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YEP 10 Everglades USA Exped - Day 21

Saturday, December 3

Day 21: Blog written by Livio

Back to Fort Lauderdale

Last night, we again slept outside on deck of Pangaea. I love it to stay the night outside, to feel the fresh air, see the stars and hear the waves and the wind. It lets me sleep well. In the morning at 5 o’clock we woke up and sailed east, eventually stopping just a few miles from the shore of Miami Beach. Here, we had our last dive to an underwater mausoleum called Neptune Memorial Reef. With cemetery gates and statues of lions an large columns, this is one of the most unique dive spots on Earth. High waves and a significant current made the jump from Pangaea into the open Atlantic ocean a special experience. The current provided quite a challenge. If you dive in strong current, you have to feel and understand it. It can really disorient you. I learned to dive on the ground and behind rocks and reefs where the current is not as strong.

After the A.M. dive, we sailed on to Fort Lauderdale, which served as both the beginning and end of our expedition. As soon as we pulled into the marina, we got started on hosing down the boat and scrubbing off the thick layer of salt that covered every single railing, and surface. The boat is now cleaned, tidy and the staff got some grocery shopping done. Tonight, Mike says we will prepare an “expedition end party” and celebrate till the first person has to leave to go the airport in the morning. Although the thought in the background that this marks the end of our expedition, we will surely enjoy this last night all together. And we are all looking forward to the future, to projects, meeting, and new adventures. The knowledge we soaked in and the experience we each gained from the expedition is sure to change all of our lives and open new opportunities. Let's celebrate!

-Livio

YEP 10 Everglades USA Exped - Day 20

Friday, December 2

Day 20: Blog written by Ann-Kathrin

Spinnaker Sail and Statue Dive

Today started with a strange feeling. I woke up and in the first minute I didn't know were I was. Then I became aware of something in front of my face. A video camera. And behind it, smiling, was our wonderful cameraman Javier.

We slept on the deck and although we had wind sometimes blowing as much as 29 knots, we all slept very well and enjoyed the fresh air and bright stars. It felt different and refreshing to just slip out of the sleeping bag and be on deck instead of hitting the my head on the bunk above me, creeping out of the narrow space between our porta-ledge beds inside the boat. I wish we would have done it sooner

At breakfast, Mike started to tell us stories of his adventures. He spoke about his youthful years growing up in South Africa. His life in the army by the time he was 18 and how he became who he is now. Always, when Mike tells his stories, everyone listens intently, hanging on every word..

I find it very moving every time, the words he chooses to describe what he lived through make you feel what he experience and appreciate even more what he wants to share with you. I found for myself that it is sometimes difficult to really comprehend the intensity with which he thinks and how he wants us to live, because it is so different from what we learn in normal day-to-day society. The open mindedness he wants us to develop, to see through “the wall” as he describes it, to live the life we want to live, to do what we want to do no matter what, to stop forcing ourselves to think positive and to just be positive, and above all, not to live the life you dream, but to make your life so much better thn your best dreams.

I found it very special that he shared his way of thinking with us, in some cases I can see clearly what he wants us to do.

One special moment I had was when Mike describes what holds together the group of amazing people on board here, as completely different as they might be, they share his passion: LIFE. And I think it is the best and most challenging passion one can have, but the most desirable I know.

After talking to Mike, we went into the water to search for a statue, sunken on purpose by our dive gear sponsors – the Cressi family -- from Italy, called the Christ of the Abyss. During the morning’s first dive/snorkel session we were unable to find the statue because it was in fact only human size, but during another try we finally found it. The underwater world here on the part of the coast was incredible. A huge reef filled with all types of corals and beautiful colored fish.

It was nice to be in water again, but my ears gave me some trouble free diving to the statue, which was only in the depth of 4 or 5 meters. The highlight of the dive was a great ray laying on the sandy ground only some feet away from the statue, staying calm although everyone was swimming and paddling around it.

After diving we, the young explorers, got to cook the lunch. We enjoyed getting active in the kitchen, although it was sometime uncoordinated with seven people in so little space. We made chili … and unintentionally crunchy rice. Whoops! We don’t know what was happening in that rice cooker. Not much!

The rest of the afternoon past by in a rush. We were all busy preparing our group presentation which Mike tasked us with for the evening. The theme was to brainstorm possible projects we could implement after our weeks spent in Florida and on the Atlantic ocean – an incredible region of land and sea. Everyone was happy that we didn't have to stand in front of Mike and the staff all alone this time. We all did very well in presenting our ideas with which we came up with possibilities like: beach and roadway clean-ups, small expeditions, fundraising through incentives per bag of garbage young people collect and integrating local people in exploring their backyard, sharing the fun of nature with others and recruiting new young explorers who can help to make life here sustainable.

After dinner Mike started to tell his story about his trip with Borge Ousland to the North Pole during the arctic night. The story is really fascinating and all of us were riveted on the story, but sadly it started getting late in the long day and everyone was so tired that he had to postpone the story’s finale until tomorrow. Tomorrow – the last day of our expedition. I can’t believe it’s almost time to go back home. I don’t want to leave.

YEP 10 Everglades USA Exped - Day 19

Thursday  December 1

Day 19: Blog by: Theresa Kaiser

Water testing, USCG Cutter Duane wreck dive

When I woke up this morning after a calm night without watch here on board Pangaea, I thought about the last few weeks, full of unforgettable moments. I can’t believe the time went so fast.

After breakfast we had a long briefing with Mike about the plan for the next few days. We talked about our feelings throughout this expedition, and about the future plans of the Young Explorers Program. We were all very interested in what he had to tell us and wanted to hear more. At the end of the briefing we got an assignment: we should prepare a 7-minute presentation about our experience scuba diving in the Florida Keys.

This is an exercise that put me under a lot of pressure because English isn’t my first language but, I wanted to do my very best. Before I began working on my scuba speech, the seven young explorers finished a video we had created about life on Pangaea. It was really fun to film the video clips and finally put the scenes together.
After lunch, we did some ocean measurements of visibility, water temperature and salinity. We will send the results of these tests to Dr. Roswitha Stolz at the University of Munich. I’m looking forward to learning more about the samples we drew because this is something that I’m really passionate about and possibly want to work with in the future.

After the measurements we got ready for diving. Today we dove the USCG Duane in Key Largo, Florida. My heart always starts beating faster when we are informed about our daily diving spot and prepare our equipment to jump into the water. This time there was a bit of a current so we had to jump from the bow of the boat because the line buoy was at the front of the boat but the current made it too difficult to swim the 35-meters from the sugar scoop.

The visibility was very good and after some meters of diving down we could already see the wreck. When we finally were on the deck of this wreck at 26 meters depth I looked around; it is an indescribable feeling when I saw this sunken wreck full of life. We dove into the wreck and explored some different rooms and when I saw all the stuff-- the cupboards, tables, mirrors -- I thought about how it was on board this boat when it still was intact and afloat.

Every dive is different and there is always a stand-out moment which I will stay with me from each dive. This time there were some stairs on deck and we all got out of our fins and tried to walk up the stairs which wasn’t easy, but very funny.

After we ascended and washed our equipment back on the boat, we got to work on our presentations straight away as they had to be completed by 7PM. I was really nervous about this presentation but when it was finally my turn, I began to speak I became more and more calm as I went along. When we were all finished, we were evaluated by Mike and then he told each team member that they too would have to give a presentation to show us how it’s done. He called his whole staff up one by one and assigned them a topic on the spot. Everybody had to present – first Mary from America and then Luke. Next Doctor Pat from New Zealand, Javier from Spain, Dima from Russia, Christian from Australia, Moose from South Africa, Fred from Switzerland, and finally Martin, Mike’s brother. We all laughed a lot on this evening.

The USA expedition gave me a possibility of lifetime experience and I’m really thankful to have this amazing opportunity. I’m looking forward to the final few days and I’m excited for what else left to learn.

-Theresa

YEP 10 Everglades USA Exped - Day 18

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Day 18: Blog written by Jule

Florida Bay and Highway 1 Clean Up and Night Diving

Explore, Learn, Act. That's the motto of the PANGAEA Young Explorers Program. During our expedition, we’ve already explored so much of the Everglades and the Florida Keys’ underwater world, and learned a lot from Mike about nature and the human mind. But now, as the expedition slowly comes to an end, we’ve started to act!

