With my personal life taking centre stage and the completion of Lilanthro’s Story demanding my attention, cetaceans (aka. whales and dolphins) have not had much coverage on this blog in the last few months. I decided to remedy this situation by posting the following revised article originally written for Planet Whale. Interestingly, for me anyway, I wrote it after only ever having been on one whale watching trip, (and that was on a ferry, not a dedicated whale watching boat). Now, after having been on a fair few trips and research expeditions, I can say with confidence that the following top ten list stands the test of reality…
No matter where you are going whale or dolphin watching, whether you are spotting Orca’s in Canada, Humpbacks in Australia or Blue Whales in California, there is no denying the fact that a whale watching trip can be a once in a lifetime experience. So if you do not want to have that stomach churning sensation as you realise “Doh, I forgot the…” follow these top ten tips for the essential must have’s on your trip:
Binoculars
Binoculars are an absolute must and if anyone tells you that you do not need them, nod politely and walk away singing to yourself. Although photographs of whale watching trips often make the experience look as if it is a close up affair, this is not necessarily the case. Some whale and dolphin spotting is carried out from a medium to long distance; without binoculars you may be left saying “What dolphin?” in reply to people’s exuberant shouts of “Look at those Striped Dolphins leaping!” Here’s a couple of rules to remember: buy or borrow decent binoculars with a magnification between 7x and 10x; and keep the strap around your neck unless you want to see them flying overboard to be swallowed by the next big wave.
Layers, layers, layers!
You may be subject to all the elements on a whale or dolphin watching trip, from the strongest of sun to the chilliest of wind and rain, so be prepared for anything, as any boy scout could tell you. Even on a hot summer’s day, the ocean can be a cold place to hang around and on the coldest day a drop of sunshine combined with glare from the water can leave you sunburnt by the end of your trip. Wear plenty of layers, that you can take off and put on as required, and include wet weather gear. Take a hat to protect from cold and/or sun and sensible, waterproof footwear with good grip; do not be tempted to show off your new best shoes. Polarised or UV glasses are a great idea to protect your eyes from water glare and make it easier to spot whales as they swim underwater. Lastly, do not forget your sunscreen unless you consider a puffy red face to be the season’s most attractive new look.
Camera
When you return home and tell friends “You’ll never believe what we saw…” They may well reply “No we don’t; prove it!” Make sure you have your camera to preserve the memory of your experience and share it with others. A zoom of between 4x and 6x magnification is best; any more is impractical due to the movement of vessel and animal. Keeping your camera dry may be a challenge, so have a waterproof bag with you to pop it in when not in use. You may also choose to take a video camera to record some footage that will hopefully have your friends back home asking for more rather than pleading for a break. A word of warning though; a whale watching trip can be an emotional experience and one that will have most impact when you are fully engaged with it. Use your camera wisely and do not hide behind it for the whole trip or you risk dulling your experience down to a flat two-dimensional impression of what it would otherwise be.
Food and drink
If your belly is rumbling from hunger and your brain feeling disoriented from dehydration, you are unlikely to enjoy your encounter to the full. Take some snack food to keep you going and plenty of fluid to drink. Depending on how extreme a temperature you are likely to encounter, a flask of hot or cold drink could be a lifesaver.
Yourself; but on a good day
It is a simple suggestion but one that may be easily overlooked; DO get a good night’s sleep before you go on your trip and DO NOT be hungover or suffering from any other excess. Your body and your spirits (not the alcoholic kind) need to be in tip top condition for your adventure; you may have choppy seas to bravely navigate and downtime to patiently endure. It is essential that you are feeling alert so that you have the best chance of being the first person to spot the blow from a passing whale and the last person to lose their good mood when nothing exciting happens for a while.
Guide book
Get yourself a good whale and dolphin guidebook before you go. Whether or not you have children with you, your whale watching experience is likely to be more enjoyable and fulfilling if you know a little bit about what you are seeing. Not only will you be able to pat yourself on the back when you tell people you saw “a Sperm Whale!” as opposed to just “a whale”, you are likely to be even more awed by your encounter when you read about the lives of these deep-diving, squid-fighting leviathans. There may also be plenty of downtime on the trip when there is not a Fin Whale or Common Dolphin in sight; your guide book can entertain you during these lulls, maintaining your momentum until the next sighting is made.
Think like a scientist (or an artist!)
