We just joined the Viking World Cruise in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. 

We will be on board the Viking Sky for the cruise around Africa and disembarking in Lisbon.  

My lectures will introduce guests to some of the unique ecosystems and wildlife of SE Asia, Mauritius, and continental Africa. Here's a sampling of my lecture topics:

"Dodos to Lemurs: Contrasting Creatures of Mauritius & Madagascar" Explore the evolutionary marvels of Mauritius and Madagascar, where isolation in the same sea has sculpted wildly distinct wildlife wonders from dodos to lemurs." 

 

“African Wildlife Up Close & Personal.” Experience the rich ecosystems of the Okavango Delta and Kruger National Park through a photo safari. 

 

"Apex Predators of Africa" Discover the fascinating role of the largest carnivores in Africa… and their valuable ecological roles in “top-down” structuring of the ecosystem. Without Lions, would their prey survive? 

 

“Southern Coast of Africa—Where the Sea Saved Humanity.” Gain insight into how modern humans survived on this coast more than 100,000 years ago. 

 

“In the Realm of the Great White Shark.” Explore the fascinating lives of these top marine predators and the ecosystems they help create. 

 

“Namib & Kalahari Deserts—Ecosystems & Adaptations.” Find out how wildlife—elephants, lions, oryx and more—and the first affluent human culture evolved. 

"Sun, Wind, and Water: Africa's Green Energy Safari" Embark on a thrilling safari through Africa's renewable landscape, where the power of sun, wind, and water is driving an energy revolution. 

 

"Some of the Most Fascinating Creatures from Our Travels!" Embark on an exciting journey with our real-life wildlife adventures. Discover fascinating facts about egg-laying mammals, the world's most perilous birds, massive sea-going reptiles, and much more. 

“The Remarkable Story of How We Cracked Open Planet Earth.” Learn how one remarkable woman mapped the seafloor, helping to reveal surprising scientific secrets about Earth’s dynamic crust. 

"Canary Islands: Remarkable Ecosystems and Adaptations" Dive into the natural tapestry of the Canary Islands, where volcanic origins have given rise to ecosystems and cultures as unique and dynamic as the islands themselves.

You can follow along on our journey! Visit AnimalsFYI.com and follow the links.

Happy Travels!  Go Wild!

George

World Explorations Speaker

Seabourn Ovation - Pearls of Arabia & India

Photo by Kevin Tadema on Unsplash

Greetings!  My next lecture series will be on board the Seabourn Ovation Pearls of Arabia & India

Asian elephants are some of the most iconic creatures on the planet and will play a starring role in my lectures on board the Ovation.

One of the most exciting and hopeful stories that I've come across in my research for our upcoming travels in India involves both elephants and bees.  I don't know if elephants are afraid of mice (as the old wives would have us believe) - but it turns out that they really truly are afraid of bees!!  Which could come in handy when you want to deter elephants from trampling through your village or crossing railway tracks.

The elephants and bees project teaches villagers how to build a fence that incorporates bee hives.

The beehive fence used 15 hives colonized with the Indian bee (Apis cerana indica) at 10 meter intervals and were hung 5 meters off the ground. When the elephants hit the wire attaching the beehives, the angry bees are released which is enough to deter the elephants.

Even more fascinating is the use of buzzing to deter elephants.  Yes, the railway authority in India has learned that broadcasting the sound of buzzing bees is enough to keep them away from railway tracks.  Nearly 50 buzzing amplifiers have been deployed as part of "Plan Bee" at a dozen "elephant corridors" in the vast forests of Assam state, home to nearly 6,000 elephants, 20% of the country's total.