Hi everyone, I’m Tess!
I was the boat teacher on the Green Coco Expedition aboard catamaran Nesi this last April-May in Brazil.
A little about me… I’m Australian-American from Colorado, and spent my childhood summers on the Great Barrier Reef. I’ve always had a passion for swimming, diving, and marine life. I studied Psychology and Film in school and later earned my Master’s in Education. I taught first grade on the island of Kauai for two years before trading classroom life for travel.
🎥 –> Watch this short reel 👇
About my top 5 favorite activities during my time with Green Coco in Brazil!
How it all began
When I saw Green Coco’s teacher post, it sounded like the perfect opportunity to connect my passions of traveling and teaching.
From the moment I boarded Nesi, I was welcomed with open arms. I quickly became part of the crew and boat family.
Kristian motivated me to try new things and taught me lots about sailing. Sabrina brought a creative spark to the kitchen and was always a kind, peaceful presence in daily life. The girls were playful, curious, intelligent, inquisitive, and avid explorers. They brought so much light and joy to our days aboard Nesi.
Every day on Nesi is an adventure – from exploring the Brazilian coast to taking turns on night watch and experiencing the beauty and hard work of boat life. Watching the girls light up & engage with the world around them gave me a renewed sense of excitement for the wonders of this world.
As Nesi’s boat teacher, we enjoyed many educational activities at sea. We focused on foundational skills in reading, writing, and math but always took time to learn from and be inspired by our surroundings.
About my top 5 activities:
#1. Tadpole Discovery to Frog Lifecycle
While in Ilha Grande, we came across thousands of tadpoles. Sabrina brought a few back to the boat, and we watched seven of them transform into frogs. It was an exciting “experiment” for everyone aboard- kids, crew, and guests. We explored the frog life cycle, observed them under a microscope, and watched them evolve right before our eyes.
#2. Native Birds: From endemic species to the pirates of the sky
We studied Red-Billed Tropicbirds, Masked Boobies, and Frigatebirds. We observed them in their natural habitat, visited protected bird islands, and reflected on the experience through journaling and art.
#3. Wild Animal Encounters: Spinner Dolphin
While cruising with guests around the beautiful Ilha Grande, we came across a pod of spinner dolphins. This sparked lots of curiosity, so we paused our regular lessons to deep dive into learning about dolphins, countershading, and dolphin anatomy.
#4. Journaling from experience
Each place we visited was incredible, and journaling gave us a chance to slow down, reflect, write, and appreciate our surroundings. The girls observe mountains, cultural landmarks, and lighthouses- all from their back deck.
#5. Bingo with Shells
We have some young readers aboard! We made a simple reading activity more engaging by using shells collected from around the world to try to make their bingo. By using shells and a bingo format, the girls were able to read many new CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words!
Honestly, the girls have taught me a lot as well: how to be a good sister, how to share exciting moments with others, how to find joy in the little things, and how to always treat others with kindness.
Sailing up the coast of Brazil from Angra dos Reis, Rio de Janeiro, Abrolhos, to Itacaré (in the state of Bahia) was truly incredible — what an array of different places and experiences. Excited to do it again in the future in whatever ocean Nesi is sailing through!
Until next time,
Tess
Captain K’s Notes:
The above map shows our route with Tess in Brazil (see our schedule here). Tess first met us in Paraty after we finished a series of trips with extended family there. We cruised around Ilhas Grande with a family group who just joined the co-op as new members (with twin girls too!) ; and then with another group in Angra dos Reis who have been onboard several times.
After hosting those families in super idyllic cruises, we had a series of tough passages going north to Rio de Janeiro with our crew mates Dophaise and Karim; a week of boatwork; then onward to Abrolhos archipelago for 3 nights at sea, where we spent several days exploring the bird & marine reserves.
Finally we did another 2 nights to arrive in the coastal surf-town of Itacaré, navigating through our first rivermouth in Brazil with a pilot, where we spent 5 days anchored, before visiting my family just up the coast in Peninsula de Maraú.
In Itacaré, Tess said farewell. She overlapped a day or two with our new boat teacher Meggane (who comes from France), and plans to sail with us until the Caribbean.
Thanks for everything Tess, you rock! The girls made a TON of progress with writing & reading with you. All of us will miss you!!
…. and here’s a quick plug for Tess’ Travel Journal, a super cool product that she made to help her travels, and now she sells this to other travel enthusiasts. Check it out:
As my love for travel has grown, I created a small business to share one of my favorite tools for exploration and reflection- a travel journal. It’s filled with interactive, travel themed content including journal prompts, trip planning pages, travel reflection, and maps. The journal is currently available on my website and on Amazon if you’d like to check it out!
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Contact Us:
- http://www.greencoco.org
- expedition@greencoco.org