slide of expedition leader Jonathan Rossouw

Jonathan Rossouw

I’m a biodiversity junkie and nothing gives me greater joy than sharing my passion for wildlife with others.

slide of expedition leader Jonathan Rossouw with a Tasmanian wombat at cradle mountain national park

After almost an hour watching this peacefully grazing Common Wombat in Tasmania's picturesque Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, he suddenly sauntered over to inspect me.

India and Nepal wildlife safari slide shows a bengal tiger drinking water

An unforgettable day in Kanha National Park, the heartland of India’s Deccan Plateau, brought us face-to-face with Asia’s apex predator, the impossibly sexy Bengal Tiger.

slide of Kri island Indonesia splendid dottyback

Glamorous. Rare. Elusive. This Splendid Dottyback, seen whilst snorkeling at Kri Island in Raja Ampat, exemplifies the sheer exhilaration of exploring Earth’s marine biodiversity capital.

Uganda safari tour slide shows mountain gorilla

While sunning themselves on the edge of the forest, this baby Mountain Gorilla pretended to pick tea leaves in the plantation! Presumably, she had watched the tea pickers in action.

Ecuador adventure tours slide shows a Banded Ground Cuckoo

Epitomizing the hope of survival in the face of a precarious future, a female Banded Ground Cuckoo is watched by her still dependent fledgling.

slide of expedition leader Jonathan Rossouw showing a camera to a nomadic Himba girl

The immediacy of digital photography presents wonderful opportunities for sharing a connection, as this encounter with a statuesque Himba girl in Namibia reveals.

Expedition Leader Jonathan Rossouw

Jonathan Rossouw is one of the world’s most experienced expedition leaders, having spent the past 25 years guiding wildlife trips in over 150 countries on all seven continents. He combines a legendary energy and enthusiasm with a broad knowledge of natural history, gained from a lifetime spent in pursuit of the world’s mammals, birds, reptiles and coral reef fishes. Indeed, having seen over 9,000 species of birds, 1,000 mammals and 2,000 coral reef fishes, he has the dubious distinction of having experienced more species of vertebrate animals than anyone in history! A medical doctor by training, Jonathan was born and raised on South Africa’s east coast. After a “short break” from medicine to cycle across South America led to an epiphany about the conservation benefits of ecotourism, he returned to South Africa and started a birding travel company, before expanding into the world of global, conservation-focused expedition travel that now dominates his life.

"When it comes to expedition travel, in particular, one needs to be led by a knowledgeable, enthusiastic, entertaining and confidence-inspiring professional. We have yet to meet anyone quite like Jonathan who so completely ticks all these boxes!!"

-Pat G., Durban

Jonathan's Expeditions

Spain (August 28 – September 11, 2024) green arrow linking to Spain

Cantabrian Brown Bear and Western Spanish Ibex compete with exceptional regional food, wine, and cultural heritage on our Spain expedition.

Bali to Cairns (October 13 – November 1, 2024) green arrow linking to Bali to Cairns

Experience Komodo Dragons, Whale Sharks, Birds of Paradise, and the richest coral reefs on Earth, on an epic traverse across Indonesia’s remote eastern provinces.

Colombia (November 4–19, 2024) green arrow linking to Colombia

Discover Colombia’s mix of natural history and rich culture from bustling Bogotá to charming Cartagena, along with the Sierra Nevadas and rainbow-hued Caño Cristales.

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Biodiversity, 'tis the Spice of Life…

The term “biological diversity” was first coined in the 1960s to describe the degree of variation of life, with its contracted form “biodiversity” only coming into general parlance by the mid-1980s. Simply stated, biodiversity is the sum total of all life on Earth, or the wealth of species, ecosystems, and ecological processes that make up our living planet. It has been argued that biodiversity has a value in and of itself, and an ability to appreciate this value may be one of the traits that makes us human.