In 2002 the president of Gabon set aside 10 percent of his country as national park— in a country where there had previously been none. My friend Michael Fay, had been instrumental in illustrating the need for the parks during a year-and-a-half long walk across the Congo, his MegaTransect. We had talked for many years about combining our twin interests—conservation and exploration - to see a part of Gabon accessible only by water. The result was a month-long exploration by kayak and foot of Gabon's jewel, Loango National Park.

Bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and stretching 40 miles into the jungled interior, we kayaked and portaged more than 200 miles around the park's perimeter. Along the way we encountered river-swimming elephants, manatees, tarpon, surfing hippos, gorillas and more. We also glimpsed evidence of man's impact on the land, and the potential threats of overfishing, oil and timber exploitation, and pollution along the white sand beaches. It was an eye-opening expedition on a variety of levels, for each of us.