GABON
Wedged in between Cameroon and the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon offers
unparalleled wildlife spotting, according to Nick
Davies of Cookson. “There are lowland gorillas,
chimpanzees, mandrills, elephants and hippo
sightings on the beach, as well as endangered
species like the ground pangolin.”
Gabon itself has oil revenue and is reasonably
solid. But permits can be a nightmare to organise,
Davies says. And there are still some serious
piracy issues a little to the north in the Niger
Delta. “Any trip would be on a case-by-case basis,
undertaking full risk assessments,” he adds. “But
travel to this region by yacht would be truly
expeditionary and there would be many world-
first experiences to explore here.
“Gabon is known as the Eden of Africa. An
explorer yacht with a helicopter would make an
interesting platform from which to explore.”UNDERWATER – THE
LAST FRONTIER?
There is growing demand for submersible trips,
according to the major expedition organisers,
including visits to look at the teeming life around
volcanic vents on the seabed. While many of
these are located kilometres below the surface,
mid-ocean, there are some closer to land.
Off the Aeolian Islands near Sicily, for instance,
volcanic vents can be found just 150 metres down.
“You need a lot of specialist input,” says Nick
Davies of Cookson. “Hot volcanic vents and
submersibles are not always a good mix.”
Greater availability of submersibles capable of
deep dives is opening up such possibilities now,
notably the advent of Triton’s superyacht subs,
capable of dives in real comfort to 2,300 metres.
The company has even designed a one-off sub
that can dive to 11,000 metres. It is for sale now at
a shade under $50 million. BTriton submersibles
offer up to 12
hours’ diving in
air-conditioned
comfort for
superyacht guestsPHOTOGRAPHY: COOKSON ADVENTURES; GETTY IMAGES; ROBERTHARDING.COM; ADOBE STOCK; NICK VEROLA + TRITON; ALAMY
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