Staring Down Sharks in the South Pacific In the heart of the Tuamotus, I jumped into shark-infested waters—and found awe, peace and the power to face my deepest fear. The outgoing tide shot us through the narrow pass at 10 knots, spitting our C&C 43 into the beatific blue of […]
Hitchhiking the high seas of the Pacific as volunteer crew is an adventurous and inexpensive way to see the world. We sailed into the Kingdom of Tonga at dawn after five days at sea. The verdant shores looked like broccoli tops through the wet haze. Huddled under my rain jacket, […]
The largest atoll in French Polynesia, Rangiroa is a laid-back island paradise full of underwater wonders Our family spent three weeks exploring Rangiroa this winter, an island 200 miles northeast of Tahiti. We snorkeled with sharks, dove with dolphins, and combed deserted shorelines for shells and sea glass. It was […]
Spinnakers, Sweat, and Survival: Three women embrace chaos and camaraderie on a 750-mile wilderness race to Alaska. By Brianna Randall, published in Cruising World Magazine I held my breath as I pulled up the sock to unfurl our spinnaker in Haro Strait. Of the five headsails we’d brought aboard our […]
Scientists finally know the clever tricks orca use to hunt whale sharks New, unprecedented images reveal how orca take down the largest species of fish on Earth. For the first time, scientists have captured video evidence of orcas cooperatively hunting whale sharks, the largest species of fish on Earth. This graphic footage […]
Ships tune in to underwater sounds, using acoustics technology to protect vulnerable marine giants. By Brianna Randall, published in Reasons To Be Cheerful On a gray morning this past March, a half-dozen scientists scanned the sea while bobbing offshore of Chile’s Atacama Desert. When an enormous whale surfaced, their small […]
Could plankton unlock the secrets of human biology? Scientists use new technology to sequence the DNA of microscopic ocean creatures for the first time By Brianna Randall Off the west coast of Greenland, a 17-metre (56ft) aluminium sailing boat creeps through a narrow, rocky fjord in the Arctic twilight. The research […]
Sailing Montana’s Flathead Lake After we left our catamaran in the Bahamas, I had to find my sailing fix closer to home. By Brianna Randall Tiller between my legs, I hold the finicky jib sheet in one hand and my sparkling water in the other. Sueños picks up speed like a horse […]
How girl (and pedal) power helped us finish a 750-mile race to Alaska A trio of mothers in their mid-40s were among more than 100 intrepid sailors in a motley armada sailing the unpredictable and spectacular Inside Passage in the Pacific Northwest. By Brianna Randall in the Pacific Ocean As we […]
The insect world’s most successful hunters show how the toxic metal moves through our environment—and how we can reduce our exposure. Dragonflies, those colorful bugs zooming around like mini-helicopters, are more than just a spectacular sight. These iridescent predators may also be the best way to detect where and how […]
The Indigenous community-owned Chalalán Ecolodge offers family adventures and rare wildlife encounters in the Bolivian Amazon. We heard the snorts first, echoing like gunshots through the sauna-thick air. Then eight heads jack-in-the-boxed out of the lake near our dugout canoe. “Wow, giant otters!” whispered Gilder Macuapa, our guide at Chalalán Ecolodge in […]
By Brianna Randall, published June 2024 in Reasons To Be Cheerful We stood on the rocky shore of the Mizque River in central Bolivia, binoculars trained on the towering cliff before us. The summer sun beat down as we scanned for birds. “There,” whispered my nine-year-old son. “A pair is […]
Ximena Velez-Liendo, a self-described “bear-ologist”, has found ways to help rural communities and bears coexist In 1998, at the age of 22, conservation biologist Ximena Velez-Liendo came face-to-face with South America’s largest carnivore on her first day of field research in Bolivia. Her life changed forever when she turned around […]
How a Polynesian canoe inspired a renaissance in traditional seafaring A double-hulled Polynesian sailing canoe glides up to a busy dock in San Diego, California. Hōkūleʻa’s two short wooden masts are dwarfed by the historic schooner that escorted the boat into the harbour. Dozens of small outrigger canoes trail in its […]
The Endangered Species Act is turning 50. Has it succeeded? The law has kept many species from dying out — but few have made it off the ‘endangered’ list. BY BRIANNA RANDALL Science News Explores | December 2023 A little brown bat swoops out of the night sky. With sharp […]
Can Farmers Save the Great Salt Lake? There’s no silver bullet to solve Utah’s water crisis, but farmers are doing their part by choosing to do more with less. The Bear River flows out of Wyoming’s Uinta Mountains, winding 350 miles through sagebrush meadows and agricultural fields in Idaho and […]
The Endangered Species Act at 50 & What’s Next for Wildlife By Brianna Randall // Photos by Joel Sartore THE SIGHT OF A BALD EAGLE GLIDING OVERHEAD, white head framed against the blue sky, is sure to spark a sense of awe—and perhaps a breath of gratitude. An emblem of strength, […]
A humpback whale swam halfway around the world. His name is Frodo. A record-breaking ocean journey from the Mariana Islands to Mexico shows that whale migration patterns are more complex than we thought. Read more >
This marine biologist is on a mission to save endangered rays – Figuring out where the enigmatic creatures mate and migrate is key to their conservation. Read more >
Ocean Gardeners: Why Whale Poop Matters Now More Than Ever – Whales play a crucial role in our ecosystem. Learn about the fascinating concept of whale pumps, how whale poop sustains marine life and its impact on climate change. Read more >
Dust from a shrinking Great Salt Lake may be accelerating Utah’s snowmelt – Snow in the Wasatch Mountains melted 17 days early in 2022 thanks to a record amount of dust. Read more >
Protecting the Coolest Types of Bats in North America – Bat species have unique abilities. Take a closer look at the coolest types of bats in North America and find out how they help people and the ecosystem. Read more >
The Great Salt Lake is shrinking. What can we do to stop it? A recent report suggests the lake could disappear within five years. Read all about it >
‘Jet packs’ and ultrasounds could reveal secrets of pregnant whale sharks – Until now, our knowledge of pregnancy in the world’s largest living fish came from one female. Read more >
Sailing in Yellowstone National Park – Fewer than 100 people visit these remote parts of Yellowstone Lake each year. All of them come by foot, paddle or sail. Read more >