View From Here James Lowe

The big wave surfer turned geology lecturer tells us about visiting some of the most remote places on earth, and why he always carries a sarong.

- Kyra Tarr

You’re a geology lecturer on a cruise ship? That’s right. I studied Earth Sciences at Stellenbosch University and graduated in 2011, but I didn’t immediately go into the field. My heart was set on becoming a professional big wave surfer, so I went to Hawaii for four months with the aim of surfing the most notorious big wave spots in the world. I achieved personal goals and caught some massive waves, but fame and fortune, sadly, did not follow.

I came home to South Africa with an uncertain future. A family friend told me about the expedition cruise industry, but initially it didn’t appeal to me. Sometime later she forwarded me a Facebook post that was urgently advertising for a geologist, and out of sheer desperation I sent the company my CV. I got a callback almost immediately and had one weekend to prepare for a Skype interview. Three weeks later I was on a plane to meet the ship in Japan. I’ve never looked back!

What is expedition cruising? There’s an appetite among travellers to branch away from traditional tourist destinations and experience something adventurous and unique. Expeditions ships, which generally carry between 100 and 200 passengers, cruise to remote destinations like the Arctic, the Antarctic and the Galapagos Islands, among others.