Alfred Russel Wallace, the ‘David Attenborough of the Victorian Era’, was the co-discoverer with Darwin of the theory of evolution by natural selection (‘survival of the fittest’). He was an extraordinary explorer and collector, a polymath, who was fêted and honored in his day yet he is largely forgotten today. Celebrating the 100th anniversary of his death, this adventure cruise follows in Wallace’s wake through some of the remotest parts of Indonesia. Sailing on beautiful hand-built phinisi schooners, this natural history tour will explore the many remote and uninhabited islands of the Raja Ampat Archipelago, Halmahera Island, and the volcanic island of Ternate. Raja Ampat is acknowledged as the richest reef area in the world; Halmahera is one of the least-known major islands in Indonesia; and Ternate is the island town which Wallace made his home base and where he wrote his ‘Letter from Ternate’ to Darwin which set in motion the world-changing publications on evolution.
Nominated one of the 50 tours of a lifetime by National Geographic, on this Indonesian voyage you'll encounter birds of paradise, multitudes of parrots, cockatoos and lorikeets, various species of whales and dolphins, cuscus, many beetles and butterflies, lowland forests and mangroves, awe-inspiring Yar reefs, and meet the people Papuan, Melayu and Sea Gypsy communities. Your host and the designer of this unique pioneering cruise is author and conservationist Dr. Tony Whitten, the FFI Regional Director for Asia-Pacific.
Your host and the designer of this unique and pioneering cruise is author and conservationist Dr. Tony Whitten, the FFI Regional Director for Asia-Pacific. Read more about Dr Whitten's bio here.