When passengers return home they often share one of Ranger John Manka’s stories. As a career National Park Ranger, who worked in 15 national parks, and a cruise speaker, who has sailed around the world and to all seven continents, John has lived and collected the stories he interweaves into his well-researched and smartly illustrated programs.
With the experience of presenting hundreds of programs while sailing with five cruise lines, his programs are sprinkled with humor as John prepares the passengers with the knowledge and tips to know where and when to look for and then ID the ocean wildlife, what to do at the ports, and the history and culture of the country. On longer cruises, John concludes with an emotional program entitled “Slowing Down Time” which offers an explanation of why it’s important to travel.
His varied topics include: wildlife and nature, geology and geography, historic events about the ports and countries, heroic explorers, surviving natural disasters, oceanography, and maritime history. Beyond being on stage, John spends hours meeting people on deck to look for wildlife, answer questions, promote tours and future cruises, and share meals with passengers.
When first meeting the cruise director, John’s volunteers for a scheduled time for a Q&A session, presenting commentary from the bridge or poolside, or planned times to meet passengers on deck to look at sights or wildlife as we sail.
John’s goal is to help the passengers be prepared for discovery and seek experiences that make the cruise they share with him the very best.
Alaska
What happens when glaciers retreat
When Captain Cook mapped Alaska Glacier Bay did not exist. Sixteen years later, Vancouver found a new bay, 5 miles long, created by a rapid glacial retreat. During the next 125 years Glacier Bay became 65 miles long creating new land that was colonized by plants and animals. Glacier Bay has been a laboratory of study to know what happens when glaciers retreat.
Close Encounters with Alaskan Bears
Bears are one of Alaska’s iconic animals. We can’t make up our minds on how we feel about them. We snuggle with Teddy and fear Grizzly. Come to hear some stories that you will retell to your friends when you get home.
Slowing Down Time
One man’s backpacking trip in Katmai National Park’s famous Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes took him to the site of the largest volcanic eruption in the 20th century and helped him unlock the secret to slowing down time.
The Great Alaskan Earthquake and Tsunami
The 9.4 Alaskan earthquake, combined with the tsunami it created changed Alaska's landscape and led to the creation of the Plate Tectonic Theory that completely change how scientists looked at the geological study of the earth.
Whale Watching in Alaska
Alaska is one of the premier places to enjoy watching humpbacks, orcas, dolphins and porpoise. Scientists are finding answers to the questions you have about the lives of these animals.
Explorers, Surviving Natural Disasters, National Parks, and Lighthouses
Captain Cook Explores the Pacific
Using the recently invented chronometer, Captain Cook was able to create the first accurate maps of the Pacific. He was in awe of the Polynesians, who using voyaging canoes and the stars had discovered all the islands 100s of years before him.
Do you know what to do when the tsunami siren wails?
Earthquakes can produce a deadly tsunami. Where is the safest place to be during a tsunami? A ship at sea!
28,000 Rubber Ducks Help Map the Ocean Currents
One problem for mariners has been understanding the ocean currents which carry plankton, icebergs, life rafts and trash. Learn how one scientist used rubber duckies to test his computer model to predict ocean currents.
What is like to be a national park ranger?
The idea to preserve the most important natural and culture places as national parks started in 1872 around a fire in Yellowstone. Now every country has national parks preserving their heritage and natural areas for future generations.
The Keepers of The Lights
The oil burning beacons of lights that shined across the sea prevented uncountable tragedies. Now automated, these towers of light are still repelling danger while attracting visitors with a romantic affection for the legacy of the lighthouse keepers.
Marine Wildlife
Unlocking the Secret lives of Orcas and Humpbacks
The new explorers of the oceans are not making maps or claiming colonies. Instead they are using underwater cameras, drones, and attaching GPS units onto sea life in order to unlock the secrets of animals living the ocean. Come learn the amazing new stories of two beloved animals, the orca and humpback whales, gathered by the explorations of whale researchers.
Saving the Sea Turtles
Archie Carr, known as the father of sea turtle research, started a movement that helped rescue dwindling populations of sea turtles. Researchers from around the world are helping unlock the secret lives of these ancient creatures and help in their recovery.
Cruising to See Sea Birds
When a seabird glides just meters from your balcony you might wonder about the lives of these wandering birds. Come learn how these fascinating birds survive at sea.
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea: Naturally Wild
Shout out your answers to questions about the natural world of the Mediterranean. Learn stories of the wildlife you might see on a shore excursion.
When the Earth Gets Angry, Mediterranean Volcanoes
The volcanoes of the Mediterranean changed the course of history destroying the cities of Pompeii and Santorini and changing empires with help from earthquakes and tsunamis. Hope on tight as we tell these stories.
Marine Biology
Things Your Teacher Never Taught You About the Deep Blue Sea
Bizarre creatures of ocean like male fish changing into females, mantis shrimp that smash their prey, lantern fish, cookie cutter sharks, slimy hagfish, and parasitic barnacles are yours to enjoy or avoid.
An Ocean of Extremes: Introducing the winners: the largest, fastest, oldest, strangest, deadliest, weirdest, and deadliest creatures of the deep.
Canada and New England
The wildlife of Canada
What do you know about the wildlife of Canada and the St Lawrence River area? Join Ranger John as he introduces the dolphins, whales, birds, and sea life we may see as we voyage through New England to Canada.
