David Abel: Adventures & Misadventures - Cuba to Cape Cod (To in the Whale!)

Adventure Diaries Season 2 Episode 6 with David Abel, award-winning journalist and filmmaker

Episode Summary:

In this episode of Adventure Diaries, host Chris Watson interviews David Abel, a celebrated journalist and filmmaker known for his in-depth storytelling. David shares his journey from studying philosophy and political science to becoming an award-winning journalist. He discusses his early career covering protests in Mexico City, his dramatic experiences in Cuba, and his impactful work on the Boston Marathon bombing. David also delves into his environmental documentaries, including the award-winning "Entangled," and his latest projects, "In the Whale" and "Inundation District." This episode offers a deep dive into the world of storytelling, journalism, and environmental advocacy.

Key Takeaways:

• David Abel is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker with a diverse body of work.
• He began his journalism career after a pivotal moment inspired by a journalist's incisive questioning.
• Abel's early career included covering major protests in Mexico City and reporting under challenging conditions in Cuba, which led to his deportation.
• One of his significant works includes covering the Boston Marathon bombing, focusing on the Richard family, which earned him the Ernie Pyle Award.
• Abel is known for his environmental advocacy through his films, particularly "Entangled," which highlights the plight of the North Atlantic right whales.
• His latest projects include "In the Whale," about a lobster diver swallowed by a humpback whale, and "Inundation District," addressing climate change impacts on Boston.

Call to Adventure:

• "One of my favorite things in the world to do is to swim in waterfalls. And I love whenever I'm traveling to find a hike that ends with a waterfall and a pool and just hang out with the cold water, sort of giving you a nice shower. It's the best way to end the hike."
• "There's one that I guess I'm thinking of, which is in the Dominican Republic... there was this waterfall called Salto Baiguate... it was just this green, tropical green water, and the water was really warm."
• "I also remember going to one in Thailand, where there was like a series, it was a hike near Chiang Mai... there's like a series of seven or so waterfalls."

Pay It Forward:

• "My wife runs this wonderful organization where she brings together kids from all over Boston and gets them to do something that they never thought they could do, which is to complete this race. And in a couple of weeks, her annual 5K is coming up."
• "Not become complacent and recognize that our... many, many years now of pumping fossil fuels into our atmosphere is radically changing our environment. And we've seen evidence of that for years, but this summer, I think the dangers from the floods, you know, just in the past week in Libya, to the fires in Hawaii, to the wildfires all over Canada, Western Canada."

David Schwab Abel (davidsabel.com)

• David Abel's award-winning documentary: "Entangled"