Our research group of seven is a very international team of people. Juan (pronounced Schwan) is the lead scientist from Barcelona, Spain in the Catalan region. He has been researching the dolphins in Vonitsa for over 10 years and is working on his Phd. His assistant, Victoria, is a young pretty woman from Hungary who has been Juan’s assistant for four months.

Richard is from the U.K. and travels around the world for the BBC to contribute science research information to the BBC documentary division. Elaine is also from the U.K. and is a middle school teacher who also seems to travel a lot. She and Richard seem to have known each other for awhile.

Maggie is a very young, pretty girl, about 19 years old, from a small town in northern Australia who wants to be a biologist but doesn’t know in which field she is interested. So, she travels around Europe to discover her interests. When she leaves Vonitsa, she will be meeting her mother in Scotland who is flying from Australia to vacation with her

Sandra is an attractive woman from Austria, who has many interests. She likes to rescue animals of any kind and has one rescue horse and cares for another persons’. She has trained one of them called Angel, to compete in Western style disciplines such as herding, barrel riding etc.(as they do in the U.S.) She also has a rescue dog and, rescues birds, sheep, whatever she finds abandoned. By profession, she is a Chimney Sweep, which has been a family tradition for the women in her family for generations! Her business has been handed down from her grandmother to her mother to herself. And, yes, she does the chimney sweeping herself! She speaks German and is trying to learn to speak better English.

And then, there is myself!

We have gathered together for a briefing from Juan explaining what we are to do, and other general expedition information. Early Monday morning August 18 at 8 a.m., we will leave to find the dolphins. Please join us!

Arley Harriman