Take a notepad and pencil to record what you see, make a sketch, write a poem, or do whatever you may be inspired to do! Doing a bit of homework before you leave for your trip may even enable you to help with the research efforts of cetacean conservationists. Some conservation groups run cetacean sighting and photo-ID schemes which the public can input into; check out conservation groups in the area you will be visiting to find out if and how you can get involved.
Anything to help you avoid seasickness
Even a full night’s sleep and a good breakfast cannot guarantee that you will be immune from the ravages of seasickness. Wear comfortable clothing, pack any medicines or remedies you have been advised to take, (ginger sweets are given out on some boats), and have plenty of water and comfort food to hand. If you do suffer from seasickness, give the guide book to someone else, sit on the outside area of the boat and make sure you keep your eyes focussed on the sea around you.
Kidnap a guide
If you know a cetacean geek, take them with you! Failing that, if you want the most educational and illuminating experience, book a trip on a whale watching boat which has a nature guide on board. They are likely to be the best whale and dolphin spotter, ensuring you do not miss that elusive Beaked Whale as it dives beneath the boat. They will also be able to give you expert information about everything you see and put it across in a lively and engaging way. Some cetacean species are very hard to tell apart; they will not conform to the clearly drawn pictures in a guidebook and you may only get a glimpse of a dorsal fin on which to base your estimation as to species. An expert guide is the most likely person to be able to identify the animals you spot and may be able to confirm that you have indeed just witnessed the rarely spotted Cuvier’s Beaked Whale.
Lucky charm
Whale and dolphin watching can be a hit and miss affair. You may get lucky and have the most amazing encounter of the century or you may get unlucky and not see so much as a splash. To increase your chances of coming home smiling, if you have a lucky charm take it, if you can sing a whale-charming song sing it, if you can dance a dolphin-loving dance dance it… You get the idea!
Good luck whale watchers and enjoy your adventure…
In mid-April 2011, I embarked on this venture. There followed three and a half months of the most incredible experiences with Peggy Stap of 
We met in Peru in June, both of us there under unusual circumstances and both of us pulled to an event at a bar in Lima by others; Bruno by a friend and me accompanying the conservationists I was working for. In the two weeks we shared in Lima we met every evening and took a weekend trip to the beautiful wonders of Peru’s mountains. And then I left for Canada; it could have ended there; it didn’t. We stayed in touch until August when Bruno flew to England to meet me as I returned from Canada. By the end of another two weeks we had decided that our future paths lay together. We married in England on 6th October, and since then have been in the process of relocating to California to begin our life there together.
And now it is New Year’s Eve; a gateway between one year and the next, when individually and collectively we look reflectively backwards, look expectantly forwards and gather together our energies for the next step. 2012 is a momentous year which some people are gladly awaiting, others fearfully so, and others seeing it as just another year. Who knows what 2012 will bring for Bruno and I, for the collective human race and for this sparklingly beautiful blue planet called Earth. Maybe not every year can feel as fate-filled, love-filled and action-filled as 2011, but Bruno and I are aligning ourselves with those who are welcoming the coming year and we have faith that it will bring all that it needs to bring and be exactly as it needs to be. We feel ourselves to be in the keeping of Destiny, God and Life, and trust whatever path they intend for us to tread. I believe this to be true for all of humanity and the world itself.
You may remember mention of Stefan’s work on the Ancon Port campaign from my
Ancon represents a huge shift in focus for 
Social conflict work can be carried out with relatively small amounts of funding, but even these modest funds still have to come from somewhere. Stefan knows that this money will not come from the government, indeed the government is more likely to go against such politically uncomfortable work, and even cut off permits and sources of funding. Certainly the foreign NGO’s will not become involved. 
Stefan’s hope for the future is that 
And what of Nina? You may have noticed that she has not been very present in the last couple of posts… She has been extremely busy on a work project of her own in the last few weeks, securing an income for the family. But her hopes for the future are to be an equal partner within 
I will leave you with Stefan’s words, 
Stefan has worked within the arena of animal rights and conservation for over 25 years. During this time he has been involved in projects which have produced wonderful outcomes for conservation. However, throughout the years Stefan has also become aware of particular issues which leave him critical of some aspects of the conservation world. I asked him to tell me more about these issues and he recounted two which he feels are especially damaging.
