Christine Dennison
Christine has been diving for 19 years during which time she has explored the underwater worlds of various parts of the Arctic, the Amazon, the Caribbean, Europe and the USA. Certifications include: Technical Nitrox, Technical Wreck, Cave Diver, Technical Gas Blender, Technical Supervisor and Divemaster. She is very much an outdoors person and enjoys many sports besides diving . Her love of travel came from a very early age and to date has traveled in over 30 countries and speaks fluent Spanish . Christine co- founded MAD DOG EXPEDITIONS in 1994 and in that same year was the first women to dive high above the Arctic Circle . She has logged over 80 dives in this harsh Arctic environment and was also the first woman to dive in the Amazon rainforest amongst the giant piranhas and the pink dolphins on expeditions in the Rio Negro.
She has been featured and modeled in magazines that include Sports Illustrated, Cosmo, Outside and various sports and diving publications worldwide and TV. She is a Fellow of the prestigious Explorers Club and is actively involved in student outreach programs.
She is a spokesperson and role model for women in exploration and adventure. Christine works with clients and expedition teams worldwide providing expertise in planning and logistics. When not on location, New York City is home and she can be found walking in Central Park with her husky Ava .
Quest For Knowledge, Thirst For Adventure.
Douglas Seifert
Ken is a Science Educator/Instructional Designer / Technical, Ice and Closed Circuit Rebreather instructor. Ken is also a very accomplished underwater videographer and editor. Ken has numerous hours training and filming under ice as well as exploring the: Andrea Doria, U-869, Florida and Mexican Freshwater Caves, St. Lawrence Oil Remediation Project with Mad Dog Expeditions, Europe and Asia with USDA. Instructional Designer specializing in participatory science teaching techniques and kit design Former science staff developer with the NYC DOE at the elementary and middle school levels. 1998-2001. Specializing in inquiry & project based learning. Former exhibit designer/aquarist with the Exploratorium and Steinhart Aquarium in San Francisco, Ca. Ken has affiliations with: Catalina Island Marine Institute, IANTD, NAUI & PADI, ASCD, USDA and NY State Ag in the Classroom.
His Specialties include: Utilizing alternate teaching modalities that elicit active participation, enhance critical thinking skills and implement the use of current technologies to promote literacy (video & multimedia). Creating participatory science curriculum in kit form (Ken's Science Store Inc.) Instructional Design methodologies including multimedia WBT/CBT (web based/computer based training). His hobbies are: Guitar, Cats and frogs
Ken Koga-Moriuchi
James Clash
Pierce Hoover
Tim Taylor
Ava
James M. (Jim) Clash is a seasoned adventure and business journalist. Clash started at Forbes in 1993 as a reporter, and in 1996 was promoted to staff writer. In 1998 he wrote a pivotal story on hedge funds, warning investors of risks and expenses. When Long Term Capital Management collapsed six months later, Forbes ran a national advertising campaign "Business Reporting as Tough as Business Itself" about his story, and he was promoted to associate editor. In 2000, he founded his Forbes Adventurer column and, in 2006, added a web video component. His book "Forbes To the Limits" (Wiley, 2003) has received critical acclaim.
Clash is also a fellow and director at The Explorers Club. His adventures include skiing to the South Pole; weightlessness and a MiG ride at Mach 2.6 to the edge of space; driving the Bugatti Veyron at its top speed of 253 mph and Indy cars at over 200 mph; climbing the Matterhorn, 23,000-foot Aconcagua and virgin peaks in Greenland and Antarctica; and two visits to the North Pole. He has interviewed and profiled noted adventurers including Neil Armstrong, Chuck Yeager, Sir Roger Bannister, Buzz Aldrin, John Glenn, Don Walsh, Dr. Edward Teller, Sir Jackie Stewart and the late Sir Edmund Hillary.