Today we did our first beach clean-up. We took the dinghy to a stretch of mangroves between the highway and the ocean. When we arrived and jumped out of the boat we could already see the trash littered along the coast. Equipped with gloves and big trash-bags we started to collect everything that didn't belong to nature. We found heaps of bottles and plastic bags, fishing lines and an oil filter, shoes and even a toilet seat!

Even amidst the litter on the shoreline we did manage to spot a small hammerhead shark swimming just a meter away from our feet.

The most interesting trash we found during the clean up was an old plastic bag filled with small metal artifacts like statues, jewelry, bells and metals carved into small nautical themed trinkets like mermaids, moons, anchors, and life preservers. It took as a while to try and deduce where these thing came from. We ended up guessing that this treasure belonged someone practicing some kind of shamanism who had to much to travel with and had to pitch the heavy bag into the ocean.

After the clean-up and back on Pangaea we made it our mission to climb the first section of the main mast. Rick, Livio and I ended up climbing 9-meters above the water. My heart raced when we decided to jump into the water from there! Taking this last step of jumping down took me a while but when the boys started counting down from 10 I had no choice but to jump. It felt like I was falling until I touched the surface of the water, being surrounded by thousand of little silver air bubbles!

We spent the afternoon working on a little video project (you will see the results soon!) and started the engines to go back to Molasses Reef.

People say that humans know much more about the surface of the moon than about the earth's oceans and that is true! There is so much more to explore in this different world down there. Today we decided to discover the reef at night. After the sunset we descended and met on the ground of the reef. The only things you can actually see under water at night is whatever the light of your torch reaches! We got to swim with sea turtles which actually didn't mind having us around if we treated them with respect. As we have done many dives during the daytime already, this night dive was totally different. All the fish and coral appeared in a different light. This was an unforgettable experience! I am thankful to everyone who made this possible.

-Jule

YEP 10 Everglades USA Exped - Day 17

Tuesday, November 29

Day 17 : Blog written by Mary Buckheit (Mike Horn’s Director of Public Relations)

Sailing the Florida Keys

My skin made pins as the jibing boom swung over the plane sending the belly of our hundred-ton sailboat lurching edgewise like a stout matron rolling over on her mattress from spine to side.

At the ship's helm, Mike stood bellowing orders in every direction. As the portside deck heaved high above the Atlantic, the starboard side plunged through the surface and a saline spume baptized the stumble-footed masses scurrying for refuge on the high-side. Pangaea was full tilt; her sails gorged with thick Florida air.

Even with my right hand wrapped white-knuckled around a cold metal winch, I felt my bare feet stagger out wide beneath my hips and my toes curl to grasp the wooden deck for equipoise. I was doing a foxtrot stutter-step beseeching solid ground. A sailing vessel, through its tacks and turns, effectively choreographs a kind of dance routine -- the deck, a ballroom -- as all aboard stride, swerve and sway with synchronized compulsion.

There we were, a small dance company of 20, tripping the light fantastic at sea.

“We’re sailing, babies,” Mike said from behind the wheel with a quiet, self-possessed smile.

Wind in his face and eyes wide as salad plates, he stood steering the vessel. His thick fingers spun the spokes gently through the pads of his hands while his sights set on the surging sails and rolling sea ahead.

One hundred and fifteen feet of aluminum darted through the Lower Keys -- a 36-mile stretch of Florida islands between Key West and Marathon.

“We have to get those sheets out or we’ll miss the sunset shot,” Mike said beneath a sky the color of cantaloupe.

His callow, young deckhands hurried at the cue.

“Staysail out!” he called. Even with all hands on deck, no one was free to jump to the staysail position. I was nearest the post and dashed starboard. I dug my thumb into the red button marked STAYSAIL.

“Out, out, out!” Mike called. I pressed harder as if it would make the sail unfurl any faster.

“Stop, Mary! Now IN!”

I peered at the buttons, moving my thumb to the black button beneath the red one.

My thumb was still lame from a kayak paddle hammering into its ulnar collateral webbing for 120 miles. I rowed so hard for those six days through the Everglades, I thought that the plastic paddle wedged between my index finger and thumb might just pare the opposable nub clear off my palm and into the water. Fish food. [My thumb is still attached, though I can hardly feel it still, some seven days since our final stroke through the wilderness waterways.]

My eyes fixed on the button beneath my nail-bed. I glared at it as if I could telepathically will it to depress.

Mike’s hand fell on my shoulder. “Stop, Babes,” he said to me. I was hunched over the button, mounted on the control panel waist-high.
“Pick your head up. Look," Mike instructed resolutely. "Don't just do what I say. See what you are doing when you push the button. That’s how you learn.”

I raised my eyes and watched as the sheets rolled in, tightening around the long spool above the bow of boat. With the command of the button I let it out, cleaning the slack. I watched as the tension ironed the sheet, and then rolled it in tight, so as to finally stretch it out wide until the bare rod was in sight.

And therein lies my sea change within our sea change; a newfound awareness -- full sail -- on account of Mike’s irreducible ability to grasp every detail of a situation in light of its limitless possibility to teach a lesson.

How many times we look but we do not see?

-Mary

YEP 10 Everglades USA Exped - Day 16

Monday November 28

Day 16 : Blog written by Dav : "Just stay calm'"

Vandenberg shipwreck dives

One of the most important lessons I have learned from Mike Horn on this expedition is the absolute necessity to remain calm. The difference between life and death for an adventurer can often be found in their ability to keep a level head in challenging circumstances.

Diving has been the perfect adventure sport to exercise this need to relax and think clearly. It functions on some what of a paradox: the further you come to the limits of human exploration underwater, the greater the need for the diver to slow their heart rate, relax their breathing, and conserve their physical exertion.

Often when we think of extreme sports, we think of fast-pace, on-the-edge, break-neck activity. But diving is a different beast; it’s a finesse ballet -- an underwater mind game where we must remain in constant control of our minds. Our dive today took us deep into a military shipwreck but with Chistian, our sepcialist dive instructor and other qualified instructors in the team, we were well entoured and were able to remain calm and clear-headed, to do our most difficult dive yet.

We are a few days away from the end of the expedition and time is disappearing faster than I am soaking it all up. I wish it wasn't so. I wish I had more time to hear Mike’s stories. I wish there were more dives to plunge and sails to hoist, to be pushed further and harder and learn more from the amazing team which makes all this possible. However, this feeling is a symptom: a tell tale sign of the experience of a lifetime.

This being my last blog, I wish to acknowledge a sentiment of Mike’s expressed in a YouTube clip I watched when first learning about the Pangaea project. This boat, our Pangaea, represents one world. All of us here on this boat, from the Young Explorers, to the team, to Mike himself, have poured their hearts into this expedition. We have treated each other with respect, worked together for the benefit of our family on board this boat, laughed together, encouraged each other, and sustained life aboard as a team. It may be a bold statement not shared by all, but I see Pangaea and this team as a microcosm of how our world needs to work together. If we can take this metaphor, and apply it to our world, where all work together for the sustenance and support of one another, we can ensure the preservation of our environment.

When I set foot on dry land in a few days, I will take the lessons I have learned on this boat and let them serve as inspiration and more importantly, hope, for what our world can be. I believe it.

-Dan

YEP 10 Everglades USA Expedition - Day 15

Sunday, November 27

Day 15: Blog written by Rick

The Dry Tortugas

After a long night sailing we arrived to the Dry Tortugas. The first sight of Harbor Lighthouse and majestic Fort Jefferson -- the massive brick structure that seemed to take up an entire island -- was enough to have everyone on deck, passing the binoculars around. After throwing out the anchor and having breakfast together, Mike informed us that it was up to the YEPs to organize the day on this island chain located less than 100 miles from Cuba. It was up to us to decide what we were going to do, and when we were going to do it. Basically PANGAEA was in the hands of the YEPs for the day… What a responsibility!

We discussed the options and decided that it would be best to take the dinghy to land and get some more information about our surroundings from Dry Tortugas National Park office.

