Introduction of Heiko Bleher

[Heiko Bleher]

Hi all of you at this nice site,

my name is Heiko Bleher and I have not posted or written before, as I have been angaed in many lectures around the world (42 this year alone), and many field trips (12), and just returning this weekend from my last two into remote Amazon regions - unexplored before (collecting more than 400 species, of which at least 10 are new, and some amazing coloured discus variants).

But I wanted always to write to you and make some compliments to this great site.

About myself, I do not want to write here much, if anyone is interested, he can read some of my work (fishy and planty) during the last half century under:

www.aquapress-bleher.com

there are hundreds of photos, texts, articles, and informations.

If anyone has a question, do not hesitate to write to me, whatever fresh- and brackish water fishes and aquatic plants is concerned - but please advice my by e-mail automatically, as I am "on the road" most of the year and cannot all the time look into this page. Please understand. Although I will, as I can (but in New Guinea, in the deep Congo or in remote Amazon areas still no e-mail access possible...).

All the best to all of you and keep up the good work,

always

Heiko Bleher
.

[Merviso]

Hi Bleher,

A warm welcome to you from Singapore. I'm new here myself.

You are actually living a life that I had inspired to have since my childhood days when I'm watching all those animal documentaries. Cheers to you!

I will bookmark your website and try to imagine being there with you guys exploring all the unknown wilderness. Please do keep us updated from times to times.

It's really great to get to know someone like you. All the best to you exploration!

[AngelAddick]

Heiko Bleher,
You are a legend! It's amazing that you have the time to write to this site, as a member of this site, I think this is an incredible honour.

Thank you for dropping a note here. I wish I have the opportunity to explore the world the way you do.

Cheers,
Phil AngelAddick

[Heiko Bleher]

Dear Merviso,

Thank you very much for your nicest comments. Thank you also for visiting my website. We are changing it and adding every week - specially the Fotos of the week; my continous explorations; lectures & seminars; as well as the Fairs & Exhibitions we (I) participate; the new projects coming up and much more.

Cheers to you as well and warmest regards,

always

Heiko Bleher

PS: I am taking people lately to exciting Amazon trips, just completed, what I mentioned, two this past weekend: one into the Aracá region with 7 guys from the USA, Mexico, Greece, Spain and Germany and one trip to the Jari region with two Germans, two swiss guys and two Spanish. All confirmed that it was the greatest thing ever happend to them, as I took them to places no white person had been before ...

[Heiko Bleher]

Dear AngelAddick,

also to you: a big THANK YOU, for your nice comment. You know, I try hard all my live to reserach, collect and introduce new species (freshwater fishes and plants) into the hobby (at least 4000, at the last account... and many plants species).

I have been very lucky. My mother carried me into the jungles of Equatorial Guinea when I was 4 years old (and still remember - writing it all down in memories) and with the age of 7 my mother took me, with my brother and my two sisters, to live with cannibals in Mato Grosso on the Brazilian-Bolivian border (with a tribe today extinct). There I learned the real jungle life as a kid, and that was the best lesson I had in my entire live - better, and more useful than any University degree... I guess that made and formed me, to go on to explore the world and its precious nature for the rest of my live. Normally no one can bind me to a computor for more than 3 weeks at a time ... (and I am off, as soon as the founds allow it to do, in 3 days again ...). I was able to explored most of the jungles and untouched aquatic habitats of this planet, but many of those I researched and collected at, are history today. I have to travel further on each time, to find still untouched areas, but in recent decades they seem to be disappearing – faster than ever before in history... It is not alarming, it is a disaster, a crime Man is doing to this planet. And there is no stop possible, unless we stop population growth ...

But I will go on as long as I can and probably be able to complete 1000 field trips in the near future (in 190plus countries), with most places researched and visited, and be able to finbalize my life-work of compiling all fresh and brackish water fishes on Earth.

Thanks again,

always

Heiko

[ranmasatome]

I dont know what to say.. except Welcome!! its an honour and great to see you here..

[Wackytpt]

Hi Heiko Bleher,

A Warm Welcome to the forum!

Hope we can learn more from your experience.

[benny]

Hi Heiko Bleher,

Glad to see your introduction here! Your adventures have been an inspiration for quite a lot of us here.

I have always enjoyed reading Aqua Geographic and have kept every single copy I owned. I don't even keep my National Geographic magazines, but I do for Aqua Geographic!!

It's also of interest to note that you have taken other folks on some of your trips. Are they organised events though a particular agency? Can you point us in the right direction to find out more on this? I'm particularly interested in Amazonian programs.

Anyway, we understand you have a busy schedule. But if you do have the time, pop by once in a while to share your fantastic adventures with us!!

Oh.. and Welcome to AQ!!!

Cheers,

[doppelbanddwarf]

Wow this is cool we have THE Heiko Bleher here. Your website is very nice too.

[illumnae]

Wow, it's great to have one of the legends of the aquatic world here on this forum =) i'm one of the people benny mentioned that has been inspired by you =) please do let us know more about the trips lead, i'm also interested in Amazonian programs and would like to take one someday if funds and time permit =)

[celticfish]

cool beans!!!

