Portrait of an Explorer --
Dr. Edward Flortan

Dr. Edward Flortan, a researcher from the University of Michigan at Alpena, has spent the better part of 30 years on the study of the true lives of fish (and another 30 on the lies trees tell each other). The early part of his self-education came from reading tabloid news stories and watching Japanese horror films.

But in 1988, he was introduced to a wahoo named Shell at a 20th anniversary of the Chicago Democratic Convention Riots cocktail party. Shell, an amicable and well-read member of the mackerel family who had swum by himself in a corner of the room all night, spoke to Dr. Flortan in a language he can only describe as Esperanto. Shell told the doctor several wondrous stories of fishdom (and also of things he's built out of celery), and the doctor was sold. "Can I come live with you?" he asked the mighty wahoo. "Hell no," answered Shell, who despised freeloaders.

But about a week later, Dr. Flortan met a bluegill who had a spare bedroom, and the rest is history.

An interesting postscript: Dr. Edward Flortan, who declined to be photographed for the Web site, is now beginning a 12-year adventure living with a stand of mangroves in the British West Indies. He has a 5-year old son named Larry and a dog named Don't Eat Those, They're My Friends!