We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful John R. Gentile. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with John R. below.
John R., looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you tell us the backstory behind how you came up with the idea?
I fell in love with whales and dolphins back in 1975 after hearing the song “critical Mass/Wind on the Water,” written by David Crosby and Graham Nash. That was the catalyst for a life long journey that put me in the company of whales and dolphins all over the world. From sea kayaking with orcas in British Columbia to swimming with humpbacks in the Silverbanks, to observing the bottlenose dolphins in Monkey Mia, Australia, to following the gray whale migration to the calving lagoons in Baja Sur, California. My goal was to learn everything I could about these extremely intelligent and sentient animals. For ten years, my marine biologist/artist wife Katie Iverson and I studied Pacific bottlenose dolphins in the Upper Gulf of California, conducting a photo-identification study of a resident and transient population that lived there. In 2009, after visiting San Ignacio Lagoon, we founded Wild Spirit Journeys, an adventure travel company dedicated to giving intrepid travelers ethical, up-close, and personal interactions with whales and dolphins while respecting their space. My writing and Katie’s artwork was born out of these adventures. My writing reflects the oft-times tenuous relationship between humans and non-human beings with whom we share the planet. My novel, Baja Redemption (2021) is an ecological thriller about an illegal whale hunt in Baja California Sur. Ivory Moon, the second book in the Guardians of Gaia series (March 2023) is about elephant poaching in East Africa and how blood ivory is used to finance terrorism. Both of us are wildlife photographers, so we showcase our photographs, books, sculptures, and paintings with the public in different venues. Our goal with our photography, writing, and art is to educate people about the critical importance of conservation, thinking globally, but taking action locally through shared experiences.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Since childhood, I have been fascinated by the natural world, especially the oceans. I have always been interested in good storytelling and wrote when I was in junior high school, but didn’t came back to it until an adult when I started journaling my adventures. I have been an environmental activist all of my life and have sought out causes that strive to protect our fragile world. My books and photography tell a story, about how ordinary people rise to extraordinary circumstances to bring awareness to others about the plights of non-human creatures worldwide. My series The Guardians of Gaia deal with environmental issues in key locations throughout the world. I address topics such as illegal whaling and the captive dolphin industry In “Baja Redemption”, ivory poaching and terrorism in “Ivory Moon”, rainforest destruction and communication networks among trees in “A Breath of Trees,” and the costs of opening up the Arctic Circle to industry due to climate change in “Ice Blue.” My goal is to tell engaging stories with flawed but likable characters, and by presenting oftentimes difficult and complicated environmental issues with humor, excitement, and a lot of heart. Hopefully, my readers will be moved to act. With my photography and our wildlife adventure tours, we strive to bring this interactive experience to trip goers and people from all walks of life who support our work.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
I think the most rewarding aspects of being a writer are when my readers tell me that they couldn’t put my books down and that they came away from the experience completely entertained, yet learning something new. As a trip leader, there is no better feeling as that when you look into the face of your guests after they have just touched or kissed a whale on their rostrum (nose) and see the looks of awe, reverence, and excitement.
We’d love to hear about you met your business partner.
I first met Katie, my wife and life partner, back in the summer of 1988. I had just gotten open water certified in SCUBA and she was the resident marine biologist at a local dive shop in Tucson, Arizona. Everyone said I needed to meet this amazing woman and everyone told her she needed to meet this crazy guy who kayaked with orcas at night. We were introduced at a slide presentation that I was giving about orcas. It was a two night affair. Thanks to Katie, I have become much more precise in my choice of slides to present. We started dating, got married on December 31, 1988, and haven’t looked back. Our journey has taken us all over the world, from Canada to Africa, Mexico and the Caribbean to Australia, Fiji to Brazil as educators, photographers, naturalists, artists, and writers.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.johnrgentile.com, http://www.wildspiritjourneys.com
- Instagram: John R. Gentile
- Facebook: John R. Gentile
- Linkedin: John R. Gentile
Image Credits
John and Baby Gray Whale: Image by Katie Iverson Baja Redemption Book Cover by Katie Iverson Ivory Moon Book Cover by Katie Iverson