Sunday December 9th, 2001
Greetings family, friends and supporters from the Jungle Team.
It is
the evening of the 12th in Venezuela and I (Ollie) am pleased to report that
all of the “Jungle Team” are now safe and sound in Puerto Ayacucho and we are
preparing for our departure to Caracas before further travels to Seamaster and
home. Peter would be happy.
It is
with great sadness that we have written this log and as for all, it has been a
very hard time for all of us. Our first thoughts and love go out to Pippa,
Sarah Jane and James, plus the Blake family back in New Zealand.
To be
in such a remote, isolated area when notified of the incident and tragedy of
Peter’s death, left us all onboard “Seamaster II” shaken and destroyed.
Our
first difficult calls went out to Seamaster, difficult times to speak with our
fellow crew and team members particularly as we were so far away and we are
grateful that they were all safe and well, apart from a few injuries.
You
will see in the following log that after getting the news, Franck, Alistair and
myself had left the team up the Casiquiare, heading back to Seamaster to assist
the guys in Brazil. For various reasons I did not make the flight with Alistair
and, after speaking with the guys on Seamaster, my delay would have further
compounded problems for them in departing Macapa, Brazil. They are now sailing
north to safe harbour and I am thankful that they have the tranquillity of the
ocean swells and winds around them. Sail on my friends.
Anyway,
I figure after all that happened, it was meant for me to be here in Venezuela
to continue on and support the Jungle Team on the river.
The
following log is from the guys as they were completing their trek to Puerto
Ayacucho. First, a few additional lines from me.
Being
so remote on the Casiquiare and only having scheduled satellite telephone calls
at certain times of the day, we did not learn about the incident and Peter’s
death until several hours after.
Marc,
Janot, Lucho and I had just been away from Big Bongo “Seamaster II”
investigating a lagoon in preparation for a dive. I remember thinking while
there how much Peter would have loved it.
On
return to Seamaster II, we were advised of the news.
It was
like a bad dream, our worst nightmare and soul destroying.
Looking
back to the previous evening when we were anchored on a small sand island I
reflected upon the events plus the strange occurrences we had that evening.
Firstly, at around the time of the tragedy, I was fast asleep in my hammock
fastened between two poles dug into the sand. I awoke when, for no reason, one
pole snapped in half and I was thrown to the ground. In the next hour the
largest storm we had seen during our trip unleashed itself in the area.
Lightning, thunder and very strong winds lashed our small island and all the
tarps covering our hammocks were flying horizontal with the wind strength.
It was
all quite unnerving at the time and, although I am not a spiritual person, I
personally believe that the Amazon was unleashing its grief having lost one of
its strongest environmental supporters.
In the
morning after the sad news we were heading up the river and came into a
particularly beautiful area. All the team were very quiet and grieving in their
own way, when I noticed a large flock of lovely white herons taking off and
coming towards the bongo. This was particularly unusual as all the flocks we
had encountered previously had fled away. They came towards us and as I yelled
to all the team they circled and led us up the river. This continued for
several minutes with them returning, circling and guiding us on. It was a
wonderful sight and we sat in awe. I felt it was a sign from Peter. He loved
the birds and he had sent a message through them for support.
I write
this with some guilt for not being onboard Seamaster that dreadful night and
can only find solace in the fact that we were away doing what Peter had wanted.
To me
Peter was a driving force, a great friend and shipmate. His dreams were my
dreams and his energy to help the planet environmentally for our future
generations were unmatched. I look back and smile now, at the times onboard
Seamaster when I was on watch in the evening and Peter was to follow. Regularly
I did not wake him up as I knew he needed rest after a long day on navigation
in dangerous areas plus getting the log out with Don. He used to get quite
upset that I had let him sleep but I answered I must have forgotten. He smiled
and went straight into work mode. Times like this and all the wonderful
experiences we have shared over the years with yachting, Cousteau and since
starting blakexpeditions are strong in my mind. We had fun together exploring
the regions we had wanted to go since childhood and I will miss him more than I
can say.
