amazing women Archives | TRAVELS WITH TAM

Fab Photos Friday: The Biggest Fish in the Ocean

August 6, 2015 By Tam Warner 9 Comments

Andrea took this awesome photo of me with the Whale Shark! — Field scientist Dr. Andrea Marshall took this awesome photo of me with the Whale Shark!

The incredible Whale Shark is the biggest fish in the ocean! And it is such a beautiful, gentle fish! It has to be said that whale sharks probably don’t have Einstein’s IQ since they have the smallest brain in the ocean for their size, but give them a break …they help keep plankton and krill under control, which is necessary for our oceans and for life on earth. I just returned from the Yucatan peninsula where possibly the largest aggregation of whale sharks occurs, and it was a spectacular trip. Here are some Whale Shark Facts along with the photographs I took!

1. The largest fish in the ocean can grow up to 65 feet and 75,000 pounds. They are as large as many whales, and as big as, or bigger than, a city bus!

I took this photo of the vertical, pregnant whale shark and our Kiwi!

2. The largest fish in the ocean eats the smallest creatures in the ocean: tiny plankton, small fishes, and small crustaceans. They are filter feeders, they gulp the sea water through their gills, and when the water is pushed out, prey gets stuck to their gill plates. Yum!

Andrea photographing. — Photographing and swimming with Whale Sharks.

3. Whale Sharks are sharks and do not have bones, but cartilage. Cartilage does not fossilize as well as bones do, so there is not a huge fossil record of sharks. Most of what we know of ancient sharks come from their teeth.

This lousy photo gives you a sense of the scale of these animals!

4. Female Whale Sharks are bigger than the males and are found in all warm oceans: Pacific, Indian and Atlantic.

Two feeding sharks..the white dots and scatter is food! Tuna spawn draws the Whale Sharks to the Yucatan every year.

5. Whale Sharks are gentle creatures and one can swim right next to the animal with no fear.

6. Each whale shark has a unique spot pattern from it’s gill to over the pectoral fins. When swimming with whale sharks, it is best to take ID photos to upload into a scientific database like www.whaleshark.org.

7. Thanks to tagging and ID photographs much more is now known about Whale Sharks compared to 10 years ago. We know they migrate thousands of miles to opportunistically feed…Mexico is a hotspot, particularly the Yucatan where tuna spawn in the summer. The whale shark may live up to 100 years!

8. It is not common to see pregnant females like the one pictured here. Much of the time one sees juvenile males. A female whale shark has been known to hold 300 fetuses. It is possible that female whale sharks may “save sperm” in order to fertilize their own eggs as they are made, but more study needs to be completed in order to know for certain.

Feeding Series. This is the first shot I took. — Feeding Series. This is the first shot I took of this glorious pregnant female!

Feeding series 2. I swam in front of the shark to get a shot and she buttoned up. — Feeding series 2. I swam in front of the shark to get a shot and she buttoned up! Proof that she knows I am not food.

Feeding series 3. She opened back up when I reached her other side.

9. Sadly, the Whale Shark is “vulnerable” according to the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) Red List. Whale Sharks are protected in most areas of the world but are still killed for their fins (for shark fin soup). Sharks are very toxic to humans so they are not a good food source, and humans have been very toxic toward sharks since we are responsible for the deaths of 75 to 100 million sharks a year.

If you wish to learn more about these fascinating sharks, check out www.marinemegafauna.org. Marine Megafauna Foundation studies large pelagic species in order to understand their ecology and protect them from illegal fishing practices. You can even adopt a shark, manta ray, or sea turtle! The proceeds go toward scientific study of the animals for conservation purposes. Marine Megafauna also offers expeditions (like the one I was just on in the Yucatan) in order to assist scientists by performing citizen science. We are all responsible for the condition of our planet, and we all need to contribute in some way. If you’d like to learn more about sharks and the state of our oceans, I recommend going to www.sharkwater.com and seeing the documentaries of Rob Stewart, or checking the BBC or Discovery Channel.