In addition to Forbes, Jim contributes to AskMen, Automobile, AutoWeek, Bloomberg-Businessweek, Expedition News, The Explorers Journal, The Huffington Post, Motorsports Industry Association, Relix and Values (Japan). In 2010, he purchased a ticket from Virgin Galactic Airways for a suborbital space ride scheduled to leave in 2013. Clash has an MBA from Columbia, and a BA from the University of Marylan
Pierce is an adventures sports journalist and publisher who has worked with and promoting the efforts of Mad Dog Expeditions for more than a decade. As the founder of Sport Diver magazine, he has provided documentation of team projects ranging from forays under Arctic ice to pushes deep into the fresh-water tributaries of the Amazon. A diver and mariner since high school, he is active in underwater cave exploration, the development of advanced diving technologies and the promotion of conservation initiatives in the diving and marine fields. He has been awarded SSI’s Platinum Pro Award for lifetime diving achievement, is a member of the National Speleological Society, a Fellow in the Explorers Club, and has worked with the Cousteau family to promote educational initiatives at the grade and high school levels. After created six national magazine titles over the past two decades, Pierce is now devoting a increasing portion of his time to digital media, with plans to use future Mad Dog projects as platforms for the dissemination of educational and inspirational content.
Bill Weinphal
Tim Taylor is a member of the Advisory Board as well as an education partner and provider of expeditionary services. He is an accomplished naturalist and explorer with over 25 years of underwater experience. He is currently president and CEO of the Research Vessel Tiburon, Inc., based in Key West, Florida. Tim has owned several innovative diving operations, specializing in exploring new locations and sharing them with the scientific community and public. In recognition of his achievements, including his discovery of Sherwood Forest Reef in the Dry Tortugas, he was accepted as a Fellow in the prestigious Explorers Club and awarded the 2008 "Citation of Merit" for exploration. Sherwood Forest reef is considered a centerpiece of the Tortugas Ecological Reserve and has become world famous since its discovery in 1997. Tim’s experience includes 21 years as a US Coast Guard Captain, numerous instructor ratings, underwater photo and video expertise and extensive fieldwork. He has guided many world famous researchers and explorers on expeditions in the Bahamas, Cuba and the Florida Keys, including such eminent marine specialists as Dr. Sylvia Earl, Dr. Eugenie Clark, Dr. Samuel Gruber, and Philippe Cousteau. Tim has been awarded accomplishment certificates by the U.S. Navy, for producing underwater films, and has also played a key role in other projects such as the James Bond movie Licensed to Kill, and several underwater documentaries. Tim has worked steadfastly at blazing new paths in children’s education, using expeditionary and field techniques to engage young students in natural history, marine biology and environmental science.
Ava is the newest addition to our team of Mad Dogs. She has some pretty big PAWS to fill after Alice but so far so good.
Ava is a rescue pup as was Alice. No one wanted to adopt Ava as she had been burned and mistreated and left to die. When she came to us she had a black husky head on a brown husky body. The little hair she had was singed yet she was a stunner nonetheless. She loves the life of adventure and always ready to travel but she is great at sitting in on meetings too.
Our Mad Dog Icon. Sadly she passed away last year. Alice was thrown out of a car in Greenwich village a few days before Christmas 1995. We adopted her from our friends at the animal hospital next door. As she was already familiar with cars, we decided to start taking her on our expeditions, and the rest is history! Alice traveled as far south as Key West and far North into the wilds of Canada.......She had a set back in May 2004 when we discovered she had an inoperable brain tumor. After a month of radiation treatments, lots of love and support from family and friends she is still chomping at the bit to travel. She was 13 and going on 2 again and showed us her true Mad Dog grit to the end. She had the spirit of a true explorer and adventurer that kept on going. Alice was the "Brains" behind our operation and well known around town for her stunning good looks and charm. She is missed by all.
Late Great-Alice
Rune Gjeldnes
Rune Gjeldnes was born in Surnadal, Norway. Growing up in the vicinity of mountainous Trollheimen, Rune spent all his leisure time in the mountains doing a variety of activities, including mountaineering and river paddling, gaining crucial experience from all seasons. He has worked at Marinejegerkommandoen (Norwegian Navy Seals) for five years, together with Torry. He participated in the Greenland Umanaq - Isertoq expedition in 1994 and succeded on the G2 Expedition in 1996. He reached the North Pole with David Hempleman-Adams (UK) on April 28 1998. 1998 was "A Year of Adventure" for Rune, with six different expeditions around the world. I.e. Baffin Island crossing, Mt. Aconcagua, Magnetic North Pole, Rio Merevari canoeing, etc. In 1999 and 2000 he was back in the Navy and planned, prepared and did the crossing of the Arctic Ocean with Torry Larsen.