So far, what we knew was what we could see: the Tortugas are a cluster of seven small islands composed of coral reefs and sand. The surrounding shoals and water make up Dry Tortuga National Park. Fort Jefferson, whose massive cannons can be seen on the outer wall from miles away, takes up the greater part of a picturesque remote island.

We arrived to shore with feelings of awe and apprehension. It felt as though somebody was about to march out of the fort, read us our rights and arrest us for trespassing. Instead we found the staff to be friendly and informative.

Our unofficial tour guide was called Ray and he was was truly an interesting man. Ray is a retired schoolteacher and present-day volunteer who works at Fort Jefferson for one month each year. Ray informed us that the building of the fort commenced in the 1800’s and after the masons laid 16 Million bricks, the largest brick structure in the Northern Hemisphere was technically never even completed! In fact, the whole entire fort, though once active, never fired one hot shot and was never fired upon. This is due to the fort being decommissioned as a result of civil war technologies which made it, quite suddenly, very outdated.

Ray helped us plan our day and showed us on a local area map where the best places to scuba and snorkel were. I was so impressed by the fort and the enthusiasm of our new friend, that I decided to give him my Mike Horn Wenger Swiss army knife as a token of our appreciation. His gratitude and plans of using it for maintenance at the Fort as well as on future camping trips assured me that I had made the right decision.

We made full use of the afternoon by squeezing in two Scuba dives, the second of which was the wreck of an old sailing ship -- the Windjammer -- that had ran into the reef during high winds in 1907. The 1,862-ton vessel’s port anchor had been lost in an attempt to slow the ship down and the navigational error caused the wreck. It was amazing to see the anchor lying such a distance away from the ship on the ocean floor. As I was diving it occurred to me how terrifying it must have been to be on board the ship while it was going down, and I wondered at what I would have done if I was put in that situation. It turns out, the entire [Norwegian] crew of the Windjammer survived but the ship was a total loss -- although future Scuba divers’ gain! There was a huge amount of fish and coral life to be seen, including a huge barracuda and a giant lobster hiding under what remained of the bow of the ship.

The day came to an end with a rousing celebration of Fred (the Swiss wilderness guide) and Dima (Mike's official photographer) birthday dance party before turning Pangaea back east at 11 PM for an overnight cruise.

With only seven days of the expedition left, we are zooming across the ocean at night so as to make full use of the day light. Tomorrow is sure to be yet another eventful day of diving and excitement. As this is my last blog of the expedition, it is sad to think that this epic experience is drawing to an end. I am extremely grateful to have a part in it, and what I have learned will stay with me for the rest if my life.

-Rick

YEP 10 EVERGLADES USA EXPEDITION - Day 14

Saturday November 26

Day 14 : Blog written by Aya Anholt : "Everyday I'm Paddlin'"

Windy afternoon in Key West and a Midnight sail to the Dry Tortugas

The day began with a lovely slow start as we rolled out of bed, stretching and yawning, unlike the previous day when Dan woke us up abruptly with some Rebecca Black at seven in the morning. Today (Saturday) we set sail at mid morning to Key West where we were to dive what is considered one of the best shipwrecks on earth. Unfortunately, upon arrival the winds were gusting close to 25 knots causing conditions so unfavorable that we were unable to attach the line from Pangaea to the buoy marking the dive spot line. On each of our several attempts, once the crew managed to hook the buoy (a challenge in and of itself in the blustery/choppy conditions) the rope would snap from the force of the wind and the heft of Pangea.

Eventually, we decided to adapt our plans and change our course for the day but we will, however, be returning back through Key West in the next couple days to try again to get a glimpse at the Russian vessel and explore this incredible underwater vista which Mike calls a, “must-dive.”

There were a few moments of rest today when we weren’t on watch, helping in the kitchen, or cleaning the conference room, these were the times I wished I had my iPod to kick my feet up and chill. My iPod broke two days ago when there were dolphins playing next to the Pangaea, gliding under the waves, dancing in the Listerine blue sea. I got so extremely excited to see these magical creatures in their natural environment that I put my music device into the back pocket of my shorts. What I didn’t remember is that I had already placed a shell in there, collected during our Everglades kayak expedition that I planned to make into a necklace someday. But when I sat down, my iPod’s screen ended up being smushed by the shell.

There was plenty to do on this sunny Saturday. In the late afternoon, Luke, one of the Mike Horn team members, announced that we had the opportunity for some stand-up paddle boarding! The bright yellow boards are kept at the bow of the boat strapped to the rails and we had all been eyeing them curiously for the last week, so we quickly got changed into our swim suits and eagerly jumped into the water. It turned out to be much more difficult than I made it out to be. Surely, we all contributed to the ‘Moose Cut’ expedition outtakes video with all of our hilarious wipeouts. There was quite a strong current that pushed us away from the boat which made it all the more tough, however, all-in-all, it was a breeze compared to the kayaking we did in the Everglades. Dan compared the experience to riding a bike. The more time you spend practising the better you get and by the end of the paddle we all more or less had the hang of it.

At dinnertime we sat in the conference room and did our first live talk show. We young explorers were invited in one by one, and were interviewed by Mike and his oldest daughter, Annika. A tad bit nerve-racking at first, but we all relaxed once we got used to the flow. A discussion of diving, our feelings, and future plans occurred and it would be fair to say it was a great success.

After dinner, Mike announced that we would be hoisting the sails and shoving off at midnight tonight on a 70-mile journey west to the Dry Tortugas. I also cannot be more enthused for what will be in store for us when we get there tomorrow. I am also looking forward to two celebrating two staff birthdays tomorrow. Our talented photographer with the craziest stories, Dmitry “Dima” Sharomov, and Fred, the funny Swiss guide with the contagious laugh each share a birthday on the 27th. There’s always plenty to celebrate here on Pangaea!

YEP 10 Everglades USA Expedition - Day 13

Friday, November 25

Day 13 - Blog written by Ann-Kathrin

The Turtle Hospital in Marathon, Florida

Today our motivation behind getting up, after another night of the anchor watch was the day trip to the turtle rehabilitation center in Marathon on the Florida Keys. We were all looking forward to being informed and to learn more about those endangered creatures. When we arrived with the dingy at a little marina called Burdines. From there we walked along the street for some minutes to arrive at the Turtle Hospital. It was good to touch the earth again, but when we walked towards our destination we crossed a really poor part of the city. We all were moved by the images of the poor people because it was unexpected. On the way through the dirty and damaged mobilehomes and trailers something Martin said popped up in my head. We all-- especially the Young Explorers-- who have the chance to be on this unique trip should really be thankful for what we have. We have not only this rare opportunity, but we also are free, we can run, jump, sing, speak, listen, think, love, decide and swim. We have a huge amount of possibilities we must appreciate even more than we do. Those people we saw try to make the best of what they have, but we are blessed with what we have and only those moments in which we see the difference, raise the awareness. It is so important to think about it from time to time. We should be more than thankful for what we have everyday.

We arrived early for our 10 AM workshop at the hospital so we had more than 30 minutes to inform ourselves in the decorated waiting room about the six species of sea turtles found in U.S. Waters: the Hawksbill, the Leatherback, the Green, the Loggerhead, the Olive Ridley and the very rare Kemp's Ridley sea turtle. All of them are inhabitants of the area around Florida and in the Gulf of Mexico. We read on the many information boards more about the Turtle Hospital, its foundation 25 years ago, its history, its aim and purpose – the three Rs: Rehab, Research and Release.

At 10 AM, Jeanette, a marine biologist and our staff guide for the day called us out and we received an informational seminar about sea turtles and a tour of the facility. She showed us the turtle emergency room and told us stories about the turtles who have found their way onto the operating table -- like Sara, the sea turtle rescued on August 3, with a 4-foot barbed spear in her head shot purposefully (and illegally) by a fisherman. Hospital staff, Dr. Doug Mader of Marathon Veterinary Clinic, and Monroe County Fire Rescue performed surgery to push the barbed spear through Sara's head and she was rehabbed and successfully released back into the wild this September!

As soon as the guided tour started everyone was eager to see the real turtles and to experience their behavior. We learned more about the turtles and the threats they are exposed to (like lobster traps, commercial fishing lines, powerboats, toxic pollutants especially plastics) and the way the Turtle Hospital helps, analyze, learn about and improve the treatment of turtles especially the endangered ones.