Amazing Women Wednesday: Citizen Scientists in the Yucatan!

August 4, 2015 By Tam Warner 44 Comments

I wrote this blog in 2015, after a fabulous trip to the Yucatan with an amazing group of women! I have stayed in touch with all of them. I will update you in the blog itself! Enjoy!

Andrea, Elnora and Fin with a Whale Shark

Amazing Women Wednesday: Citizen Scientists in the Yucatan!

Two weeks ago I met a stunning group of women. We were all citizen science volunteers on the Ray of Hope Expedition 2015 to the Yucatan. Our goal was to take ID photographs of Manta Rays and Whale Sharks, and to obtain 30 genetic samples from Mantas. The Whale Shark goal was awesomely met, the Mantas were elusive, but the group of women on the expedition made the trip more than worthwhile. [Read more…] about Amazing Women Wednesday: Citizen Scientists in the Yucatan!

Amazing Women Wednesday: Hélène Tragos Stelian

June 23, 2015 By Tam Warner 14 Comments

Hélène Tragos Stelian is a multi-talented woman who puts family first while finding creative outlets for her own life. Her first creative project was a book, Getting Ready for Baby: The Practical Parent’s Organizer. As the mother of twins Hélène knew that planning to have a baby (or babies) was a tough job in itself, so she shared her organizing ability with other parents. Hélène recently updated her book, see above and below the post for links to purchase it! What a great gift for someone who is expecting!

Next Act for Women is Hélène’s blog about women of a “certain age”, meaning midlife, who find a new purpose or career. I love it! It encourages women who haven’t “found their thing” yet to take chances, to make changes in how they live their lives. Hélène points out in her blog, “Women of a “certain age” are often self-aware: emboldened by their strengths, accepting of their limitations, and ready to take a realistic approach in the pursuit of new personal goals. Their motivation may come from regrets about paths not taken, an itch to put their energy into more creative outlets, a wish to give back to their community in a more substantive way, or any myriad of reasons.” Her blogs about women moving forward and taking risks are engaging and compelling. She writes about women who have completely changed their lives, gone into a new field, or given themselves over to helping others. Here are a few of the blog links:

Becoming a Fashion Stylist at 45: Jennifer’s Story

Advocating for Therapeutic Drug Policies in Her 50s: Gretchen’s Story

Creating Healthy Workplace Cultures at 55: Jeanne’s Story

Let’s Hear From an Expert: Mary Beth Barrett-Newman of 2nd Career Consulting

I love these blogs/articles, after all, I am a woman of a “certain age” and I love to hear what other women of a certain age are up to. This may sound random, but have you ever seen “Something’s Gotta Give” with Diane Keaton and Frances McDormand? The film is about a man over 60 who dates much younger women, and a woman (Diane Keaton) who is over 50 and, as Frances McDormand’s character explains it:

“….there’s my gorgeous sister here. Look at her. She is so accomplished…..She’s over 50, divorced, and she sits in night after night after night because available guys her age want something-forgive me, they want somebody (much younger). The over-50 dating scene is geared towards men leaving older women out. And as a result, the women become more and more productive and therefore, more and more interesting. Which, in turn, makes them even less desirable because as we all know, men- especially older men- are threatened and afraid of productive, interesting women. It is just so clear! Single older women as a demographic are about as fucked a group as can ever exist.” Not being single, I cannot really comment on the dating scene, but here is what I do know, and what I love about Hélène’s Next Act for Women: being in midlife is incredible. It is liberating, actually freeing in many ways. I can look back to my twenties and thirties and realize that I am now wiser, more sure of myself, more comfortable, more intelligent, and more confident. Reading about other women who feel the same is refreshing as well as exciting.

