Hello again! Introducing Biogeoplanet.com

Hello ... it has been a long time!  Don't these Hatchetfish have exactly the right expression during this Covid pandemic!!?  Haha!  Hope you are keeping safe!

As you would expect, we have not taken any cruises in 2020! Seems like a safer option during these Covid times. I do have several upcoming cruises scheduled for 2021-22 - you can see them listed here.  My wife and I have been busy preparing articles for our new website biogeoplanet.com

You might be interested in some of these articles -- I've learned a lot in researching them, even after 13 years of providing science lectures to thousands of people.

OK - did you know that octopuses can get an erection?  In fact they are the only non-mammalian species able to do so (that we know about).  Pays to have erectile tissue in the hectocotylus!  The same article describes how the Argonaut octopus has a detachable penis!!  

I believe you might find that my article on Irukandji jellyfish is one of the best sources of  up-to-date information available on this tiny yet life-threatening species.  I also delve into the fascinating subject of what it takes to succeed without a brain. 

Read about Leaf-cutter ants, some of our favorite insects.  They are so cheery and colorful as they go about their work with their parasol leaves held up high.  I was fascinated to learn that their jaws can vibrate up 1,000 times a second as they cut through leaves.  It is not a fair society!  The workers that toil away in the dump are ostracized and attacked if they try to come too close to the nest.

Check out my 360 degree video on taking the cable car to the top of Table Mountain overlooking Cape Town, South Africa.  This is one of the most scenic spots we've ever explored in all our years of travelling the world.

I have tons more fascinating articles up on Biogeoplanet.com - please take a minute to check them out.

Wishing you all the best,

George 

PS: My article on the most dangerous bird in the world is a hoot!!  Or squawk?

OK, I can't forget my encounter with a bullet ant - world's most painful stinging insect!

  

Oz - Singapore onboard ms Amsterdam

Just returned from another fantastic voyage lecturing onboard the Amsterdam for the Holland America World Cruise - Sydney to Singapore segment.

Fascinating opportunity to lecture about the amazing creatures of Australia -- platypus, devils, saltwater crocs, cassowaries, and koalas.

Check out those daggers!!  These are very effective for keeping pesky humans in line.

A bit of excitement as the Komodo Dragons got a bit too close to the crowd.  "Do not Run!! DO NOT RUN!" said the Ranger, "...but move quickly!"  Yes - that is the ranger holding a Dragon by the Tail!! (Photo with thanks to Barbara Heywood-Chasey)

Hong Kong was brilliant at night!

Snake & Scorpion Wine! A sip per day might help if you have aspirations to become a snake-oil salesman!  Many shelves were filled with these and similar offerings in Nha Trang, Vietnam.  Pity to see thousands of creatures end up this way.

Singapore: Learning about Bananas from Tony at the fascinating Bollywood educational garden - perhaps the only organic veggie garden in Singapore www.bollywoodveggies.com.  Handy Trivia:  If the Banana is edible the flowers point downwards... if the flowers point upwards it is ornamental.