Finally we got to see the 23 turtles resident in the tanks of the hospital. We all held our breath when we saw the majestic animals gliding through the blue water as if they were flying. Seeing some of those unique creatures in such bad shape, tortured by tumors, with amputated flippers and shells deformed by careless boaters really drove the tears into our eyes.

After our workshop, we went for lunch at a nearby authentic Mexican cantina. During lunch a wild discussion developed whether saving those turtles positively impacts the eco-system as much as intended, or if one could spend the money more efficiently for other purposes. [Although the hospital upkeep, operating room equipment and general care of the turtles must be costly, it should be noted that the Turtle Hospital (Hidden Harbor Marine Environmental Project, Inc.) is a certified 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable corporation.] It was a interesting discussion in which I felt misunderstood when I declared that I feel strongly about rescuing and helping animals, nevermind the costs. Christian, as a specialist for marine life then spoke right out of my heart. Every challenge you feel worth working for is worth the money and time you spend. Every project you put your lifeblood in is as important as you feel about it. Everyone knows what is important for themselves and that is what we should spend our time on and put our effort into. No matter if it is to save a hundred turtles each year, making a relatively small difference but reaching a huge group of people each day, or taking young people out to see the world so that they can share their message and their experiences with others – everyone is making a difference in their own way.

For more information about the Marathon Turtle Hospital click here

YEP 10 Everglades USA Expedition - Day 12

Thursday, November 24

Day 12 - Blog writen by Livio Knöri

Wreck Dive, Dolphin Spotting and American Thanksgiving

After a great breakfast of Dan’s leftover birthday cake, we sailed a few miles along the cost of Key Largo to a ship wreck. The 160m long wreck called “USS Spiegel Grove” sank to the ocean floor in 2002. After Christian, the PADI expert dive instructor onboard delivered a safety briefing, we were prepared for our dive to a depth of 30 meters. We were all quite excited because for most of us is it the first deep-dive. After a few meters decent the giant wreck appeared under us. Eventually we arrived on the deck and the exploration in buddy teams could start. We dove through the vessel until we reached the other end of the boat. A wreck dive feels like flying through a boat -- what an absolutely amazing feeling it is.

The shipwreck was covered by corals and was full of life. After only nine years the nature changed a metal ship to a living space for many species. The dive ended much to soon as there was just so much to explore beneath the surface. This dive was for me was absolute impressive. Sitting back aboard PANGAEA, I could start to realize completely what I have seen. It was a wonder.

I learned that diving is something very mental. Naturally, you are excited, but you should stay calm. To stay calm is one of the most important things for safe diving and this can you only achieve with mental control over the body.

A few hours later on the gentle sail to Marathon, Florida, Aya, Mary and Theresa were keeping watch sitting outside on the tip of the bow. Suddenly, inside the boat, we heard Rick calling us come out. They had spotted a pod of dolphins swimming all around the boat! The dolphins followed us for several minutes jumping alongside PANGAEA and flipping up as if to get our attention.  This was an awesome moment for all of us. We could really see how they enjoyed to play around the boat and in the waves.

This night, we also enjoyed a delicious Thanksgiving dinner cooked by Mary who shared with us about the American tradition of the holiday. We ate fresh bread, green beans, corn, sweet potatoes and other Autumn vegetables. I’m going now to bed to be ready for my anchor watch this evening and looking forward to our visit of the turtle rehabilitation center tomorrow.

YEP 10 Everglades USA Expedition - Day 11

Wednesday, November 23

DAY 11 - Blog written by Theresa Kaiser

Today, Wednesday, I had to wake up quite early because of my anchor watch from 2 - 3 AM. It is really important for the safety of everyone and so a big responsibility for me but this time I wasn’t as nervous as I was at the last time.

After my watch I went back to bed for a couple of hours to sleep before breakfast at 8 am. It was the first breakfast on board of Pangaea after the Kayak-trip and it tasted really good; the perfect start into an intense day.

Before we started with our exercises we got a lot of information from Mike and the team about the next few days.  He said we would continue to be diving, and we’d have a party for Dan’s 20th birthday today and tomorrow, Mary and Luke (the two Americans on Mike’s staff) would teach us about their Thanksgiving holiday traditions and celebrations. We all got really excited and looked forward to the day. After this briefing we said goodbye to Mike as he had to go to a meeting in Germany so would have to fly there, attend the meeting and join us right away on Friday. 

Next, we were ready to jump into the water. In the water we did some interesting snorkeling. We dove with the snorkel 5-meters down to the ground, beneath PANGAEA and swam in the Atlantic Ocean. The exercises for our lungs and water-skills were really helpful and they were also a lot of fun.

In the afternoon we jumped into the water again, for a second dive that was quite different from our first one yesterday. We got ready for the dive then piled into the dinghy to ride to the place where we would dive from. This time it wasn’t possible to dive directly from PANGAEA because we had strong currents around. I haven’t too much diving experience that’s why I was quite nervous at the beginning about how it would be like and I hoped that I could manage it without any problems. When we went down to the ground I got more and more relaxed because I realized that the current between the corals was much less in the new location Christian selected for us and I start to enjoy the dive. It was just amazing to dive trough the corals and to explore the underwater world. The time flew by and when we got back to the surface almost one hour later I would have wished to stay under water for longer.

Swimming back to PANGAEA was quite challenging because of the strong currents. The team took our dive-equipment on the dingy and told us to swim back to the boat but after a couple of minutes we realized that we weren’t able to come closer to the boat… we actually drifted more and more far away! The only thing us Young Explorers could do was stay as close together as possible in a team. Doing this I felt safe. While swimming back, we got caught in a swarm of what seemed like a hundred jellyfish!  The swim was really hard and we were all happy when the team came picking us up with the dingy and brought us back to the boat.

After having washed our diving equipment in fresh water and having eaten dinner we had a great party for Dan’s birthday.  We decorated the boat with balloons, Martin made a champagne toast and Christian baked chocolate cake. We played music, sang along with Dan who brought his small guitar on this expedition and we laughed a lot. Finally, went to bed looking forward to all the next days in the Florida Keys will bring to us. Happy Birthday Dan! 

YEP 10 Everglades USA Expedition - Day 10

Tuesday, November 22

Day 10: Blog written by Jule Holland and Ann-Kathrin

Key Largo, Florida | YEPs first dive with Christian Miller

After a short night sleeping outside in the open air (no tents) on a dock in Key Largo we woke up with the sunrise early Tuesday morning. The air was nice, fresh and everyone enjoyed the sleep under clear sky, it gave us a feeling of freedom after all the nights in the narrow tents seeking cover from the rain and insects.

After waking up, we had to wait some time until Mike and Tristan came to pick us up at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park with the dingy to bring us back to PANGAEA which was anchored out about 20 minutes from Key Largo. Apart from the slight sadness to leave the green paradise of canals and islands we were happy to get back on the boat. Arriving all together one could feel the happiness of resuming life aboard together after the life-changing experiences shared in Everglades National Park . We settled our equipment back in our rooms and met at the conference room to publish the blogs about the last six days, our experiences, developments and emotions. After getting used to the ship’s movement again, Mike announced the first dive of the expedition would be today. Everyone was filled with excitement for the tour to the bottom of the blue ocean. But first, we did a short dive safety briefing on the deck where Christian Miller (a PADI Staff Instructor for over 10 years) explained and repeated with us the most important diving skills and precautions.

Once we got all the gear organized we did a buddy check and went into the water. The sight under the water (about 25-30 meters deep) was awesome. Arriving at a sandy spot we practiced the “out of air” situations with our buddy. This showed us how important safety and organization is while diving

During the 30-minute dive we discovered an incredibly beautiful world with many, many different kinds of corals and fish in every single color of the rainbow. We even got to see a shark and a sea turtle! I love this calm, almost untouched environment, it opens my heart wide and puts a big smile on my face!

After the dive we quickly rinsed all the gear with fresh water and tidied up the boat.

We are looking forward to more dives in the days to come here in the beautiful Florida Keys -- home of the only living coral feel in the United States of America.

