Maasdam - Panama Canal cruisers - Thank You!!

Gatun Locks, Panama Canal from on board Maasdam, May 2016

Dear Friends from the Maasdam,

Thank you very much for being such a great audience!  Hopefully you've had a chance to regale your family and friends with tales of vineyards moving north, the Red Devils of the Sea of Cortez, and cooperative hunters communicating with the whites of their eyes!!

I presented some fascinating research on Human cooperation
(what's wrong with this picture...??)

PS: real apes don't have such highly visible white in their eyes

 In our species the sclera is bright white and the iris is colored, providing sharp visual contrast. When we look at someone, we can clearly see where their eyes are pointing independently of where their face is pointing, even at a considerable distance, thanks to the contrast between the sclera and iris.  Our eyes have evolved to enhance communication and cooperation - i.e., teamwork while hunting.  Other primate species try to keep their eye direction less discernible because they're not as interested in sharing. (see Nature 387, 767-768 (19 June 1997) Unique morphology of the human eye, Hiromi Kobayashi & Shiro Kohshima).  For more on this I highly recommend the book: Evolution for Everyone by David S. Smith.

And now, for your added enjoyment...!! Here's the clip I took of the Black-mandibled Toucan while we were on a shore excursion in Puntarenas, Costa Rica, feeding on the Cecropia tree.

Thanks again for a great voyage... hope to see you on another cruise!!  Our next cruise will be on the Rotterdam, Atlantic Adventurer, October 25 - November 19, NYC to Athens.

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All the best and happy travels!!
George & Jan

Toucans and Tapirs, Costa Rica

Black-mandibled Toucan, Costa Rica

Costa Rica is renowned for its birds and wildlife.  In March, we undertook a research trip to explore some of the exceptional wildlife viewing opportunities.  We were not disappointed!!  For example, we had an amazing time in the tropical rainforest managed as a wildlife refuge and eco-resort by Jack Ewing at Hacienda Baru, near Dominical.  (BTW, I can highly recommend Jack's book Monkeys are Made of Chocolate!!)  This wildlife refuge is an important link in the Mesoamerican biological corridor.  The aim is to provide sufficient interconnected natural habitat for wildlife such as the native Baird's tapir and, ultimately, the "top of the foodchain" in these rainforests - the jaguar.   This fascinating creature (check out that snout!!) can reach up to 400 kg or over 800 lbs.

 

Watch a great little video of a female and her youngster on YouTube.  Females with young can be dangerous, as discovered by the Costa Rican Minister of Environment (luckily he was OK... and it's a great story!!).

Here's a short video clip of our explorations in search of a mystery caller!!

 I will incorporate many of these photos and stories in my upcoming lecture series on the Maasdam Panama Canal cruise May 3 - 25, from Ft Lauderdale to Seattle. 

Whistled Language of La Gomera, Canary Islands

Known as the Silbo Gomero...

On our recent transatlantic cruise on board the Maasdam, I was lecturing about the ecology, culture and geology of the Canary Islands.  I presented a clip from the following excellent UNESCO video on the unique and amazing "Whistled Language of Gomera" 

UNESCO: Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity - 2009:  Visit the UNESCO website to learn more: http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/RL/...
Description: The whistled language of La Gomera Island in the Canaries, the Silbo Gomero, replicates the islanders habitual language (Castilian Spanish) with whistling. Handed down over centuries from master to pupil, it is the only whistled language in the world that is fully developed and practised by a large community (more than 22,000 inhabitants). The whistled language replaces each vowel or consonant with a whistling sound: two distinct whistles replace the five Spanish vowels, and there are four whistles for consonants. The whistles can be distinguished according to pitch and whether they are interrupted or continuous. With practice, whistlers can convey any message. Some local variations even point to their origin.
Taught in schools since 1999, the Silbo Gomero is understood by almost all islanders and practised by the vast majority, particularly the elderly and the young. It is also used during festivities and ceremonies, including religious occasions. To prevent it from disappearing like the other whistled languages of the Canary Islands, it is important to do more for its transmission and promote the Silbo Gomero as intangible cultural heritage cherished by the inhabitants of La Gomera and the Canary Islands as a whole.