Jeff Shea

This website illuminates my life and adventures. My longing for freedom has led me to over 2600 of the world’s 3978 provinces, to every country on earth and to the summit of the highest peak on each continent (thank heaven for good weather!). In my travels, I learned to respect the intelligence and ingenuity of people of all races and callings both past and present. Come see the world as I see it: as a peaceful place, full of nature and beauty. With the right spirit and intent, we can make our world a virtual Garden of Eden.

DISTINCTIONS: BBC 2017 Travel Pioneer • Journal Articles • Explorer’s Club Flag Expeditions
World Parks Project • Walk Across South America • Jeff Shea Travel Map

Azerbaijan, Gadabay Prov, Bride
Azerbaijan, Lankaran (AZ-LAN) Prov, Car With Oranges
Gibraltar, Strait Of Gilbraltar, Looking To Africa, 1988 - The mountain in the distance is in Morroco, as viewed from the ferry that plies between Algeciras, Spain and Ceuta, a Spanish enclave on the coast of Africa.
Solomon Islands, Umbuni, 1982 - The area of the world known as Melanesia had the most profound impact on me of all my travels. From the moment I arrived, I began to see the world differently; the people lived in a society with such different values than the ones I had previously been exposed to. Here, life was hard and men lived boldly. Umbuni was the chief's son. To reach his land, the Kwaio, I sailed across the Pacific Ocean to Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands, traveled to Malaita by local boat, took a truck across the island, then caught a ride with Fred Billy Akwafaasie across a large stretch of ocean in a motorized canoe to Sinalagu Bay. Fred Billy was a Christian. He walked Kelly Soma and I up the steep bush track to the frontier of the Kwaio. Fred Billy's village had been converted to Christianity by missionaries, whereas Umbuni's people rejected conversion. On the way up the bush track I asked Fred Billy if he still believed in the old ways. At first he flatly denied it, but then he revealed that traditional beliefs linger for a long time. He said, "No, I don't believe in the old ways?but sometimes at night, you can feel the spirits of the ancestors." Ancestors were worshipped in the Kwaio in skull houses, where the skulls of their forefathers resided. I asked Umbuni what would happen if I entered his land without his father's permission. Umbuni, a gentle and kind man, stated his case simply and without aggression: "I would kill you."
Close-up of Tiger Heron at Jaguar Falls, 2014 Venezuela, Bolivar Province (State) It took me a half hour to stalk this bird in order to photograph it, as I only had a 24-120 mm lens. I crawled over rocks, stopping frequently, until I was within about 20 meters of it.
Estonia, Laanemaa Prov, Sea Sky -
UK, Tower Hamlets (London) Prov, Me Sleeping On Sign
Myanmar, Shan Prov, Country Window -
Turkey, Sivas Prov, Landscape
Nepal, Namche Trader, 1983 - In the market in Namche Bazar, I had my first exposure to Tibetan nomads. They traveled across high snow-covered passes to trade in the markets of Nepal. They wore jackets made of skins and fur, enough to keep them warm during the coldest nights.