YEP 10 Everglades USA Expedition - Day 9

Monday, November 21

Day 9 - Blog written by Dan Cullum

That is one of the incredible things about being on an expedition with Mike Horn:

Plans are only there to be changed.

After already having traveled some 160 kilometers by kayak for the past five days, our goal today was to venture deeper into the Everglades and camp out for one more night as the distance was too far to make it to our final destination (Everglades City) in one day

However we found out just before bed that we must all be awake at 5 AM to set out before sunrise from our campsite on Mormon Key to utilize the incoming tide to take us through the final 40 kms to our destination, in one day, not two.

The most spectacular moment of the whole expedition was this morning. In Everglades National Park the sun rises majestically behind the mangroves. Everyone had a story to share about their experience with that sunrise this morning-- almost all of them about being grateful for being alive and blessed to experience that moment together.

Today was also the first day that we ran into the trademark wildlife of the Everglades: the American Alligator.

Found in the blend of salt and fresh water, this specie is the quintessential spokesman of this unique region. Aya and I took our kayak within ten meters of the first alligator, but I was still a little apprehensive about being so close to such an infamous predator.

However, the second alligator that we saw really opened my eyes to what we were here to experience: a chance to get as close as possible to nature, to let it be, and to appreciate it on a whole new level. We maneuvered our kayak until I was only two meters away from it and I could look it in the eye. It was never going to attack me, it was curious just as I was and as we respected each other, I believe we both learned a little more about another world that is not our own.

The final six hours of paddling were the toughest of the whole trip for me. I could barely unwrap my fingers from my paddle or get them out of my gloves. My lower body which had been locked in the same position for the last six days was screaming out for some land to walk on! It took the support of my fellow Young Explorers to enable me to lift that paddle again and again and push them through the water for the final stretch through the winding channels and intricate inner waterways of Florida's "10,000 Islands".

Once we reached our final landing dock on Chokoloskee Island (just down the road from Everglades City), I washed myself off with some fresh water from a hose pipe and fell asleep almost immediately on the pavement of the marina parking lot. We had made it.

Covering almost 200 kms (120 miles) in five days, over open ocean, beside the mangroves, through the wet rain, hot afternoons, cold storms and swarms of mosquitos. I had some serious doubts on the first day whether or not I would be cut out for this expedition, but I said a prayer that lasted for the rest of the expedition, and with the inspirational Young Explorers fueling our unwavering determination, we put one paddle in front of the other and reached our goal.

The day ended with a van shuttle drive back to Key Largo (our initial point of departure and where the kayaks had to be returned to Florida Bay Outfitters). Some complications with the dinghy that was to take us back to Pangaea resulted in a night camped out on a wharf, falling asleep looking up at the stars, and an overwhelming sense of gratefulness

Such a journey teaches you many things, about how far you can push yourself, how important it is to do things as a team, how little you actually need to survive and be happy, how important family and loved ones are. Being so isolated and pushed to the extremities of what you can handle brings perspective, clarity and yet again, gratefulness.

Distance traveled Monday: Mormon Key to Chokoloskee Island via Pavillion Key 10,000 Islands inner waterways - 4.5 + 7 + 3.5 + 6 + 4 = 25

TOTAL distance traveled (5 1/2 day total) = 120.5

YEP 10 Everglades USA Expedition - Day 8

Sunday, November 20th

Day 8 - Blog by Rick Kotze

We woke up this morning and set straight into our morning routine of cooking breakfast, cleaning up the campsite and getting ready for the days paddle. Mike informed us that today would be especially strenuous to ensure that no future setbacks would result in an inability to reach our final destination on time. Personally I was not very happy to hear this, because I had had a really bad night’s sleep, and my back was still aching from yesterday’s long paddle. Luckily, my negative feelings dissolved as we set out into the beautiful wilderness and I fell back into the now familiar trance-like state of paddling. Stroke, after stroke, after stroke.

Our first stop came after two and a half hours of intense paddling. We had already covered nine miles and it was only half past ten in the morning. After exchanging snacks from our day packs and stretching our back and legs, we got into our kayaks and headed for New Turkey Key.

New Turkey Key is a postcard-perfect white-sand island covered in beautiful shells of all shapes and sizes. We made the most of this mosquito-free paradise and had a well-deserved rest. The girls collected and compared shells while the guys were more interested in a washed up alligator skeleton.

We were within an hour’s paddle of our campsite for the evening and as we left we had our first encounter with two other kayakers. This made us realize just how quiet the past few days had been. We discussed how sad it was that so few people made the effort to explore the beautiful public wilderness that we had been so privileged to have the opportunity to survey over the past few days.

The camp site for the night was a long thin stretch of sand so we made two fires – one at each end - to keep the mosquitos at bay. Mike celebrated our days triumph by cooking potato soup, mixed vegetables, scrambled eggs and chocolate mousse (all powdered Trek’n Eat packets, of course). This feast was enjoyed by all the young explorers as well as a few of the Florida Keys many  island raccoons that helped themselves to our leftovers any time we turned our backs.

This night wound-down around the fire sharing stories of the past few days. One of the favorite conversations was discussing all the thoughts and musings that jogged through our minds while we were in our trance-like state of paddling for hours on end. Some of us thought of food, friends and family whilst others confessed to having ridiculous songs playing on repeat in their minds (Row Row Row Your Boat seemed to be a common occurrence). Others yet, confessed to practicing their times tables to get their minds off of the aches and pains caused by the unfamiliar exercise.

After our fire-side story-telling, we crawled into our tents ready to wake up early for our final paddle, and fell asleep to the sound of the waves breaking less than five meters away from our feet.

Sunday's Kayak Excursion: Graveyard Creek to Mormon Key

Distance traveled Sunday: 25 miles

Total distance traveled so far (4 1/2 day total): 95.5 miles

YEP 10 Everglades USA Expedition - Day 7

Saturday, November 19th

Day 7 - Blog by Aya Anholt

The fourth day of our kayak expedition began bright and early so that we could get a good start to what would be a long day. The previous night was the first time I made use of my brand new Quechua sleeping bag, as I was chilly after being drenched from the day’s rain. I slept like a baby all wrapped up and away from those pesky mosquitos.

We began our day with our daily dose of brown sugar and cinnamon oatmeal prepared by us young explorers. As we set off and paddling that morning, every stroke of my paddle felt so effortless with the refreshingly calm conditions we were happy to be kayaking in. Moments such as this, in the salty breeze we were able to truly appreciate the birds flying overhead and perched above in the mangrove trees

The aches in our arms were almost nonexistent when we glided over the glassy water of Middle Cape Canal this early morning.

The sun began to shine and we kayaked hard until we reached the northern tip of Lake Ingraham. After an attempt to explore some very shallow mangrove passages, we pulled up to a beach. There, Mike mentioned that he had spotted an alligator a little earlier, and we then decided that the seven of us would go exploring on land, bush-wacking in search of one of these incredible creatures. Unfortunately, we were unsuccessful, however, we did discover many neat looking crabs and insects along the way. After a quick snack and a gulp of water, we set off once again in open water. The wind really started to kick in and paddling became much more physically challenging on the other side of Northwest Cape. The wind resulted in very taxing and wet conditions for the day. My kayak partner was Dan, and I definitely got to know him even better after spending countless hours on the water together discussing anything and everything that was on our minds.

During the final stretch of the day, the wind picked up even more speed and we all had to push fiercely and persevere past Shark River Island and across Ponce de Leon Bay. When we finally made it to our final destination at Graveyard Creek campsite, our group was very happy to have made it. Everyone was looking forward to diggin’ into some delicious Trek’n Eat to recuperate from a long day and gear up for the amazing things to discover in the days to come.

KAYAK EXCURSION LOG:

Middle Cape to Northwest Cape – 5 miles

Northwest Cape into Ponce de Leon Bay – 8 miles

Destination Graveyard Creek campsite – 4 miles

Saturday’s total distance traveled: 17 miles

____________________________________________

Total distance travled so far (3 ½ day total): 66.5 miles

YEP 10 Everglades USA Expedition - Day 6

Friday, November 18

Day 6 - Blog wtitten by Livio Knöri

Kayak Excursion: Flamingo to Middle Cape

We woke up this morning in Flamingo, Florida and we could hear the mosquitos swarming around the tent. We prepared to leave the campsite and have a fresh water “shower” under a hosepipe at the boating dock. While showering we heard a splashing sound in the water and we were amazed to a see a manatee looking up next to us in the water. The woman at the visitor center shop told us the manatee came because he likes the freshwater.