Hélène is part Danish and Greek, and was raised in Paris until she was 13 years old. Traveling has been a top priority for her and her family, and they have been all over the globe. I would certainly say she has led a life full of adventure! For being an independent woman who has written and published a book (and is working on another), raised twins, enjoyed her family life, and has put the spotlight on midlife women at the very apex of their lives, I say you are amazing, Hélène! You are an amazing woman, and a fabulous role model. Keep Next Act for Women going strong, those of us in our “next act” love hearing about other women who are on the same stage.

Bhutan-Trek-DaddyDaughter-2012 — Trekking in Bhutan!

Gorilla-Tracking-Rwanda-2013 — Tracking gorillas in Rwanda 2013.

Istanbul-2013 — Istanbul (not Constantinople)…checking out other cultures.

Mudding-a-hut-Uganda-2013 — Helping to “mud a hut” in Rwanda.

Tanzania-2007 — Hélène’s family on safari in Tanzania, 2007.

Amazing Women Wednesday: Diana Paboojian

June 9, 2015 By Tam Warner 19 Comments

How I love Wednesdays and the opportunity to introduce you to some Amazing Women! Meet Diana Paboojian, and look at her incredible photography.

diana herself — Diana Paboojian and friends!

Diana and I met on a dive trip exploring the Socorro Islands (very far south of the Baja) on the Solmar V. She caught my interest early…her camera equipment was obviously “serious”, and her husband, Shannon, was the videographer. I enjoyed viewing her images during the trip as most of us hung out in the dining area categorizing our photography. Her images were, and are, light years ahead of mine. I learned quite a lot from watching her.

Like my family of four, she and her family are all divers, and enjoy dive trips together. Her two sons are now in college, and she and her husband raise quarter horses and are organic Alfalfa/ Grass feed farmers who live in the northern part of the Central Valley of California. I’m trying to imagine something better….horses, diving, animals, traveling. Throw a dozen dogs and cats in the mix and that’s pretty close to heaven for me!

A natural in the water, Diana didn’t get certified until her younger son sought dive certification. I would have guessed during the trip to the Socorros that she had been diving far longer than 6 years or so. Photography is tough to do underwater…one needs to be a damned good diver before you add a camera into the mix!

When I asked how she became interested in photography, she told me, “I have been always been interested in photography. I loved taking my own pictures for my horse business and I am also an excellent sports photographer. As for under the water, once I mastered my buoyancy, it was a natural progression to take a camera with me. I started with a point and shoot, then upgraded to a micro 4/3’s camera, and now I shoot with a DSLR. I have taken many pictures and have had a few great teachers to get me where I am now.”

diana5 — These creatures are as small as your fingernail.

I also asked her about her photographic experiences, and which was the most exciting (I know that is a very hard question to answer). She replied, “I have had so many exciting adventures out of the water and in. Gorillas in Rwanda, Lions in Botswana, Leopards in Tanzania, Bull Sharks in Fiji, Mantas and Dolphins in Socorro, Whalesharks in Mexico! When we were on a safari with Derrick Joubert in Botswana, we were watching two painted dogs sleep. A herd of elephants with babies walked by. After the elephants disappeared in the distance, the two painted dogs stood up stretched and started mating. I took a few pictures, but then just sat and watched. Derrick was filming the whole time so we stayed as quiet as we could. Every experience has been exciting but the most important advice is to make sure you put your camera down every once in awhile to truly enjoy the experience!”

Diana doesn’t call herself a conservationist or activist, but an educator. She says, “People just do not know what is really happening in our oceans or in Africa. I want to use my photography and knowledge to educate them to be more caring. To make a difference. I always say you can’t un-know what you know so all I can do is get the information out there. Then we can only hope that the human race can evolve enough to save the world.”

diana2 — Isn’t this an exquisite photo? A great example of the detail Diana gets with Macro images.