Stefan believes that this drive has been, to a large extent, lost. In today’s conservation arena, jobs are only open to people with university degrees and PhD’s. Being a conservationist is now seen as a career, rather than a passion. People enter conservation from the world of business and may then switch back again at any time, as part of their climb up the career ladder. Their primary concern is with 
The business world has merged with the conservation world to such an extent that it has 
American organisations rely on attracting major donations from individual sources to support their work. They may pull in a huge sum from one donor which will be used to finance a project in, for example, Peru. From the total amount of money which a donor gives for a specific project in a specific country, 40-60% stays with the American organisation. This money may be spent on their overheads, salaries, hotel bills etc. The small amount of remaining money goes to the actual project and the grass roots organisations implementing the work within that country. These groups receive very little money to pay for the project, their administration costs and their wages. 
European organisations operate quite differently. They rely on much smaller donations from many members. Their strategy is to 
His second answer was, 
Before 1996 it was relatively common to find dolphin meat on the menu throughout Peru. Nina and Olga’s successful campaign which led to the new law being introduced was a milestone in conservation. Seven dolphin species became the only animals in Peru to have a law dedicated purely to them. Once the law took effect, the legal trade in dolphin meat ended, but an illegal one sprang up in its place. This trade continues predominantly within less well off communities; dolphin meat is not a luxury commodity for the elite but a simple food source sold at local fish markets.
Nina and Stefan realised it would be impossible to document dolphin killing at sea. The marine coastguard knew the law and would be patrolling the coast. Therefore any fishermen hunting dolphins would be doing so covertly, probably under cover of darkness, and bringing their catch ashore hidden under tons of fish.
With the research complete and enough data collected to take action, their next step was to work with law officials. In collaboration with the Ecological Police based in Lima, they travelled with one policeman to fish markets in towns along the coast. Stefan then accompanied the officer and local police on an armed raid of the market. 
The raids were successful and provided the evidence required to enable local law enforcement to act. Additionally, film and photographic coverage from the raids and undercover work were used to highlight the issue in the media. During this time, 
With a law to protect dolphins in place, successful prosecutions occurring and the gradual education of police, it would be understandable to assume that the illegal trade in dolphin meat would be quickly eradicated. However, it continues to this day. Why? 
Throughout the dolphin campaign in 2003-05, Stefan appealed to the international conservation world for support. But this appeal fell mainly on deaf ears. In addition, the other two marine conservation groups in Peru spoke out against 
Peru is known for its inland treasures, for its mountains and rainforests, ancient ruins and rich culture. Tourists flock here to visit the Inca city of Machu Pichu high up in the mountains and conservationists tell the world to protect Peru’s diverse rainforest. But there is an undiscovered treasure in Peru, or more accurately, in its oceans.
Stefan lives every day in amazement at the bounteous nature of the ocean and in disbelief at how invisible it is to the rest of the world. Peruvians, conservationists, tourists, international organisations… anyone and everyone has the general perception of the waters here as being, 
The richness of the Peruvian coastal waters is the result of two ocean currents. One is the Humboldt Current, which flows northwards along the Peruvian coast, bringing with it cool oxygen rich waters from Antarctica. The other is a strong upwelling close to the Peruvian coast which draws up nutrient rich water. These two currents combined cause a very high production of algae, creating the primary level in the food chain, and consequently forming the basis for an extraordinarily rich diversity of marine life. There is one big party going on here, and everyone is invited, be they a charismatic whale or a humble mollusc.
The figures which Stefan gives are, quite simply, staggering. Over 30 species of cetaceans either reside or migrate here to feed. That’s 37% of the total number of cetacean species in the world, and they hang out right in front of Peru’s coastline. There are 1,000 species of fish, 600 crustaceans and 1,400 molluscs. There are sea lions, fur seals and sea otters. There are 87 species of marine birds, 27 of which are albatrosses, shearwaters and petrels, and seven are gulls. These numbers can literally fly overhead without really sinking in, but Stefan painted a very clear picture when he described the Galapagos albatross.
Bird lovers, divers and whale watchers flock to other well-known destinations to see cetaceans and birds, or go diving and kayaking. But Peru remains an unknown hotspot. The water here is dense, it is a 
When Stefan takes tourists out on trips with 
He has guided kayak tour operators who have never in their life seen as many species of marine birds and animals as they see here on a two hour kayak trip. And he has watched tourists become emotional, even hysterical, at the experience of seeing dolphins swim up to the boat and look them in the eye.