The short time in a little bit of civilization was great, but we are all looking forward to again immerse ourselves completely out into the remote nature surroundings. Before we left Flamingo had the opportunity to have a look around the small museum there and speak to two Everglades rangers who informed us about the species and conditions we could expect through the rest of our trek through the Everglades.

We left Flamingo in a north-westerly direction keeping next to the coast so that we could stop on some of the pristine beaches. After lunch we crossed a big bay and half way through it started pouring rain. The waves were big and choppy as we paddled almost five miles across the rough open water. The group stayed positive and rowed hard and eventually we reached the other side of the bay smiling.

We set up camp between passing storms on the beach at Middle Cape for the night. From long ago I was scared of the insects and reptiles. After we set up the tents Mike showed us a scorpion that was running in the bush. I learned that Scorpions are more scared of us then we are of them. They won’t harm us if we don’t threaten them. It is great to see how you get more and more comfortable in nature as you learn to understand and appreciate it.  I don’t miss civilization any more!
 
Day 1: Key Largo through Buttonwood Sound to North Nest Key -- 7 miles (11 km)

Day 2: North Nest Key to Flamingo -- 26 miles (42 km)

*Day 3: Flamingo to Middle Cape -- 16.5 miles (26 km)

TOTAL : 2 ½ day total distance travelled -- 49.5 miles (79.5 km)

YEP 10 Everglades USA Expedition - Day 5

Thursday, November 17th

Day 5 - Blog by Ann-Kathrin

After the short glimpse we had yesterday afternoon at the extent of the kayak expedition awaiting us over the next six days, today marked our first complete day on the water.

The night was long and tight in a tent with the four of us girls-- Aya, Theresa, Jule and I. We woke up when the sun rose and ate a nice breakfast of oats with brown sugar, then packed our equipment to leave the camp site as early as possible to get in the kayaks and begin the trip. We were all very keen on seeing the beautiful nature in store for us, although the sleep schedule is a bit difficult to get used to!

As soon as all the boats were packed we kayaked out into the endless blue of the shallow open water and the surrounding mangrove forests. The destination for the day had the pretty name – “Flamingo”.

We were amazed by all the untouched, pure nature we paddled by. About every two hours we had a little rest for our arms and to get used to the rhythm of moving all day long. We learned how to “raft-up” all the kayaks when we want to take a break and how to store them properly if we wanted to have a break on a small beach of a lonely island. Everyone was excited to see and to experience what the calm and peaceful surroundings of the Everglades National Park – the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States.

After the first hours of paddling we realized how hard the next days were going to be. On two tall wooden platforms in the middle of a large inlet we had a longer break, we ate our daypacks, which we were really happy about, and had a rest which we all enjoyed after a hard paddle. We carried on and came upon our first experience with the diverse Everglades wildlife. As we kayaked through deeper waters we saw a shark passing right along side us! The sharks chase the mullet fish that we see jumping high out of the water around us at all times. It was a really moving moment with the shark to understand that the natural animals have no intention to hurt us, they just carry on with their routines and we are able to see how peaceful the life between animals and humans can be.

Later on, without resting we got into a difficult situation where we had to paddle through water that was less than one meter deep. It was more of a swampy seagrass field. We had a hard time getting through the deep, thick mud and after we did we were exhausted but also happy to see that it was only a small distance to our next campsite.

We reached Flamingo beneath a beautiful sunset and the funny jumping mullet fish around us. We were very happy to get out of the water and there was even a fresh water hose on the boat landing ramp -- a real luxury!! -- to be able to wash the salt off our bodies. We fired up a bit of nice warm Trek 'n Eat dinner. After that, we all changed clothes and had our first battle with the thousands of hungry mosquitos that thrive in the hot and humid conditions of Florida’s swamplands. Everyone was more then happy to slip into the tents and to sleep after a very long first day of kayaking across Everglades National Park.

Day 1: Key Largo through Buttonwood Sound to North Nest Key – 7 miles

Day 2: North Nest Key to Big Key, Mosquito Point, Shark Point Chickee to Flamingo – 26 miles

TOTAL : 1 ½ day total distance travelled -- 33 miles (53 km)

YEP 10 Everglades USA Expedition - Day 4

Wednesday, November 16th

Day 4 - Blog by Theresa Kaiser

Tuesday night was pretty special because it was the first night outside on the ocean. After sailing all day from Fort Lauderdale to Key Largo PANGAEA was fixed in one place with the anchor dropped for the night. Every young explorer was responsible for a one-hour anchor watch throughout the evening. What we “watch” for is any movement of the boat or drifting as there is always a chance that strong winds could dislodge the anchor or alter our position or the anchor’s chain could break. We take watch to make sure that we are always secure even while all is quiet and asleep. Livio woke me up at 5:30 AM and for the next hour I had responsibility for PANGAEA making sure that everyone aboard was safe. I felt a little nervous at the beginning because I realized how important this responsibility really is.

Everything went well on watch and after breakfast I had to pack all the gear which I needed for the next seven days because we have the amazing opportunity for a 6-day kayak trip of more than 120 miles through the Everglades National Park.

After we packed our gear we went with Tristan on the dingy for a twenty minute boat ride through mangroves and harbors to Key Largo where we had to pick up our kayaks from Florida Bay Outfitters. We are all super excited about this trip and couldn’t wait to go out on the water and start paddling! But first we all ate a big lunch together -- staff and young explorers -- to give us energy for the adventure ahead.

We finally hit the water at about 3 PM. Everybody shared a tandem kayak except for Mike who was in a single boat by himself. I was paired together with Mary, Mike’s PR director. In the beginning we had some difficulties and some laughs trying to figure out how to synch up our strokes and get that kayak to go straight! But after a while, we got used to the boat, the finesse of the rudder and to each other and we really got to enjoy this trip

After a two-hour paddle, the sun set bright in the sky and night fell and we arrived at our campsite with the light of headlamps. It was a small beach at North Nest Key –- one of the beautiful, tiny islands of the thousands and thousands in the Everglades. We set up our tents, made a campfire and I ate for the first but not the last time Trek’n Eat. I didn’t expect it to taste so good!

This is going to be the first time outside in the Everglades and I am super excited for the next few days, looking forward to exploring and to learning about this unique environment and all the animals in there!

YEP 10 Everglades USA Expedition - Day 3

Tuesday, November 15th

Day 3 - Blog by Jule Holland

New days and new experiences! After picking up eight double kayaks in Key Largo, the team learn the do's and don'ts of kayaking and set off on a five day expedition around the region of the Florida Keys. Pangaea waits patiently for their return and we are looking forward to hearing about the YEPs amazing stories.

Today we got to sleep in a little and had a calm morning getting the boat ready to sail. We left Port Everglades harbor in Fort Lauderdale, Florida at about two o’clock and set sail on a 100-mile trip in the direction of Key Largo – the largest and northernmost island in the Florida Keys . We were all so excited to finally sail Pangaea!

Setting up the main and the stay sail, we needed all helping hands. After that we enjoyed a beautiful view over the ocean. We had only little waves, almost no clouds in the sky and the sun gave the sea a silver-blue shimmer. It was awesome to sit in the front of PANGAEA and feel  the wind blow in our face and the water splashing onto us. This is what we all have been waiting for so long, just feeling pure freedom!

When the sun was about to set we saw three dolphins  jumping out of the water and later on there was a beautiful firework at the horizon. During our watch shift Aya and I had to look out for other ships, keep a close eye on the shallow water depth and maintain the course of Pangaea.

As we are going to keep on sailing throughout the whole night everyone must serve a two-hour night-watch-shift, every six hours.

We are all looking forward to tomorrow and our arrival to Key Largo!