Traveling the North Atlantic Ocean and the St Lawrence Seaway
With shipwreck, whales, seabirds, European explorers, American Revolutionary War history, Quebec, and Acadia National Park there is lots to know about the sea journey to Canada and New England.
Puffins, Gannets, and Sea Birds, Oh My!
It’s the season when rafts of migrating sea birds and sea ducks gather in the bays and ocean. Learn more about the fascinating lives these birds lead.
Hawaii
Hawaii’s Northwest Islands
Home of the Albatross - The Hawaiian Islands stretch a thousand miles north of Kauai up to Midway Island, the site of the American naval victory in WW II. With millions of nesting sea birds, these islands are considered one of the last wild places on earth.
Think Hawaiian Geology is boring? No way baby, it’s Explosive
Visit an erupting volcano, stand on the tallest mountain on earth, or swim on a black sand beach. With a new island currently being created and others that may soon appear, Hawaiian geology is rocking.
The National Parks of Hawaii
Take an illustrated journey to the parks which preserve the Hawaiian culture, tells the story of Saint Damien’s work at the leprosy colony, studies the Hawaiian volcanoes, protects the native animals, and commemorates “A date which will live in infamy”.
The Big Island, a Land of Adventure
Adventure leads to great stories. Can you image what it was like to sail with the Polynesians and Captain Cook? Could you take the heat to study a volcano? How was the island formed? The Big Island has big stories.
Hawaiian Icons
What makes Hawaii unique? Diamond Head, Waikiki Beach, humpback whales, hula, ukuleles, sea turtles, monk seals, black sand beaches, and pineapples are only some of the Hawaiian Icons. Get a head start on what you want to see and do on Hawaii.
South America and Antarctica
Braving Cape Horn
Names of great explorers like Magellan, Drake, and Darwin are linked with sailing around Cape Horn. The memories of the cape we will share with our friends will be quite different than the stories of dread and terror sailors felt in the “Age of Sail”.
The Stories Behind Antarctica's Place Names
Studying a map of Antarctica, you might wonder how places like Elephant Island, Mount Terror, and the Weddell Sea got their names. There are heroic stories behind many of Antarctica’s place names.
Penguins and Albatross are the Southern Ocean’s iconic birds.
They couldn’t be more different; penguins are nature’s best flyers in the ocean, while albatross are masters of the air.
The Falkland Islands A Big To-Do Over Small Islands
Thrust into a war in 1982, the islands have returned to being a place where penguins and sheep outnumber the hearty inhabitants.
Buenos Aires The Capital of the Tango
Some may say we saved the best for last. There is much to enjoy: theater, tango, food, and a beautiful city with wide boulevards. Buenos Aires deserves its many nicknames, including “The Paris of the Pampas” and “The Cultural Capital of Latin America”.
Ushuaia
Located on the Beagle Channel, which was named for Charles Darwin’s ship, Ushuaia was first settled by British missionaries. Later it became a penal colony but has since transformed itself to a popular tourist destination with much to offer.
Mexico, Panama Canal, and Caribbean
Volcanoes and Earthquakes that Changed History
Geology changed the history of San Francisco, the Panama Canal, and Central America.
Australia and New Zealand
The Great Barrier Reef
Are you excited about seeing beautiful fish swimming over colorful coral? Taking time to learn about the ocean’s most important ecosystem will help you discover more when you snorkel or dive.
New Zealand Icons the Albatross and Penguins
Millions of seabirds return to New Zealand to nest each year. Blessed with such abundance, New Zealand is working hard to protect or in many cases save the populations of the Albatross and Penguins, the two best known groups of the birds that spend most of their lives at sea. Come learn about these icons and the other types of seabirds we might see from the ship.
TransPacific, South China Sea, Japan, and the South Pacific
What do you know about the Pacific Ocean?
Test your knowledge of the wildlife, oceanography, geology, and history of the Pacific Ocean in this interactive trivia program. This program will introduce the wildlife we hope we will see from the ship while we cruise to these amazing islands.
The Krakatoa Volcanic Eruption and the Pacific Ring of Fire
Eighty percent of the world's earthquakes and volcanoes occur in the Pacific Rim. The eruption of Krakatoa, the island that blew itself apart, killed thousand, created tsunami waves, and changed our knowledge of the earth.
What do you know about the South China Sea?
Surrounded by seven nations the South China Seas has amazing sea life below and above the water. Learn more about the area or test your knowledge in this interactive trivia program.
Since 2008, I spoke as a naturalist, destination & special interest speaker on American Cruise Line, Celebrity, Princess, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean & Disney to Alaska, Antarctica, Transpacific & Indian, Australia & NZ, Central & S America, Caribbean, Mediterranean, Panama & Suez Canals, SE Asia, Hawaii, New England, Cape Horn, & California
From 2015-2019, I was speaking on Celebrity an average of 145 days per year, presenting hundreds of programs on wildlife, marine biology, history of the ports, surviving natural disasters such as tsunamis and volcanoes, explorers, & more. My programs are interactive and sprinkled with humor.
I presented commentary from the bridge while approaching and leaving ports, glaciers, Milford Sound, looking for whales, Suez Canal, and Cape Horn.
I offer more than just being a speaker because I meet passengers on the deck everyday to point out wildlife, lighthouses, glaciers, entering and leaving ports, and answering questions. My wife and I share meals with guests everyday.