On diving trips, Stefan smiles at divers who are amazed to see rocks covered in a carpet of life not just one animal deep, but two or three animals all sitting on top of each other! Stefan told me that he knows of one kelp forest diving spot in America where there are 40 dive operators all diving in the same area. In the kelp forests off Peru 
When Stefan takes tourists on trips to Parakas, to the south of Lima, they are blown away by the contrast there. To view the dead nothingness of desert meeting the alive richness of the ocean, and to watch dolphins leaping out of the water against a background of dramatic sand dunes, takes their breath away.
One of Stefan’s personal favourite nature experiences, which can be had a short boat ride from Lima, is swimming with sea lions. There are only five places in the world where you can swim with sea lions, and generally they have the added excitement of a potential shark attack thrown in. In Peru the sharks do not come close to sea lion colonies; there is just too much food for them elsewhere. As Stefan says, 
In could be assumed that it is a blessing for Peru’s ocean to remain unknown to the world at large. After all, surely this means that it will not become spoilt. However, in Stefan’s words,
I asked Stefan what he hopes 
There is a huge potential in Peru for marine eco-tourism. At present 
But before we can carry on exploring Stefan’s hopes for the future, there are current issues still to address. Illegal dolphin killing is one example of how the oceans around Peru are not being looked after or noticed by the world at large. In my next post I will be writing about the work which Stefan, Nina and 
When Nina and Stefan decided to dive in
At the small town of Llachon, they met the community leader who was afraid that their presence would upset Mamacocha, the spirit of the lake. So before diving, they appeased her by making offerings. They also had to prepare their equipment. This may be a relatively easy thing to do at low altitude, but at high altitudes everything becomes a hundred times harder. Stefan remembers how carrying the dive tank a short distance would cause him to 
Stefan and Nina were also the first people ever to dive in the 
The opportunity to dive there came in collaboration with a Belgian film crew. The area they headed to was a beautiful wilderness of hills, canyons and forest, and at a high enough altitude not to have to worry about the presence of piranhas or crocodiles. The journey there was adventure enough, with 24 people and all their equipment travelling up the Iscozasin river. It took a whole day to navigate upstream. This was in part due to the dry season which meant water levels were low, which in turn meant rapids. Whenever they reached a rapid, the people had to carry the equipment on foot to meet the boat further up the river; a process that was repeated many times over. The following day saw them walking all day long through the forest to reach their destination. Stefan remembers how surreal it looked to see people walking through a rainforest with dive tanks on their backs!
After additionally surviving three potentially deadly attacks by the shushupe snake, their efforts paid off. When they arrived at the river they found it to be crystal clear and wonderfully warm. It was 
Stefan and Nina’s expedition to the 
Chachapoya way of life, and death, included mummifying the dead. The people constructed small buildings in which to place the mummies and, somehow, positioned them high up the vertical cliffs of surrounding mountains. Today, the area around the lake contains the mostly undiscovered remains of these people. It was also thought the lake itself contained hidden archaeological treasures and this was the reason for Stefan and Nina’s expedition. They were leading a team of German archaeologists intent on mapping Chachaboya remains within the lake. In addition, it gave Stefan and Nina a wonderful opportunity to conduct a first ever biological survey.
Stefan described the challenges which this expedition entailed. On leaving Leymebamba, the last village en route, the team of four divers plus film crew travelled by horse onwards into the forested mountains. It took 28 human carriers, 47 mules, plus the team on horseback to transport everything necessary for the dive. As Stefan said, 
They arranged the expedition for the dry season, as navigating steep mountains on horseback in the rainy season would be asking for disaster! However, the weather, or the spirit of the lake, had its own intentions. It is believed by the local people that all the lagoons have spirits, and these spirits will act to defend themselves from intruders. The team had a 12 hour journey over a mountain of 3,600 metres and down into the valley beyond. This would be a difficult enough journey in good conditions, but on the morning of their departure the dry season gave way to heavy rains. It rained for the whole 12 hour journey, forcing the horses to cross mud which at times came up their stomachs, and it continued raining that night as they arrived and made camp. It proceeded to continue raining for the whole of the next day and night, while the team struggled to make trails from their camp to the lake and build a platform on the lake in preparation for their dive. That night, all was completed and they were due to dive the following day. But then the leader of their group of carriers and support personnel, announced, 
The team attempted to convince him otherwise. With his shaman’s knowledge he advised them that their only chance was to make an offering to the lake and calm her spirit. There was some secret laughter from the team of archaeologists, but the following morning they duly trudged an hour through thick mud under the worst rains yet to reach the edge of the lake. Each person carried a personal object to offer the spirit and, amidst much ritual and chewing of Coca leaves, the offerings were made.