Welcome to AQ Mr. Bleher!
Your articles on trips are burned into the back of my head.

[Heiko Bleher]

Hi guys,

I do not know what to say, all of your welcome messages overwelm me. THANK YOU VERY MUCH to all of you...

For those who asking about my trips:
Since last year I am taking small groups (max. 7) with me on Amazon expeditions (of which I do at least 2 each year, next year probably 3-4 trips). Each Amazon trip (as well as all my other trips) take me to very remote places, as I always choose destinations no one has explored (fish-wise) before. This not only give me the chance alweays to find new species, but also the people which come with me to see places no white Man has seen.
I charter a big boat (3-4 cabins), fully equipped (including kitchen, bathrooms, and a knowlegeable crew with a cook) and carry with me 2-3 smaller boats with small outboards to penetrate the moste remote jungle areas, were the big boat cannot go. Enough fuel for all and food to last (besides the fresh caught fish, or a croc (?), every day...). The departure is always Manaus (with some exceptions) and such a trip lasts for 10-11 days. The cost per person runs (all included, except flight to and fro Manaus) is not very high (afordable), depending on the location/ destination I go to. But a interested person, who wants to join, must book well in advance, and e-mail me directly to [email protected]

I will do one last days of Januray 2008 to a Rio Negro Region; one end of August to the Jutaí Region and in September to the Canumã region. All are also discus habitats of new variants...

Do not hesitate to contact me.

For those who want to know more about all of my expeditions, please open my website:
www.aquapress-bleher.com

Thanks again, all of you and all the best

Heiko

[hwchoy]

Dear Heiko, what have we done to deserve this singular honour of having you here with us! On behalf of all the members and the moderating team I wish to extend our welcome again.

We have in our little ways, try to open the eyes of "mere fish keepers" to the larger world of Nature and the wonder it holds. We surprised ourselves in seeing how much our members have learned and grown in the last few years, such that many of us are in a better position to fully appreciate your efforts in preserving and indeed presenting the beauty of Nature to the world.

Your presence will inspire us to push harder to contribute whatever we could to appreciating and preserving what Nature have for us.

Also if I may ask, if you could give some insight why you have chosen to drop by our forum, and spend the little precious time you have. Is there something different we are doing? What more do you think we can do, and where we might improve?

Again I thank you for being amongst us, it is fantastic to walk with the giant!

[Heiko Bleher]

Dear Hwchoy (why not correct names?),

just a fast answers, before I am off. First, thanks for the compliments. Second, I sometimes browse through Google.com (almost 100,000 websites talking my name) and Yahoo.com (many more) and when I see something of interest (if I have the time), I click into. And someone mentioned my name this spring on your site and I tried to answer, but was unable to connect. Now some websites are good, nice, or very nice and I can see that the administrator puts a lot of efforts into keeping it at a good level and that includes yours. So I wrote again and still could not connect (I never know why some websites work perfect to enter and others are a pain inthe neck and I give up). So recently I saw that I can enter (after all) and just mentioned that what I thought and wrote it fast (see my first text above). I only write (say, or publish), what I feal, see and judge as correct. This is also why I finally wrote my large monography about the genus Symphysodon with all details about the actual status of the Amazon and copied many of my notes from more than 300 expeditions into that part of the world during the last 4 decades – unly the truth (anyone can verify, if he wants).

This book has an incredble success, although it tells the truth (which many writers and publishers did not liek ...).

That is it for now. Thanks again,

Heiko


That is it. And if you have any questions and I get the message, whenever I can I will answer (only sometimes I am far, far aways...and it will take time...).

Thanks again and best regards

Heiko

[koel9]

Hello Heiko, good to have you here.

By the way, we met at Nuremburg in 2000 and you shared your view of the discus scene here.

I got that discus compilation from you than and now seven years on, I believe that book should have buildup to a sizeable volume now.

Cheers

[Heiko Bleher]

Dear koel9,

I hope than to see you again next year at the Interzoo 2008. I will have a very large "Authentic Biotope" display with 9 extreme large and large (and one small) aquariums. And also again my Aquapress Bleher stand.

I guess you referre to my DISCUS book, the Ringbinder edition, which continues for identification, but I was referring (above) to my new book, the hardcopy: BLEHER'S DISCUS. Which is completly different and has 672 pages and almost 5000 photos - and is only about wilds... A,mazon, history, etc., etc.

Thanks again and all the best

Heiko

[luenny]

Hi Heiko,
Nice to meet you here again. Haven't heard from you in the other forum in ages. I just thought you were busy. How have you been?

[Heiko Bleher]

Luenny,
I am more busy than ever, just when I feal and can access fast (and see intelligent things on a site), I do. But you know, this year alone I was booked for 42 lectures and seminars around the world (and 12 more to come next month); 12 field trips (from India, to New Guinea, from Kalimantan to Tajikistan, from Amazon to Nicaragua, etc., etc.), collecting fishes (and plants) around the world. I did 7 international exhibitions, judging discus and giving seminars and also organising the first Spanish Championships. What else? Well, I guess I wrote 28 articles this year, and what else kept me busy... see also www.aquapress-bleher.com my new website, every day more in it...

Kindest regards

Heiko