Her photos are amazing, and they make one care about the creatures she photographs. From sea horses no bigger than your pinky finger to gorillas in Africa, the photos keep you interested, and curious about the animal itself. You can find Diana’s work on Zenfolio, and the link is www.dianapaboojianphotography.zenfolio.com. If you are looking for fantastic wildlife photographs, you won’t have to look any further than Diana’s photos. Her Macro underwater photography is particularly engaging. She captures the tiniest sea creatures in incredibly detailed shots.

diana4 — The largest fish in the ocean…the beautiful Whale Shark!!!

So, what is next for this traveling, empty nest, shutterbug? “Heading back to Indonesia in July. We will be going to Villa Markisa in Tulumben, Bali to get a little muck diving! We will then head to Komodo on the Liveaboard Damai. We will finish off with Cenderawasih Bay to see the Whalesharks!”

There is never a dull moment in Diana’s life…she embraces all experiences. Her son is studying Marine Biology so who knows where that will send her family? I can’t wait to find out…and maybe go along!

I always enjoy following Diana’s travels around the globe, and hope to meet up with her again on a liveaboard somewhere…or a dive resort. Or a safari. She is an inspiring figure, and a great role model for young women. Since Travels with Tam is participating in the #AcrossWomensLives initiative, I’ll be sending this post over to them to demonstrate the strengths and talents of women! It feels good to be able to share positive stories about women’s lives!

Amazing Women Wednesday: Update on Cathy Chester!

June 3, 2015 By Tam Warner 11 Comments

Cathy Chester, author of An Empowered Spirit

Cathy Chester is indeed a powerhouse. She is an advocate for wellness, for research into Multiple Sclerosis (she was diagnosed at 29), and she is an award winning blogger at An Empowered Spirit. Next Act for Women, a blog about midlife women and reinvention, has just published an awesome feature on Cathy. I highly recommend that you learn even more about this truly Amazing Woman! Here is the link to the BLOGPOST on Cathy Chester!

Amazing Women Wednesday: Friendship

May 27, 2015 By Tam Warner 12 Comments

Women’s friendships fascinate me. Some women have huge groups of friends, some have a posse, and others have just one or two close confidants. Our friendships with other women are important to us, whether they are deep or at surface level.

Friendships do not necessarily last forever. Some of my friendships have faded for many reasons…when our children are young we have women friends with children the same age…but when they grow up, those friendships can easily drift away. It’s a natural progression, it happens slowly over time until you just don’t communicate much anymore. I have friends I do not talk to often, but when we do talk, we pick up right where we left off.

Facebook and other Social Media have changed relationships immensely. I cannot believe the people I have reconnected with: high school friends, old work associates…and I’ve made new connections with other groups, bloggers, college consultants, scuba divers, feminists, etc etc. Do online friendships count?

I have never really been part of a women’s “group”. Maybe once or twice, but generally speaking, being around a lot of women tends to make me feel anxious. I read a blog a month or two ago about a woman who talked about being bullied by another woman while in Junior High, and how she sent her an online letter to tell her how badly it made her feel as a teen. That blog brought back memories that I had kept at bay for years…there was a group of girls who bullied and humiliated me back in Junior High. I have always been highly sensitive, and these actions absolutely devastated me at the time. I pretended it didn’t matter, and I doubt any of them ever saw me cry, but groups of women do make me anxious…and over cautious. These memories remind me of why my female friendships tend to be more one on one than group oriented. Even when in the middle of female group friendships, I feel a sense of not belonging, and even some level of panic or fear. Obviously something I need to start working on!

I came across an article today, 25 Famous Women on Female Friendship. Many of these women I would include in the Amazing Women column for a myriad of reasons: Jane Fonda, Nora Ephron, JK Rowling, and Gloria Steinem among them. I find the article very interesting, perhaps enlightening in some aspects. I know a lot of women, many of whom I would call friends, who live all over the globe and are all different ages and from different backgrounds. When I do see them, I very much enjoy our time together.

What about your female friendships? Are you a in a group of women who are close, or do you have mostly one on ones? Do you have a Sex in the City group of pals? What do you think about Social Media friendships, are they real or unimportant?

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