OUR TEAM
Bill is a native New Yorker who has been diving throughout the world for over 15 years. He is a certified technical Trimix diver, Archaeological research diver and underwater videographer. He is also a mountain biker, swimmer and former competitive collegiate ski racer. His love of diving combined with his video expertise have allowed for exclusive filming work on documentary dive projects of the luxury Cruise liner Bianca C. and the freighter Roy A. Jodery. He has also worked with Duncan Mathewson on surveying and mapping of the 1733 Spanish treasure fleet of: The San Jose, The Enfante and the Capitana. Having spent more than 12 years in the entertainment industry, Bill has created thousands of hours of programming, produced several independent projects and overseen large scale productions. He has executive produced, directed, shot and edited content for clients which include: L'Oreal, Victoria's Secret, Tommy Hilfiger, Elie Tahari, Virgin Records, sports figures ranging from Bode Miller, Jeff Gordon, Greg Norman and Venus and Serena Williams. He has worked with charities including: Amfar, Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation and Gods Love We Deliver. Bill has produced entertainment packages for: 2002 Olympics, NY Giants, NASCAR, The Dave Mathews Band, The Rolling Stones, U2 and Paul McCartney among many other artists and corporations. When not found in the editing room, behind a camera or underwater, Bill can be found drinking green tea in his office.
Captain Gene Flipse
With a lifetime of experience on the water, Capt. Gene Flipse has been a US Coast Guard licensed captain for over eighteen years. Capt. Flipse holds a 100 Ton Near Coastal Master's License, as well as STCW 95 Certification (Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping). A career professional, Gene has spent the last twelve years as captain aboard liveaboard dive boats operating on the waters of Florida; the Bahamas; and the Sanctuary for the Marine Mammals of the Dominican Republic on the Silver Bank.
Gene has 50 weeks of direct experience with the humpback whales of the Silver Bank, gained over the course of six seasons. He also has over a decade of experience guiding guests to in-water encounters with wild Atlantic spotted dolphins and bottlenose dolphins in the Bahamas. Gene has also worked and played with pacific spinner dolphins; pan-tropical spotted dolphins; minke whales; pilot whales; sea turtles; whale sharks; manta rays; and a wide variety of sharks.
Jonathan Pollack
Douglas David Seifert learned to swim at age two on Singer Island, Florida. He began snorkeling a few years later and began his diving career in 1974 in West Palm Beach, collecting unlucky tropical fish for his many aquariums. In 1987, after a class with top Australian photographer Kevin Deacon, he made his first underwater images of great white sharks in South Australia. The images were well received and a career reporting about and photographing under the sea had found him. Along his journey, he has been fortunate enough to have the best mentors in the field of underwater photography. Douglas published his first feature, on sperm whales, in Ocean Realm, and followed it up with extensive features on whale sharks and manatees. He was hired away by DIVE International in London and has been working with them ever since. He was Editor-in-chief of Oceans Illustrated during its three-issue run and learned the highs and lows of the business side of publishing. He continues to work with DIVE Magazine and, as World Editor, he photographs and writes a four to six page monthly feature of marine natural history and phenomena entitled WATER COLUMN. He has led expeditions taking discriminating adventurers to the far corners of the world to encounter whales, dolphins, turtles, sharks and other marine life for the past fifteen years. His underwater photographic images have been published in books, newspapers and magazines around the world, including The New York Times, The International Herald-Tribune, Men’s Journal, Esquire, Forbes FYI, Outside, GQ, Reader’s Digest, Sports Afield, Nature’s Best, Wetpixel Quarterly, DAN Alert Diver and most of the world’s dive magazines. Photographic Awards: Bronze Prize, UNEP Focus On Your World 2000; Grand Prize, Papua New Guinea Photo Competition 2000; Winner, Oceans, Nature’s Best Magazine, 2002; Highly Commended, Wildlife Photographer of the Year, 1995, 2001, 2004.