The
strongest comfort for me at present is to know that Peter is now looking down
upon us (the whole world) and seeing the big environmental picture. He will be
happy scanning the planet and reviewing all the environmental changes needed
and I am sure little messages to help us all on our way will come from time to
time. It may be a strange thing to say but I know that he will be happy with
the media attention in his honour. I hope it helps to get the message across and
helps to make everyone look up and take notice of what this great man and
blakexpeditions are about.
We
cannot let his visions and dreams for a better future pass with him. We must
all strive forward, working towards a better world environmentally. This planet
is a magnificent place. Soak up and enjoy this wonderful world around you.
Enough
from me. Here’s the team’s log while still travelling.
Date:
9.12.2001
Greetings
to you from the Jungle Team.
Three
days have gone now since the death of Sir Peter and we are understandingly
shattered by the events over the last few days. What can possibly be said about
such trauma and violence?
As we
heard the details of Peter’s death on the 6th of December we were all in a most
sombre mood. We spent some time in deep reflection and we talked about what
Peter had meant to us, individually. We laughed at the pleasure of personal
memories with him and we celebrated his incredible achievements, in our private
way, with a toast to his wonderful contribution to the world.
We had
then to think what were we to do. Our Fellow Crew Members back at Seamaster in
Brazil were severely stressed, yet due to our remoteness in the region, we
couldn’t just leave everything. Over a team discussion we decided that Ollie
(our Erstwhile Enthusiastic Leader) and Ali (the son of Rodger on the
Seamaster) should go back to join the crew for support plus help with duties
that would undoubtedly be required. We then, as a group, decided to continue on
with our journey and complete our task of getting to Puerto Ayacucho. This was
a big decision from all of us, but we felt that we needed to do this because
Peter would have wished us to complete the job, for our fellow crew-members
onboard Seamaster, and finally for ourselves… to show that energy and
determination were important in times of severe need.
We then
talked about how we were could salute Sir Peter, and it occurred to us that, as
we had on board some water from the Antarctic from Seamaster’s voyage their
last December, we could pour this in the river at the junction of the
Casiquiare and the Orinoco. This was a symbol to show the smallness of the
world and to emphasise the need to protect and preserve it. Yes, this was it.
We all decided that Sir Peter would have liked this as it was a perfect way to
enforce his feelings and the saying “Water is Life”.
In the
early morning, Ollie, Alistair and Franck our still photographer managed to
catch a fast sport fishing boat for a charter flight connection from San
Esmerelda to Caracas. The trip was not to go smoothly as around 1pm they came
chugging back to Seamaster II with a broken engine. Engines replaced with a
spare onboard they were off again and just managed to make the flight before
darkness.
Ideas
then abounded about how we could physically mark the site, and it was decided
amongst us that a cross would be made in remembrance.
With
the memorial decision made and the lads away, we continued on our journey down
the Casiquiare. We talked about our tasks with Lucho (our guide) and Augusto
(our Fantastic Cook, who has the incredible ability to laugh at his own jokes
yet make others enjoy them too) and the Seamaster 2 Team, and they were pleased
that we had made this decision. It was on we go with the journey, albeit in
considerably more mild and tranquil form. I found this out to my chagrin when I
tried to flutter a joke over everyone to brighten them up. No one laughed yet
they found it very funny when I mentioned how Sir Peter tricked me into eating
an effervescent Vitamin tablet when it should have been pre-dissolved first.
Oh, we all laughed over that one!
Today
we are three days after the death of Sir Peter and have completed the journey
down the Casiquiare. We are now travelling down the Orinoco River.
You
have no idea of the bugs that we have encountered as we joined the Orinoco from
the Casiquiare. This was made suddenly aware to us when we stopped to salute
Sir Peter in the manner that we had previously decided.
As we
left the boat to climb a 6 metre bank at the meeting of the rivers, we were
attacked by ‘fire-ants’. These are little sods that sting so that one’s skin
feels as though it is on fire. Poor Janot, who had made a wonderful cross to
Sir Peter, got absolutely covered in bites. Action Man Marc did also though he
was very brave about it. I decided to hold back and not talk, but this was not
clever enough for the ants who decided that they really DID like New Zealand
lamb!