The very moment that their offerings touched the surface of the lake, a ray of sun shone on the exact spot where the group stood. Within an hour the clouds lifted from the surface of the lake and disappeared. After two days and nights of torrential rain, the sun came out. There was no more quiet laughing from the team of archaeologists!
Nina and Stefan consider themselves to be immensely fortunate to have experienced the wonders of diving in such extreme, untouched and beautiful places. Diving by its very nature offers a window into another world. Diving in these locations must have been like visiting another galaxy; what a remarkable thing to experience! The memories which they carry from those early years of 
When Stefan and Nina moved to Peru together, the first obstacle to overcome was language. For the first year, while Stefan was learning Spanish, he worked as a travel guide for German tourists. After this time he and Nina approached different conservation groups in Peru to enquire about working with them on marine issues. They were surprised to learn that most of the organisations only focused on rainforest habitats. From the two small grass root NGO’s working on marine issues, they received a negative response and a feeling of competition.
In 1999 Nina and Stefan formed 
Dolphin killing had been illegal in Peru since Nina and Olga’s victory in 1996 so what was happening here? Stefan came to a decision, 
In what appeared to be a moment of good fortune, one of the biggest national NGO’s offered Stefan the role of Executive Director. Against Nina’s intuition and better judgement, Stefan accepted. His role was to re-float the NGO which had run into financial difficulties. He was responsible for making the difficult decisions which would enable it to survive. He cut their workforce by 50%, identified and eliminated corruption, and began to pay off their labour debts. He succeeded in turning the tide and was doing so well that his board of directors gave him a salary increase as an official well done. However, while investigating the organisation’s finances he discovered there was some unusual activity taking place. Thirty accounts existed for 12 projects, with money shifting between accounts and files being erased. To this day Stefan does not know exactly what was happening or who was responsible, because three weeks after being given a pat on the back he walked into his office to be told 
The last five years have been a fight to survive for Stefan, Nina and their family. They would have loved the freedom to focus purely on 
In mid 2009, Nina ended her job at 
And that brings us up to the current day.
This picture shows Stefan and Nina together, after their compelling love story found its completion, after they had fallen in love, seen pictures of each other for the first time, met for the first time, married in Germany and moved to Peru… All of which happened in that order and within the space of a just a few months. Here’s how it all unfolded…
Shortly after that Stefan and Nina were married at Sababurg castle in Germany. This same castle had once inspired the Brothers Grimm to write Sleeping Beauty; a fairytale where the Princess lay awaiting the kiss of her perfect Prince. It was a truly beautiful day, complete with a horse and carriage secretly arranged by Stefan. Within three months Stefan and Nina had moved to Peru to start their new life together and their wonderful story continues to this day. They have now been married for 13 years, have two children and are still very much still in love.
Stefan and Nina were married in 1998. Since then they have lived and worked in Peru. They formed the conservation organisation 
This picture is Nina, not just because it is an actual photograph of her, but because it captures her essence. 
Nina’s strongest guiding force in life has always been her intuition. She was a good student at school and enjoyed studying new things. At university she studied business administration and began working in the private sector. But at this time she felt a pull by her intuition; it told her she needed to 
Nina learnt a great deal from that trip about people and the many different ways they look for spiritual development. This aligned with her own philosophy that 
So in 1994 Nina and Olga worked together on the campaign. At this time in Peru it was legal to kill and eat dolphins. People across all social classes ate dolphin meat, although it was given different names for higher and lower quality cuts of meat. Many people ate it without even knowing what animal it was, knowing only that they ate chancho marino or muchame. Nina and Olga’s campaign was intense. They worked with lawyers, the media, businesses, government, everyday people… everyone. They carried out market research, ran focus groups, generated publicity in newspapers, on television, on the street and the internet. They lobbied congressmen, publicised the issue to animal campaigners across the world, who in turn sent letters to the government. At the focus groups, they asked people questions about why they ate the meat, whether the flavour was good and whether they knew what animal it was from. They educated people showing them pictures of ‘Flipper’, whom everyone loved, and explaining that this was the same animal which they were eating.
Nina travelled to the USA to study for an MBA, (while still running a dolphin project back in Peru). She remembers being in her second year at university and having an amazing time,
