Ancient Words: Deciphering an Ancient People and Their Language in El Salvador
Posted by Fabio Esteban Amador of National Geographic Waitt Grants Program in Explorers Journal on February 5, 2013 Who Were the Ancient Mountain Dwellers of Coastal El Salvador? It’s difficult to recognize and understand the meaning of ancient texts, words, symbols and the messages they contain. This is not only due to the very complexity of systems of communication, but mostly because we often don’t see them. During the holidays, I had…
Many of the indigenous species of the Yucatan Peninsula are slowly disappearing. These range from the formidable jaguar to the colorful motmot and countless animals that play important roles in their habitats. Not only are these species indicators of the health of the planet, but they have also been fundamental icons of power, sacredness, purity,…
Deep Blue Rendezvous: Submersible Alley
Posted by Fabio Esteban Amador of National Geographic Waitt Grants Program in Explorers Journal on October 4, 2012 The BLUE Ocean Film Festival is a seven-day gathering of filmmakers, ocean scientists, conservationists, and award winning marine photographers and cinematographers. BLUE’s primary goal is educational for the most part, but it also offers networking opportunities for underwater and ocean related collaborative projects. A gathering of experts and explorers…and the future of ocean exploration. Star…
Ocean Space Habitat: A new concept is born
Posted by Fabio Esteban Amador of National Geographic Waitt Grants Program in Explorers Journal on August 10, 2012 
Dawning of a New Era I recently had the opportunity to interview explorer and NGS/Waitt grantee Michael Lombardi, following a successful deployment of a newly designed underwater portable habitat. Habitats have been used since the 60′s as inner space stations to conduct experiments and evaluate human behavior and physiology while spending long stays underwater. These…
When I think of luminosity I think of the brightness of the sun or associate it with technology, light bulbs, light emitting diodes, and of course, the energy sources that make it possible. In many ways, creating light has promoted the “nightlife” or our ability to see, signal, and interact in darkness. Just a trip…
Diving the Cavern Zone – part 2
Posted by Fabio Esteban Amador of National Geographic Waitt Grants Program in Explorers Journal on March 27, 2012 
Training to Dive the Cavern Zone I was so anxious the get in the water, but I knew that I must first demonstrate proficiency in the skills necessary to pass the course and most importantly, the stay alive and enjoy this wonderful world. We decided that the best course for us was the one offered…
Diving the Cavern Zone – part 1
Posted by Fabio Esteban Amador of National Geographic Waitt Grants Program in Explorers Journal on March 15, 2012 
Diving the Cavern Zone – part 1 People and Cenotes The Yucatan Peninsula is a world-class cave diving destination due to countless labyrinths of underground tunnels that characterize this region. In fact, three of the largest underwater cave systems in the world have are located here and have been mapped by an incredible community of…
A Tiny Nation Making a World of a Difference In the small country of El Salvador, VIVAZUL, an organization dedicated to educating people in saving turtles is making an important impact in marine life conservation and the education of coastal communities in having a positive role in saving turtles. Enriqueta Ramirez, a marine biologist, conservationist…
What do a forest ecologist, a photographer and a cinematographer have in common? A deeply rooted passion for education, art and conservation!
The classic bicycle tour across the United States just got better – a world premiere of velomobiling. 5000 km, four weeks, fifty riders from Europe and North America
Maya hieroglyphic stairway discovered at El Palmar in Campeche, Mexico. There are only twenty of these reported in over five thousand documented sites in the region. A spectacular find that may shed light into a new type of sacred space among the ancient Maya.
There’s no question that human ingenuity and knowledge are initially crafted by our imagination. And when we look at the ocean, we are limited physiologically and can only perceive the surface of an enormous dark abyss, the stuff of mythology, fiction and dreams. Mysterious, deep, and profoundly important to our survival, the extent we can…