YEP 10 Everglades USA Expedition - Day 2

Monday, November 14th

Day 2 - Blog by Theresa Kaiser

Tuesday night was pretty special because it was the first night outside on the ocean. After sailing all day from Fort Lauderdale to Key Largo PANGAEA was fixed in one place with the anchor dropped for the night. Every young explorer was responsible for a one-hour anchor watch throughout the evening. What we “watch” for is any movement of the boat or drifting as there is always a chance that strong winds could dislodge the anchor or alter our position or the anchor’s chain could break. We take watch to make sure that we are always secure even while all is quiet and asleep. Livio woke me up at 5:30 AM and for the next hour I had responsibility for PANGAEA making sure that everyone aboard was safe. I felt a little nervous at the beginning because I realized how important this responsibility really is.

Everything went well on watch and after breakfast I had to pack all the gear which I needed for the next seven days because we have the amazing opportunity for a 6-day kayak trip of more than 120 miles through the Everglades National Park.

After we packed our gear we went with Tristan on the dingy for a twenty minute boat ride through mangroves and harbors to Key Largo where we had to pick up our kayaks from Florida Bay Outfitters. We are all super excited about this trip and couldn’t wait to go out on the water and start paddling! But first we all ate a big lunch together -- staff and young explorers -- to give us energy for the adventure ahead.

We finally hit the water at about 3 PM. Everybody shared a tandem kayak except for Mike who was in a single boat by himself. I was paired together with Mary, Mike’s PR director. In the beginning we had some difficulties and some laughs trying to figure out how to synch up our strokes and get that kayak to go straight! But after a while, we got used to the boat, the finesse of the rudder and to each other and we really got to enjoy this trip

After a two-hour paddle, the sun set bright in the sky and night fell and we arrived at our campsite with the light of headlamps. It was a small beach at North Nest Key –- one of the beautiful, tiny islands of the thousands and thousands in the Everglades. We set up our tents, made a campfire and I ate for the first but not the last time Trek’n Eat. I didn’t expect it to taste so good!

This is going to be the first time outside in the Everglades and I am super excited for the next few days, looking forward to exploring and to learning about this unique environment and all the animals in there

YEP 10 Everglades USA Expedition - Day 1

Sunday, November 13th

Day 1 - Blog written by Dan Cullum

For many of the Young Explorers on board, it was our first time seeing and being on board Pangaea. We arrived late last night at Bahia Mar Yachting Club in Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and as we walked along the dock and saw the words ‘Pangaea’ written on the bow of a large boat at the end of the dock, we knew the expedition had begun.

Scrubbing the decks and removing rust from the railings were the agenda for this morning, followed by a boat safety talk from Mike, and then a sailing configuration session, taught by Tristan. All the Young Explorers are a little nervous and excited about our first sail tomorrow morning, we have all been told that a lot is expected of us and that we should be able to work all the equipment we learnt about today when Mike asks us.

We also learnt that a few days ago Pangaea had lost her anchor in Port Everglades and that we were going to spend the afternoon retrieving it. The GPS location had been recorded and once we were at the location, six of the Mike Horn Team went diving looking for the anchor. The Young Explorers were all watching from the boat, keeping an eye out for the divers and where they may appear. It took about 4 tries of the team to locate and retrieve the anchor which took the rest of the afternoon and into the early evening.

After seeing all the diving being done today, the Young Explorers are looking forward to the diving that we will experience on this trip, and all the beautiful things that we will see.

D Day Blogs!

Blog written by Rick Kotze, 20, South Africa

Because we are all flying in from different parts of the world, the YEPs are arriving bit by bit at different times throughout the day. I was the first to arrive at about 2 this afternoon, and was picked up by Luke at Ft. Lauderdale airport after about 23 hours of traveling from Cape Town. As we drove into the harbour I could only just make out the mast of The Pangaea towering above the millions of other masts. My adrenaline spiked and my heart raced at the thought of finally meeting the man that made all this possible. I boarded the vessel and met the crew who were all very friendly and welcoming.

Then I saw him standing a few meters away with his back towards me. As he turned I stuck out my hand and braced myself for the infamous hand-crunch. I stuttered out something resembling my name and remember having a short exchange regarding South Africa and why I was selected. It was all over so quick, and I can barley remember what happened. But it HAD happened! It is actually happening! I am ON the boat!... Amazing!

The next few hours were spent familiarising myself with the boat and the crew and organising myself into my new home. A quick lunch and a sneak preview of what I had gotten myself into was follow by a lot of time on the computer catching up on all that I had missed in the past few days.

The excitement and anticipation has reached a new high, and I can not wait for my fellow YEPs to arrive.

This is going to be quite the adventure!

Follow us on Facebook or www.mikehorn.com and send in your questions to win great prizes!

Blog written by Aya Anholt, 15, Canada

Currently, I am hitting about the 12 hour mark before my plane takes off from the Vancouver International Airport. Honestly, I can’t sit still as I am writing my blog right now, with my great excitement for what’s to come! Tomorrow is the day that I will go aboard the Pangaea vessel, meet up with Mike, the team and my fellow YEPs, as the expedition kicks off in Fort Lauderdale!

The last three were hectic days as I was making sure I’m all set to leave early Sunday morning. This included running last minute errands, writing math quizzes, packing and, meeting up with friends. A couple weeks ago, we got an email telling us to prepare snack packs for the kayaking trip we will be doing during the expedition. This is what my day entailed, and I packed eight zip lock bags full of delicious dried apricot, dark chocolate covered Acai berries, and variety of trail mix.

I have also been trying to spread the word about our Interactive Classroom Project! My friends have all heard me talking about it for the past week, and I have urged them all to ask questions on the young explorers face book page during the expedition. What will make this project a success is if lots of people post good questions! The more people that are involved, the better!

I’m absolutely ready for an adventure of a lifetime, bring it on!

Pre Expedition Blogs

PRE - EXPEDITION YEP 10 USA

Blog written by Theresa Kaiser, 16, Germany

Only one day left!

It's just crazy to know that tomorrow at this time I will be sitting in the plane to an incredible adventure and later on will meet Mike Horn and all these wonderful persons who I met during the Selection Camp again.

The last few weeks were quite stressful but I don't mind because I had the best motivation ever to know that my dream will come true. Every day of my preparation was different and special. Last Tuesday when I ate breakfast I looked at the newspaper and was shocked. There was a big photo of me at the front page and I need some seconds to realise that it isn't imagination that it is really myself.

In the last few days I bought and settle the last few things and now I'm finished packing and saying everyone goodbye. I'm ready to what is coming up, super excited and cannot wait!!!!

Blog written by Jule Holland, 17, Germany

The time flies by as I am doing the last preparations... In less then two days we will enter the plane! When I think of flying all around the world to Florida, meeting Mike Horn, getting the possibility to sail on PANGAEA and meeting all the other Yeps, it gives me a feeling of unbelievable excitement! This is an incredible possibility we get and I will give my very best to make the most out of this!

It was hard paying attention at school in the last few days because my mind kept wandering to the Expedition. When I was at the thought of the upcoming three weeks I couldn't help but having a HUGE smile on my face. And it didn't happen only once that people asked for the reason of this happiness :)

It took some time spreading all my stuff in my room an then picking the most importent items, 23kg aren't too much if you bring equipment and shoes and backpacks and chocolate :).

Tonight some of my friends are coming to my house and I show them pictures of the selection camp for kind of a farewell party. But, to be honest, I actually don't mind at all missing three weeks of school :-). This life-changing experience I will get, will be worth 1000 times all the efforts at school catching up with all the lessons and organizing everything at home!

I am so thankful for this chance and soooooo excited to arrive on Pangaea!

Blog written by Dan Cullum, 19, New Zealand

Expectation, is a wonderful thing.

All too often I hear people refuse to talk about their expectations for fear of being let down, for fear of it not living up to what they imagined it to be. I personally believe we have the choice to make every experience what we want it to be, and never before have I felt so expectant for the journey of a lifetime.

I know and understand that the way I see the world will be altered and inspired in a little more than two days time. I come with an excited determination to make sure that every moment spent on Pangaea with Mike and my fellow YEPs will be one of immense learning. I am expecting to be blown away by mother nature in a way that I have never encountered before.

I just cannot wait to be on board Pangaea. After watching her journey around the globe, seeing the rich experiences on the faces of the people in the videos, and hearing so many stories, I need to be a part of it. Ever since the Selection Camp, I have been captured by the beauty of sailing, traveling vast distances only by the power of the wind. That to me, is connecting with nature.

