Ryan de Jongh, shown paddling with a guest in an area he hopes to preserve. By Matthew Miller
As noted in an earlier post, Ryan de Jongh plans to paddle from St. Maarten in the northeastern Caribbean around to Curacao in the south, island-hopping the whole 1,600 kilometers (close to 1,000 miles), by kayak — alone. His original November lanuch date has been moved back to December 5. We’ll try to confirm when he’s on his way and ask him a few questions about the experience when he’s finished. Ryan undertakes such challenges in support of his Ryan de Jongh Foundation and NatureIsLife.org, which in turn support the non-profit foundation CARMABI (Caribbean Research and Management of Biodiversity) as well as underprivileged children in Curacao and other causes. This particular kayak challenge will raise funds to help Carmabi buy and maintain lands in western Curacao currently under pressure from development. Ryan expects to complete the journey in about three weeks — Merry Christmas! — but the sea is unpredictable and no end date is set. Best luck and calm seas, Ryan!
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