The Sea of Cortez is located between the Baja Peninsula and mainland Mexico and is one of the youngest and most fertile seas on earth. The peninsula was formed approximately five million years ago when part of the Earth’s crust separated along the San Andreas Fault drifting in a northwesterly direction away from mainland Mexico. After colliding with southern California, an ocean basin was formed. This basin is known today as the Gulf of California or more commonly referred to as the Sea of Cortez.
Left in the wake of the collision was an explosion of natural geological wonders; a group of desert islands. The area has remained uninhabited, spellbinding and timeless. This amazing Galapagos type setting plays host to some of the rarest and most beautiful marine life on earth and offers an amazing environment for swimming, snorkeling, diving, kayaking, and hiking.
On July 15, 2005 the islands of the Sea of Cortez were declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations. It is home to thousands of species of marine animals and is the reason why Jacques Cousteau called this sea “The Aquarium of the World”.
Lela Sankeralli’s journey to the Sea of Cortez is onboard Panterra’s 110 ft. live aboard ship, the “M.V. Adventure“, custom designed and built for comfortable, quiet, intimate cruising. The ship is professionally crewed with passenger certification under the “Nacional de Seguridad Maritima” laws. The Captain and crew bring many years of mariner experience in the Sea of Cortez and offer the warmth and kindness that reflects the beauty and hospitality of the people of Mexico. In partnership with Panterra Eco Expeditions and Panterra Educational and Cultural Training Society, the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre brings the Journey to the Sea of Cortez to campus.
Artist
Lela Sankeralli is the founder of Panterra Educational and Cultural Programs and started her career as a marine naturalist. She has dedicated her life to teaching and mentoring. Because of an insatiable desire to seek the origins of life on earth, her passion as a wanderer and explorer has led to a career in designing educational programs in the Gulf Islands of Canada and the Sea of Cortez, Baja, Mexico. In 2004, Lela retired, turning her business of 18 years into a non-profit organization. Her goal throughout her career has been to make a difference in the lives of the students she has come in contact with, turning them on to further learning, and instill in them the great importance and responsibility of being the future guardians of our planet.
Gregor Craigie is no stranger to Vancouver Island. He covered many stories on the island during his time as CBC TVs Victoria reporter. He studied history at the University of Calgary, and Broadcast Journalism at the B.C. Institute of Technology. His first radio job was reporting for CKWX in Vancouver. In 1999 he moved to the United Kingdom where he joined the BBC World Service in London as a news announcer and producer. While in London, Gregor also reported for the American network CBS radio, in addition to freelancing for CBC Radio. When it got really busy he would file for all three news organizations, occasionally working twenty hours a day. For rest and relaxation he traveled to Europe, Africa, and Asia to work as a freelancer. Following his BBC/CBC/CBS days, Gregor returned to Canada and to the CBC exclusively. Most recently he has worked as a producer on The Current and a radio reporter in the Kootenays. Gregor and his wife Rebecca and their son Lochlan are happy to be on the island and looking forward to staying in one place for a long time to come.
Mike Corrigan is President and Chief Executive Officer of British Columbia Ferry Services Inc., one of the largest ferry transportation companies in the world. Mr. Corrigan has been a senior executive with BC Ferries since joining the company in 2003, serving in the separate roles of Chief Operating Officer (2006-2011) and Executive Vice President of Business Development (2003-2006). In addition to overseeing all aspects of BC Ferries’ operations as COO, Mr. Corrigan has been responsible for creating and leading the company’s SailSafe program that has established a comprehensive safety culture at BC Ferries. The successful, trendsetting program is a joint initiative with the BC Ferry and Marine Workers’ Union. Prior to joining BC Ferries, Mr. Corrigan worked in senior roles with Westcoast Energy in both British Columbia and Ontario. He has a MBA from the University of Victoria, a Bachelor of Business from the University of Western Michigan and an Arts Degree from Kalamazoo College in Michigan. Mike grew up in Sudbury, Ontario and now resides in Victoria with his wife and two daughters.
A UBC alumnus, Martin Crilly MA (Cantab) MBA (Brit Col) FCILT has a 40 year career in transport policy, planning, regulation, economics and logistics. He has worked for a national railway, a marine terminal operator and trucking firm, and also led a tripartite labour-business-government forum in western Canadian transportation.
Tony Law is Co-Chair of the Ferry Advisory Committee Chairs and is Chair of the Denman-Hornby Ferry Advisory Committee. He has been actively involved in ferry advocacy for nearly twenty years and has met with most provincial ministers responsible for ferry transportation during that time. Tony is serving his sixth consecutive term as an elected Island Trustee for Hornby Island. He has a background in community development, counselling and mediation.
Mike is considered one of the leading transportation economists in the world. He serves as an expert witness and advisor to governments, airlines, airports, ports and railways and has consulted with BC Ferries locally. In addition to Canada, Mike has done work throughout the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Africa and Europe. He is a frequent speaker at industry events and organization planning sessions.
