John Atkinson has always maintained a child-like wonder with the natural world.In 1987 he traveled to Patagonia in southern Argentina and through a mutual friend, met Dr. Roger Payne, credited as being one of the leading global experts on whales.While in Patagonia, John assisted in an aerial photographic survey of the local population of critically endangered Southern Right whales. The following year he took over the role of primary photographer in what has since evolved into the world's longest ongoing scientific survey of any great whale.He travels annually to Patagonia, hangs out of an airplane circling three hundred feet above the water and takes photos of the Southern Right whales that gather to mate and one year later, return to give birth to their calves.John's photographs are used to identify individual whales, thus giving the scientists vital information they need to track the health and survival rates of these gentle giants.John has played a key role in the production of three Discovery Channel documentaries, an IMAX film titled "Whales", and numerous other environmental productions.He has participated in many ocean and whale-related expeditions around the world. In April 2005, he completed his first trans-Atlantic crossing aboard the whale research vessel Odyssey, sailing from the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa to the island of St. Martin in the Caribbean.He has raised funds for, designed and built a special floating chair for a beloved quadriplegic friend named Ed Roberts, credited as the "godfather" of the global disabled movement and founder of the non-profit World Institute on Disability. (www.wid.org)John and Roger Payne fulfilled one of Ed's dreams when they took him in the floating chair to swim with dolphins in the Florida Keys, and with a pod of whales in open waters off the west coast of the big island of Hawaii.Since 2004, he has volunteered each winter as an instructor with the Canadian Association of Disabled Skiers.In May 2007, as a Mother's Day gift, John donated his left kidney to his mother.John has learned just enough Spanish to get into lots of trouble all around the world!