Danger, Will Robinson: Links and Opinions

In the immediate aftermath of the OceanGate submarine tragedy I offered my thoughts on lessons that fishing travelers could and should learn from the disaster. While I still stand by what I wrote, I don’t claim to be omniscient about the matter. As with everything else, I try to absorb and analyze as many facts and opinions as possible, and the media has done its job of writing about the topic. Below I provide a list of links – some written after the sub imploded, some before – that our readers may find thought-provoking:

Articles Post-OceanGate

• The rise of extreme tourism

• The Titanic Sub and the Draw of Extreme Tourism

• Inside The World of Ultra Wealthy Extreme Tourism

• The ultra-wealthy have dangerous pastimes. Who pays when they need saving?

• See the high-risk trips wealthy travelers are booking, from Everest trips to $750,000 expeditions to the deepest point in the ocean

• Titanic Subs and Moon Rockets: Why ‘Thrillionaires’ Risk Their Lives

• A Harvard psychologist explains why wealthy travelers seek out high-risk trips, like exploring the Titanic shipwreck and going to space

• Inside the dangerous world of explorer tourism for the thrill-seeking super rich

• Who Wants to Die on Vacation?

• Money Can Buy a Visit to Space or the Deep Sea, but It Can’t Guarantee Safety

• A zoo vs. a safari: How the thirst for ‘authentic’ tourism grew into the adventure tourism boom that led to the Titan tragedy

• Extreme Travel Is Inspiring New Types of Insurance

Articles About Dangerous Travel, Pre-OceanGate

• Meet the 60-somethings holidaying in the world's most dangerous places (2022)

• The Most Dangerous Trips in the World (2014)

• The most extreme adventures on Earth (2019)

• 10 Surprisingly Dangerous Activities That Are Covered by Travel Insurance (2019)

• 13 Best Adventure Books to Inspire Wanderlust (2022)

• The most dangerous place to vacation might be close to home (2018)

• Solo Travel Stories: Travellers Share Their Most Dangerous Adventures (2020)

• Travel Bucket List: 4 Seriously Dangerous Things to Do in South America (2017)

• Why Vacation in War Zones? (2017)

• Andrew Drury vacations in war zones – Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia (2016)

• 'Oh my god, what have I done?': Travellers describe the lure of risky destinations (2022)

Additional Thoughts on Adrenaline Travel

• Many of the clickbait-oriented titles above suggest a form of class warfare or rivalry. As in, “Look, more money makes you dumber.” We’ve all seen the post-OceanGate memes implying as much. Believe me, more money gives you more options of ways to get into trouble, but the ultra-wealthy haven’t cornered the market on danger. We all need to be careful.

• If you mistakenly think that the theme of the ultra-wealthy amusing themselves with dangerous travel is new, go back and watch the 2004 Ben Stiller/Jennifer Aniston comedy “Along Came Polly.” One of the storylines is that Stiller’s character, actuary Reuben Feffer, is trying to determine whether to extend insurance to high-risk executive Leland Van Lew.

• A topic that is related to this – perhaps as the mirror image – is sustainable tourism, and what exactly that term means in practice. We’ll try to write about that when we have a better handle on it.

Half Past First Cast’s Pledges to You

• We work only with reputable guides, lodges and outfitters with a track record of safety.

• We will never knowingly put you in a position that goes beyond your comfort level or your ability to be safe.

• For trips that we’ve already experienced, we’ll give you the fullest accounting of any possible risks.

• For trips that we haven’t already experienced, we’ll gather the information or the experts to advise you on any possible risks.

• We will only recommend gear that we believe will provide you with an optimal experience, given your needs, abilities and skill level.

• When we don’t know about a given topic, we will tell you so, and try to refer you to the proper experts.