On
behalf of the team, I commented “Sir Peter was a man who loved the Natural
world. He was intrigued by it and he was happiest when he was in it. He wanted
others to see the natural beauty that there was around us, and to treat it
well, so that in the future we all had a cleaner world where we could enjoy
flora and fauna. Sir Peter did not want Zoos and Gardens to be the only places
where Animals and plants could be found, in the world of the future”.
All the
Members of our team have become very close over the last few days as we
struggle to deal with Sir Peter’s death. All of us have some comment that we
would like to say. I have done and said enough, for the moment (I keep on being
told I am rather too chatty!) so I am going to ask Janot (who of us has been
the longest with the Seamaster), Marc (who was a close colleague of Sir Peter
since the first expedition in New Zealand), Simon (Film Director) and James
(Film Producer) to comment about the Sir Peter and events that have recently
overpowered us:
From Marc
Lonergan Hertel:
I
cannot put into words my regrets and sorrows at this moment.
Sir
Peter and I have been working very hard over the past months on a one on one
basis to make this a fascinating journey.
We have
always known the risks of travelling the world’s oceans and rivers. We have
made safety paramount to all, but were always committed to the fact that if one
of the team members were to be accidentally killed or injured it would be in
the attempt to show the world the wonder and beauty of our planet. We are doing
what we love, by exploring, and we cannot ask for anything better in life than
to be involved in this global awareness. Sir Peter died defending the lives of
his crew, and he died protecting the natural planet… he died doing what he
loved… and he has made a difference.
From
Janot:
After
two years working with Peter, I feel a big trouble, when thinking we will never
see him again. It will make a big hole on Earth, people like him are so
difficult to replace. I hope the quest, His quest, will not finish with his
life, for me and for the whole world.
We need
such leaders to show the people it’s more than time to take care of this planet
of ours.
For the
time being, we keep going towards our initial goal to honour his memory, and I
feel very proud to be a part of a team of friends, here, plus the guys back on
Seamaster in Brazil who were more than exposed beside Peter. Peter was such a
mentor and prestigious leader his loss is heartfelt to me.
From
Simon Atkins:
One of
the greatest privileges of my profession is to be able to share - often
intensely - in people’s lives and experiences. Although I only first met Peter
three months ago, I do feel during the time I spent filming him and his
expedition team that I did gain a valuable insight into the man and his
mission. I will always remember the enthusiasm and passion with which he would
talk to me (and the camera!) about the beauty and wonder of the natural
environment; his experiences with the whales and dolphins as a yachtsman in the
Southern Ocean; and a whole plethora of anecdotes from his recent
Blakexpeditions voyage to Antarctica. In the Amazon he seemed to me to be never
happier than when he was able to set off in a kayak to explore the nooks and
crannies of the river banks and lagoons, or behind the wheel of Seamaster
successfully find away up the Rio Negro through the myriad sand banks and
submerged granite boulders.
His
message and mission as expressed to me was deceptively simple: the natural
world is beautiful and amazing and deserves protection - and if you could only
share and convey that to the people of the world then they would wish to
protect it too. It was with sure great sadness that I learnt of Peter’s death
three days ago, but judging from the responses of the rest of his team I feel
that his message to the world will continue to spread.
From
James Walsh:
For me,
it was an extraordinary moment when I heard of Peter’s death. I have spent most
of the last six years of my life in South America. I find the people resilient,
resourceful and respectful. I could never have imagined that such a cruel fate
could have befallen such a worthy man in so complex a continent. I truly
believe that Peter’s name will live on, given that he has dedicated so much of
his passion towards such a noble endeavour: that of seeking an understanding of
the natural world of which we are all part, and of which we all share, and to
which we all have a duty. Peter had the foresight to make this his mission, to
show people that we all shoulder the responsibility of what is our natural
heritage, and to ignore it would be to the detriment of us all.
Well,
there you have it from the Jungle Team… thoughts and images from us about a man
who mattered, a man of significance.
Aroha
Peter,
Doctor
Jab,
Marc
Shaw,
Team
Doctor.
So all
from us in the Jungle Team. We want to thank everyone for you’re great support
to us over the last week. We are planning on bringing you further logs so keep
watching but excuse us if there is some delay.
“Jungle Team”