Capt. Vaughn 'selassie' Thomas - tour guide, sailor, citizen scientist, fisherman
Captain Vaughn "Selassie" Thomas was born and grew up in Carriacou and is the lead guide for Natural Mystic Tours and Expeditions. He has been sailing for more than 25 years throughout the Caribbean, Western Europe, Northwest Africa, and has crossed the Atlantic four times. After living in the Azores for one year, and Sweden for seven years, he returned to his roots in Carriacou. When he is not sailing you can usually find him fishing, doing boat maintenance or collecting population data on birds. He is very skilled in bird identification, navigation, boat-building and still makes good use of paper charts, constellations and stars for navigation. As a result of his efforts to document biodiversity in the Grenadines, he is a published co-author on several peer-reviewed scientific articles and has been featured in various media outlets.
Juliana "Julee mango" coffey - marine biologist, explorer, conservationist
Juliana Coffey is a marine and terrestrial biologist, divemaster and ocean explorer originating from Newfoundland, Canada, where she began her work with birds, mammals, fish, and other wildlife at the young age of 16. Adventuring on the ocean now for over 20 years, she has managed to travel around the world to more than 40 countries, and has worked on fishing boats, research vessels and cruise ships from the Southern to the Arctic Ocean, occasionally living in remote field camps for months at a time.
Juliana has been living and conducting research in the Grenadines on and off since 2011, but now divides her time between Carriacou (Grenada) and Newfoundland (Canada). In 2011 she initiated the project "Birds of the Transboundary Grenadines", with a vision to create the first avian field guide for the Grenadines archipelago, published in 2019. In 2020 she authored the "Grenadines' Seabirds Community-based Conservation Management Plan" for both SVG and Grenada. Since 2016 she has been recruiting, training, and mentoring Grenadines-based citizen-scientists. She conducts freelance research and outreach as a consultant biologist with Archipelagics, publishes research in journals and at conferences, and cruises globally as an Environmental Officer with Carnival Corporation (Seabourn and Holland America Line cruises) to protect the ocean and livelihoods both locally and on the high seas.
Juliana has been living and conducting research in the Grenadines on and off since 2011, but now divides her time between Carriacou (Grenada) and Newfoundland (Canada). In 2011 she initiated the project "Birds of the Transboundary Grenadines", with a vision to create the first avian field guide for the Grenadines archipelago, published in 2019. In 2020 she authored the "Grenadines' Seabirds Community-based Conservation Management Plan" for both SVG and Grenada. Since 2016 she has been recruiting, training, and mentoring Grenadines-based citizen-scientists. She conducts freelance research and outreach as a consultant biologist with Archipelagics, publishes research in journals and at conferences, and cruises globally as an Environmental Officer with Carnival Corporation (Seabourn and Holland America Line cruises) to protect the ocean and livelihoods both locally and on the high seas.
mis delia
Mis Delia, a Morgan 39' yacht, is the "Ark" of Archipelagics. She boasts a comfortable center cockpit, spacious interior saloon that doubles as a research and training center and two heads. With two double cabins and additional sleeping quarters in the saloon, she can accommodate six persons for day sails and four on overnight trips. |
selassie
Selassie was built in Tyrell Bay, Carriacou in 2018 by Captain Vaughn Thomas, and is equipped with a 90 hp outboard engine. If you want to visit nearshore colonies, such as inside the Sandy Island / Oyster Bed Marine Protected Area (SIOBMPA) or the Tobago Cays Marine Park (TCMP) for a quicker and closer encounter with wildlife, we recommend an outing on board Selassie, which can comfortably accommodate up to eight persons.