All in all, I feel beyond blessed right now, to be embarking upon such an amazing expedition. Completely grateful and thankful for this opportunity.

I am going expectant for a life changing experience, because I know with this attitude, it will be nothing short of it.

Blog written by Rick Kotze, 20, South Africa

Could you possibly imagine the excitement of an adventure of this scale? The sleepless nights, filled with vivid images of what’s to come. The hours of exercise, accompanied by the knowledge that all around the world the others are also preparing. All the thousands of mails from all around the world… It all adds up to a feeling of anticipation and excitement the likes of which I have never felt before. It’s as though someone is constantly poking me in the ribs or whispering in my ear, never for a moment letting me forget about this great adventure that I am a part of.

It has been many years since I have felt such a great force of change in my life, sucking me in and steering me in a direction... A direction that I am only too happy to go along with. I mean anything that makes you WANT to check your mail 5times daily, or go for a run when you should be sleeping, couldn’t be a bad thing... could it?!

The expedition starts in 6 days, and I am flying out in 5... 5DAYS! That number snuck up on me even faster than I thought it would, and with all that I have left to do between now and then, I’m sure it will fly by in the blink of an eye. I still need to: write two exams, go shopping (one of the few times in my life that I have been looking forward to this), move houses, sort some things out with local media, write 3 more blogs and pack my bags for the expedition! How I will manage to do all this, while the little man is poking my ribs and whispering in my ear, is a mystery. To be honest... Im gonna let future Rick sort that out and just enjoy the experience one step at a time.

I am ready to Learn, Explore and Act...In fact, I am more than ready! I have been waiting!

5 days! 5 days and counting! Follow us on the web and share the experience!

Blog written by Aya Anholt, 15, Germany

It’s the final countdown! A mere five days until the expedition begins. Time has gone by rapidly, and now is the time to be gearing up for the ultimate adventure. Lately my life, similar to all the other Young Explorers, has been hectic. Day to night, my schedule jam is packed with expedition preparations, school, volleyball, and more school.

My last few weekends consisted of an open water scuba diving certification course, which is required before going on this expedition. I dove at Whyte Cliff Park and Porteau Cove. Both of these diving sports are in close proximity to where I live. The temperature of the water was freezing, the visibility was surprisingly good, and I was lucky enough to encounter huge sea cucumbers, different species of fish, crabs, and lots of star fish. I find that there’s something truly captivating about the ocean, and when I took my first breath underwater, I realized that this is just my beginning of discovering the incredible world of H2O.

Relevant to the expedition, during science class at school, we have been doing a biology unit in which we learned about how humans influence ecosystems. Subsequently, we discussed wetlands and their ability to filter out wastes. My science teacher briefly talked about the significance of this ecosystem, and as an example, she brought up the Gulf of Mexico oil spill and its effects on the marshes in that region. I then explained that I will be seeing this first hand, and hopefully that gained some interest amongst my classmates.

Naturally, I am beyond enthused about the expedition! I am thrilled to be meeting Mike Horn once again, and seeing all the wonderful people I met in Chateau-d’Oex! I can’t help but smile when I think about my Pangaea family!

Blog written by Ann-Kathrin Geiger, 19, Germany

Pack, unpack and repack.
That has been my activity during the last days.

And I am thrilled!

Last week was hard. I had to accept that I wont be able to dive with all the others. This was a very disappointing experience for me because I was especially looking forward to the diving part of the expedition. I realized that it is impossible for me because of the high health risk and I had to fight against myself, not to loose the faith. I was afraid that I couldn't join the trip, but everything worked out and now I can't wait to leave.

Every day this adventure grows bigger, comes closer. It still seems unreal to be so far away soon. Also it's not normal to leave school during preparation time for the final exams but this chance is everything I wanted and what I want right now.

Since we got detailed information about Florida and our work, it seems even more amazing to finally be a part of this once-in-a-lifetime journey. We already informed ourselves about the Gulf of Mexico and Florida, but now where we are about to see thing for real it has even more of a paradise then before. I cant wait to see the nature with my own eyes. To experience it, in a way the most intensive as possible. This “little” spot of earth and water is going to be our home for the next three weeks, and I can tell that I'm going to fall in love with it.

I really wish that everyone who wants to can be part of our trip, and that all of you can share our experience and let it change yourselves, as it is going to change us.

I hope you all are as excited as we are!

Take care, be fine and….See you in the USA!  :)
 

Blog written by Livio Knöri, 19, Switzerland

Wow!! Just one week and the Expedition will start! On Sunday the 13th November I will fly to Florida and meet the best Expedition team ever.

It’s unbelievable how fast time runs. Every day are some preparations to do. I had already two interviews. For this was the training and the advice about “How to communicate with the medias” that we get during the Selection Camp was very useful. And next week is a scuba diving refresh planed. I am so excited about the scuba diving in the Gulf of Mexico. It will be the first time in the sea and not in a cold swiss lake ;)

Today I was kayaking on a lake in the mountains. It was a little bit cold but the view and landscape was beautiful. During the kayaking on the lake I was thinking: "Unbelievable, when I sit the next time in a kayak, I will be in the Everglades." I’m so happy that I have the chance to take part in such an Expedition.

I am counting the days until I can go to the airport.

Blog written by Theresa Kaiser, 16, Germany

Since the Selection Camp the time has passed very quickly and in addition to my normal life I had to prepare myself for the expedition.

One big part of the preparation is physical training. This means running, biking, swimming, hiking and also some strength training. The training became more and more intense every week and it always feels great when you can see the result!

Next to the physical training I had to make an open water diving course. Diving was something new for me because I have never dived before. It was an incredible feeling when I breathed for my first time under the water! Last week I had my theory test and my last indoor dive and today I’m going to have my last open water dives in a lake with 7°C. I really enjoy the diving course and looking forward to my open water dives today and the dives during the expedition!

In the last few weeks there were also some huge moments! It was a great feeling when I opened a packet full of equipment for the expedition and yesterday when I looked in the newspaper and could read an article about me!

I’m super excited, motivated and happy to have this amazing opportunity of taking part in the USA expedition and exploring the Everglades and the Gulf of Mexico!

Blog written by Jule Holland, 17, Germany

Today we can start the countdown: In 10 days we will all head off to Lauderdale in Florida where we will meet Mike Horn and the famous Pangaea!

It is the first time for me to see this legendary boat and I am incredibly happy about getting the chance to take part in the USA expedition! I took some time until I actually realized what “being selected” means: An awesome, unique possibility which I am so thankful to get.

Since the end of the Selection Camp time flew by organizing everything at home and at school, doing physical exercising, buying some last items for the expedition gear and so on. I think I had to explain over 100 times what I am doing in the next three weeks and why. I know this explanation by heart now J.

Today I started spreading all my gear on the floor in my bedroom to see what I already have and what I still need to organize which made me feel even more excited!

Thank you for this amazing chance, I am looking forward to the Expedition so much!

Blog written by Ann-Kathrin Geiger, 19, Germany

The time is running so fast. It seems like yesterday that we got back from the camp, filled with new experiences and thoughts. Already missing the amazing time we had together.

Now, only two weeks before the expedition, caught somewhere between exams, preparations, school and duties, I sometimes have to clear my mind of all those thoughts, to realize again: “Wow,(breathe) I'm joining the next Expedition!”. This unbelievable truth is able to push my excitement rapidly to super excitement.

Waking up everyday starting with the thought “Here we go” the day is less exhausting, less normal.

Since I received details about my gear yesterday, I can't wait to begin the Expedition. With every mail a part of our journey seems more real, right now it still has more of a dream, looming on the horizon, than a reality I am living in. But I know as soon as I have my gear by Wednesday everything will be more real than before.

Tomorrow I will have my third and last interview with a regional Newspaper. And as always this is going to be the image of me talking, a huge grin on the face, the voice filled overflowing with excitement. Every time I remember the camp it fills me with a new wave of joy. And I know that the time in Chateau-D'Oex was just the beginning of the real adventure, awaiting in the pure nature of the Everglades National Park and the Gulf of Mexico.

I am still amazed by the fact that I'm actually going to be part of this amazing trip and that I get the chance to experience such an intense enrichment for my life.