Deep, murky water. That’s something that instills fear in a lot of people. Normal, sane people stay far, far away from the gloomy depths. Not my younger self. You see, for a year or so, I had a side hustle diving underneath boats and inspecting them. I’d get a call that a boat wasn’t handling…
Category: Tales with Tidewater Teddy
Tokyo’s Dolphin Island – 東京のイルカ島
200 kilometers (120 miles) south of Tokyo lies an island that’s home to over 100 dolphins. Known as Mikura-jima, this place is nothing short of paradise. Every year between March and October, Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins make their home here, and you can swim with them in the clear, blue waters of the Pacific. But the…
This Fossil is Fake! How to Identify Fake Fossils
Over the years, I’ve collected my fair share of fossils. Like any other collector, I like to search in person and online for the best possible specimens. But, occasionally, I do run into some duds. I have a perfect example from a tooth I bought from Morocco. See this fossil tooth? Yeah, it’s fake. Well,…
My Top 5 Shark Encounters
I’m Tidewater Teddy, and I’ve spent a lot of time above and beneath the sea. In the deep, blue ocean, I’ve seen my share of sea creatures, but of all of them, sharks are my favorite. Over the years, I’ve had some incredible encounters with these toothy fish. Here are my top 5 shark encounters!…
My Life as a Tugboat Deckhand
Every sailor has a sea story, and I have my own tales from the sea. One of my most memorable tales took place in the summer of 2014 when I was hired as a deckhand at a tugboat company. Back then, I knew very little about boats, so I was green as grass. Little did…
My Scary Adventure Inside a New Zealand Cave
Back in March 2014, I embarked on my scariest adventure yet. On my way home from Australia, I flew into New Zealand for a few days, but I didn’t do anything too crazy. That is, until I decided to go on a side quest into a creepy, flooded cave filled with eels and glowworms. Now,…
My Adventure as a Team Truck Driver
For a brief period in early 2022, my wife and I were over-the-road truck drivers. Specifically, we were team truckers. Team truckers are basically tag-team drivers, who drive in shifts, so the truck never stops. On our very first load, dispatch assigned us a high value load called the “Smokes Load”. It’s called the Smokes…
I Found Dinosaurs in an Ancient Australian Rainforest – Tales with Tidewater Teddy
In northeast Australia, time has seemingly stopped in the Jurassic. Here, giant, hungry reptiles dominate the landscape, roaming the beaches, stalking the trees, and patrolling the waterways. Plants that once shared space with dinosaurs are still flourishing in a new age. Known as the Wet Tropics of Queensland, this place is a World Heritage Site…
The Black Bears of Alligator River, North Carolina
Last month, I drove down to Alligator River, North Carolina to search for wild American black bears. In the process, I made this short documentary about my search for these awesome animals. (Sorry; this is kind of cheating as far as blog posts go, but I had to post something). Please watch the video below….
Walking with Dinosaurs: The Cassowaries of Etty Bay
In my travels, I’ve encountered many strange critters. But, in September 2013, about a month after my Mudskipper blog post (my last blog post for well over a year), I encountered a very special creature in the rainforests of northern Queensland, Australia. A dinosaur. Yes, that’s right, a dinosaur, which is fitting because the rainforests of Far…
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