PRIVATE JOURNEYS with Diane Terry, LLC.

Enzo Mallorca was a legend of the deep sea. A world-record-holding Italian diver with lungs like steel and nerves to match. But even for someone who had spent a lifetime beneath the waves, what happened that day off the coast of Syracuse would leave him forever changed. He was diving alongside his daughter, Rossana, who remained on the boat nearby. Suddenly, something brushed against him from behind. It was gentle but deliberate. When Enzo turned, he came face to face with a dolphin. It wasn’t playful. It was desperate. The dolphin circled him, then darted downward into the depths. Enzo understood. It was asking for help. He followed. Fifteen meters below, he saw a second dolphin thrashing, entangled in an abandoned fishing net. Her movements were weak, frantic. She was running out of time. Enzo called to his daughter for a knife, and together they freed the dolphin, who let out a piercing cry—a sound Enzo would later describe as almost human. Moments later, as they helped her to the surface, the truth emerged. She was pregnant. The moment she could breathe again, she gave birth to a healthy calf. The first dolphin—her mate—circled them with visible relief, swimming loops around the mother and child. Then something even more unexpected happened. The male dolphin approached Enzo. He paused for just a moment, then gently pressed his head to the diver’s cheek. It was not just contact. It was a thank you. Then the dolphin turned and disappeared into the blue, his new family beside him. Back on the boat, Enzo sat in silence. And then he said something his daughter would never forget. "Until man learns to respect nature and understand the language of animals, he will never know his rightful place on Earth." Some moments are more than stories. They are messages. From a world older, wiser, and still willing to trust us—if we choose to listen. #EnzoMallorca #DolphinRescue #AnimalIntelligence #OceanWisdom #NatureSpeaks #Interconnectedness #RespectNature #MarineLifeMatters #WildlifeEncounters #AnimalEmotions #ConsciousCreatures #NatureIsIntelligent #ProtectWhatYouLove #SeaStories #DeepConnection #AnimalCommunication #CompassionInAction

Today I lost my dream job as a permanent park ranger in the NPS. I’m still in shock, and completely devastated. I have dedicated my life to being a public servant, teacher, and advocate for places that we ALL cherish. I have saved lives and put my own life at risk to serve my community. And today, without any warning, I got a termination email stating: “The Department determined that you have failed to demonstrate fitness or qualifications for continued employment because your subject matter knowledge, skills, and abilities do not meet the Department’s current needs, and it is necessary and appropriate to terminate, during the probationary period, your appointment to the position of Park Ranger.” This is the biggest slap in the face imaginable. This decision has nothing to do with performance or the needs of the department. My supervisors and park leadership have made it clear that I am a valued and essential part of the team. This decision came from the top, DOGE and the new federal administration. I honestly can’t imagine how the parks will operate without my position. I mean, they just can’t. I am the only EMT at my park and the first responder for any emergency. This is flat-out reckless. There are 800 other National Park employees that unexpectedly lost their jobs today and thousands of people in other agencies. They are now unemployed. Those who lived in park housing are now homeless. They have no income to support their families, by the act of a single layoff. These are US citizens, with background checks and college degrees. These are the people who teach your Jr Rangers, build your trails, clean your restrooms, rescue injured visitors, and keep the parks operating. We are not the excess. We are essential to maintaining access to parks. My heart is broken for all of the other people who lost their jobs and their housing. My heart is broken for the parks and landscapes that will be damaged. And my heart is broken for my country. Please share this and take action by messaging congress at npca.org/jobcuts

Go where the wild things are
The roar of a lion, the call of the wild, and the perfect sundowner cocktail. Then repeat. Our mantra at Private Journeys.

Forever a goal to ride the rails wir

Four days, 45 meetings and so jazzed about how our dynamic industry is killing it in 2024 and beyond. Cape Town’s annual We Are Africa conference unites Africa’s most passionate suppliers and creators of extraordinary travel experiences. Privileged to be a part of this community

Oh to be in Cape Town! No better way to pop up the experience than w a sky safari and a lovely afternoon among the vines in Stellenbosch

“The love of all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man.”
-Charles Darwin . No better place to fall in love with them than on the African continent.

Here’s to happy Mondays, adventurous travel mates and having your next Private Journey on the calendar!

“They say that somewhere in Africa the elephants have a secret grave where they go to lie down, unburden their wrinkled gray bodies, and soar away, light spirits at the end.”

-Robert R. McCammon