Raphaël Sane
Expedition Leader
Expertise
Raphaël was born with binoculars around the neck! He is interested in all living organisms, from orchids to whales, through bugs, birds, and bats. He also has a crush on all forms of ice. Sharing his passion by any means – in the field, through lectures and books, with his pictures – and pointing at the incredible diversity, beauty and natural histories of the wildlife has motivated Raph's life for the last 35 years!
Impact
Raphaël is the president of GECO Nature, an NGO whose aim is to better know and better protect the wildlife of the most remote areas of the world by means of self-conducted scientific expeditions. As an author, he has published two books about Antarctica and Greenland, and written several others about wildlife. Raphaël is also an award-winning photographer.
Style
When guiding, Raphaël loves to draw guests’ attention to any form of life, even the less conspicuous, and tells incredible stories about their wonderful existence, how well adapted to their environment and how unique they are. Raphaël is convinced that by better knowing nature, we better protect it.
“Being a guide for small groups of guests in remote areas as part of the Secret Atlas family is a real privilege for me."
— Raphaël Sane
Questions & Answers
My most transformative travel experience
My first voyage abroad from France at the age of 19 is probably my most memorable adventure experience. It was to Scotland. What made it unique was not (only) the destination, but the fact that all the expectations I had prior to my very first trip were beaten. It gave me the travel virus!
My exploration inspiration
The period of expeditionary history I revere the most is the scientific one, especially those expeditions aiming at improving our knowledge about nature. In the Arctic, leading figures were people like Fridtjof Nansen, Jean-Baptiste Charcot, and Prince Albert of Monaco.
My dream adventure
As part of my GECO association, I am always thinking about and planning my next naturalist expedition abroad. Previous ones have allowed us to discover new species of animals or to protect tropical forests. What will the next one bring us?
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