to the Indian Ocean islands and as far afield as Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific. In 1991, she boarded her first expedition cruise ship bound for Antarctica. Her career in a wide variety of travel-related positions has seen her lead select-passenger groups across the globe. JD now works on expedition vessels as a cruise director, naturalist, and Zodiac driver. View this leader's trips | back to top Kazumi MasudaKazumi is a well-known travel writer who has journeyed extensively on cruise ships, having crossed the oceans and explored many of the rivers around the world. Born in Yokohama, Japan, Kazumi grew up in Tokyo, where she received her B.A. in English literature at Waseda University. She then moved to the United States and received her M.A. in applied linguistics at Columbia University in New York. At an early age, she acquired skills and knowledge in calligraphy, the “way of tea,” and other facets of Japanese culture. Additionally, she has gained considerable knowledge of the history of the cruise industry, which forms the subject of many of her lectures. She writes regularly for travel journals and published a book in 1997 entitled Welcome Aboard. She is currently writing a novel about life and travel aboard cruise ships. View this leader's trips | back to top  Rob McCallNatural history has been a ceaseless passion for Rob ever since his earliest childhood days in the depths of the English countryside. His passion carried him through an undergraduate degree in zoology at Cambridge University and g | ||||
