[2018] A South Atlantic Odyssey

[2018] A South Atlantic Odyssey

€18.00

An expedition of five weeks, crossing the South Atlantic Ocean from Ushuaia (Patagonia) to Cape Verde by ship, spending weeks in the open ocean, visiting the most remote islands in the world and experiencing stunning wildlife.

A story to inspire and increase environmental awareness … this odyssey shows you the pristine beauty of our vulnerable planet through the eyes of the photographer.

Christian Clauwers enters an unknown world, exploring remote corners of our planet, untouched by man.

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Starting the journey in Ushuaia (Argentina), Christian passed the Shag Rocks before visiting remote and inhospitable island of South Georgia. The booklet includes photos taken at Salisbury Plain, Prion Island, St.-Andrew’s Bay, Grytviken, Shackleton’s Grave, Drygalski Fjord, Cooper Bay and Cooper Island.

Following his extensive visit of South Georgia, many long and lonely days at sea later, Christian approached and photographed the remote, wet, rugged and windswept Gough Island: a UNESCO World Heritage Site, located some 350 km south-southeast of Tristan da Cunha. Only very few people ever saw this outlying island with their own eyes.

The e-book shows unique footage of Tristan da Cunha, the most remote inhabited island of the world. Christian writes about the first people who arrived on this outlying island, about the history and the daily life of the 273 people living on this remote gem. The booklet includes 14 photos of this tiny unique society.

After circumnavigating Nightingale Island and Inaccessible Island, the expedition ship has set his sails to Saint Helena.

Christian spent a couple of days and a night with locals on this interesting island, packed with history. The booklet includes photos of Napoleon’s tomb, Longwood House (Napoleon’s exile, place where he died), Jacob’s Ladder, the oldest currently living terrestrial animal known, the controversial airport and much more.

Also Ascension Island as well as Boatswain Bird Island are included in the booklet.

The e-book ends with photos of flying fish, as well as compilation af 15 seabirds seen on this long ocean journey.

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THE SOUTH ATLANTIC OCEAN

People have the habit of bringing other creatures in the wake of their ship. This sometimes happens deliberately, sometimes unconsciously. History shows that such introductions always headed for a drama for the indigenous inhabitants. Due to the lack of natural enemies, these introduced animals and plants could thrive unrestrained, with the result that native (endemic) species were repressed, and sometimes eventually faced extinction.

The odyssey on the South Atlantic told me a lot about the vulnerability of existing ecosystems: cats on Ascension Island, reindeer and rats on South Georgia, mice on Gough Island and changing vegetation on St. Helena. Isolated and remote islands often caused independent evolutions of species. On the other hand, ocean currents led to genetic connectivity that allowed species to spread. Larger islands can support more habitats and species than smaller ones. Older islands often have more species than younger ones of similar size. This depends on how remote an island is (biodiversity in proportion to its isolation).

In my quest, I try to enter an unknown world. It is a search for the pristine, exploring the unknown corners of our planet, untouched by man. I try to take pictures with my soul, so that every picture says something deep about life, nature and about ourselves.

— Christian Clauwers