
Adventure Travel Podcast - Big World Made Small
Welcome to the Big World Made Small Adventure Travel Podcast, where we go far beyond the beaches, resort hotels, and cruises to explore the really cool places, people, and activities that adventurous travelers crave. If your idea of a great vacation is sitting on a beach at an all-inclusive resort, you’re in the wrong place. However, if you’re like me, and a beach resort vacation sounds like torture, stick around. You’ve found your tribe.
My name is Jason Elkins, and as an adventure travel marketing consultant and tour operator myself, I am on a mission to impact the lives of adventure travelers, the tour operators they hire, and the communities that host them, creating deeply meaningful experiences that make this big world feel just a bit smaller.
Are you ready to discover your next great adventure, whether that looks something like climbing Mt Kilimanjaro in Africa, SCUBA diving in the South Pacific, or hot air ballooning in Turkey? Then you’ll be happy to know that each episode of the Big World Made Small Podcast features a fascinating interview with an adventure travel expert that has agreed to share, with us, their own personal stories, favorite adventure destinations, and even some incredibly helpful tips and tricks they’ve learned while in the field. I trust that by the end of each episode you’ll feel like booking a ticket to enjoy the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of these amazing places, and getting to know the incredible people that live there.
I’ll be your guide as we explore this amazing planet and its people on the Big World Made Small podcast. I am a former US Army paratrooper, third generation commercial hot air balloon pilot, paramotor pilot, advanced open water SCUBA diver, and ex-Montana fly fishing guide and lodge manager. I have managed boutique adventure tour operation businesses in the Rocky Mountains of Montana, off-shore in Belize, the Adirondacks in New York, and the desert of Arizona. I also spent nearly a decade with Orvis International Travel, leading a talented team of tour operation experts, putting together and hosting amazing fly fishing and adventure travel excursions around the world. I have tapped into my experience and network of travel pros to put together a weekly series of exclusive expert interviews that I am excited to share with you.
For the last couple of years I have lived a fully nomadic lifestyle, feeding my passion for exploration, creating amazing adventures, and meeting some of the most fascinating people along the way. I record every episode while traveling, so in a sense you’ll be joining me on my journey. Let’s discover some great adventures together and make this big world feel just a bit smaller.
And, don’t forget to take a quick trip over to our website at bigworldmadesmall.com and join our adventure travel community, where you’ll benefit from new episode announcements, exclusive adventure travel opportunities, and special access to the experts you’ve met on the show. You can also follow us on social media, using the links in the show notes below. And, if you’re getting value out of the show please help us grow by sharing it with your friends, family, and anyone else you know that wants to get far beyond the beaches, resort hotels, and cruise ships, the next time they travel.
I’ll publish another episode soon. Until then, keep exploring. It’s the best way to make a big world feel just a bit smaller.
https://adventuretravelmarketing.com/podcast
Adventure Travel Podcast - Big World Made Small
Adventure Travel with James Michael Dorsey - Author & Explorer
Area/Topic
Exploration, Whales, Indigenous Communities
James Michael Dorsey
Author & Explorer
James Michael Dorsey is an award-winning author, explorer, and lecturer who has spent three decades researching remote tribal cultures in fifty-nine countries. His personal narratives give a small voice to those who otherwise would vanish from the earth with few people ever knowing they existed. His separate passion is working as a cetacean naturalist on whale boats in California and Mexico, a parallel career he has pursued for three decades. These combined journeys have resulted in over 800 published essays and articles and four books.
He returns annually to lecture about gray whales in the sanctuary lagoon of San Ignacio in Baja, Mexico, where he was the resident naturalist for twenty-two seasons. His latest book “The Lagoon,”is a definitive study of gray whales and the indigenous peoples of Baja where he was resident naturalist for 22 years.
He is a former contributing editor at Transitions Abroad and has written for United Airlines, The Christian Science Monitor, Lonely Planet, Perceptive Travel, California Literary Review, Colliers, Los Angeles Times, BBC Wildlife, BBC Travel, Geo Ex, Wanderlust, and Natural History, plus several African magazines.
He is a member of the American Cetacean Society, a fellow of the Explorer’s Club, and member emeritus of the Adventurer’s Club.
https://www.jamesmichaeldorsey.com/
summary
In this episode of the Big World Made Small podcast, Jason Elkins interviews renowned explorer and author James Michael Dorsey. They discuss Dorsey's journey from a mail carrier to an adventure traveler, his experiences with indigenous cultures, and the unique relationship between humans and whales in Baja. Dorsey shares captivating stories from his travels, including a harrowing encounter with a baboon in Tanzania and the challenges of leading group tours. The conversation also touches on the impact of tourism on indigenous communities and the importance of cultural preservation.
takeaways
- James Dorsey's journey into exploration began with a kayaking trip in British Columbia.
- Dorsey has spent decades documenting vanishing tribal cultures in Africa and Asia.
- The connection between whales and indigenous cultures is profound and intertwined.
- Traveling with a partner can enhance the adventure experience, but it also presents challenges.
- Dorsey's experiences in Ethiopia included a dangerous volcano expedition that resulted in a broken leg.
- Whale watching in Baja is unique because the whales actively seek human contact.
- The ethics of whale watching are complex, with differing opinions on human interaction with wildlife.
- Dorsey leads tours to Baja, but prefers to engage with participants rather than manage logistics.
- Cultural immersion is key to understanding and respecting indigenous societies.
- Dorsey is concerned about the over-reliance of indigenous communities on tourism for survival.
Learn more about Big World Made Small Adventure Travel Marketing and join our private community to get episode updates, special access to our guests, and exclusive adventure travel offers on our website.