Another big anniversary celebrated by a sannyasin enterprise. Congratulations to Amlas and Atmo! An interview with Amlas, by Punya
WildQuest was originally the brainchild of Sandesh and Daya, back in 1994. What had set their business apart from all others, which were also organising outings to swim with dolphins, was that WildQuest asked guests to book for week-long retreats instead of single days. It also included in the programme meditation, breath work and yoga classes, all methods that help guests find that loving and silent space within themselves, which is needed to approach and appreciate the wild dolphins.
In 1999 Amlas and Atmo were invited to join the crew:
“We both loved it; we loved working in the community, being out on the ocean every day and being so connected to the beautiful nature. After working there for a few years, the time came for Sandesh and Daya to slow down a little and it seemed natural that we would take over WildQuest. It felt very right,” says Amlas.
Since it was handed over to Amlas and Atmo in 2005, the business has developed and grown.
“We basically kept everything the same. But over time we have been improving… It’s fun to upgrade with small, but well-appreciated details! Better quality, more organic food with more choices, beautiful plants in the garden, a fantastic espresso machine, keeping the boat in tip top shape… We have more than a third repeat clients over the year – so they also like to see these small upgrades each time they come! Nothing is made or grown on the island so everything has to be imported, which means these types of improvements need a lot of forethought and planning – as well as finances! Also, we have grown the client database over the years.”
Was it not daunting to suddenly run a business without having had any previous experience?
“Yes, it was daunting. All those zeros in a row! But then I told myself, ‘It’s just a bunch of zeros on a piece of paper!’ We both felt a great trust, and I knew it was something I wanted to keep doing – it was a real knowing. So that helped me through all the challenging times of ‘How on earth are we going to get this money together and how are we going to balance the books?’ We have had tremendous help along the way. Rajen was a great help with business advice, and after his death, Guptadana became our mentor, and he continues to teach us how to find our way in the financial/business world!
“There were other challenges. I remember my first thought was, ‘How are we going to find the dolphins?’ It will be our responsibility! And then the questions, ‘How are we going to find the people to come? How are we going to fill the weeks?’ But then, just taking one step in front of the other, it all happened…”
Amlas and Atmo had met in the 90s at the ashram in Poona. Atmo was a travel guide taking Czech people to various places in Europe, as well as the East and Africa. Amlas was pretty full-time in the ashram, working in the group department; then she moved on to run the music department. And Atmo became a master mixer for the music in Buddha Hall. “During summer we toured in Europe with various bands holding meditation weekends with live music – me on bass and Atmo at the mixer. It was a fun time being musical gypsies on the road!”
Only when they embarked (pun intended) on this joint adventure, did they realize how complementary their skill sets were. The knowledge they had gathered through their working life and the natural talents they brought with them were such that the different tasks ahead could be divided between them pretty easily.
“Atmo is very good at connecting with the locals. The island of Bimini is very small – maybe 1600 people live there – so everyone knows everyone. We are guests in their land and have to act appropriately! It is important to forge these connections and to be accepted – which now, after all these years, we definitely are! People on the island are generally very supportive of us. We depend on them for help in the houses, the cleaning, the delivery of food, taxis for the guests. Also, living on such a small island we have to be able to help each other, mainly when there are storms – it’s all we have! Atmo is also very good at accounting, banking, keeping track of the various contracts, the necessary insurance policies – in short, he is taking care of the business side of things, the so-called ‘back of house’.”
On the other hand, Amlas is taking care of the ‘front of house’. She is the one dealing with the clients and the crew, the marketing and the programme, which changes every year depending on the crew they employ at a given time. Each one of the crew brings with them different skills for running classes: yoga, laughing meditation, shaking meditation, as well as breathing classes, sharing circles; and to run the much-sought-after Sacred Journey Weeks. Of course, the captain has the skills to take care of the boat with the help of the first mate. “And regarding the house maintenance – we all have to sometimes jump in – depending on the skills of the team of the moment! It is very hard to find locals to help with maintenance, so we have learnt that it is easier to attempt to do it ourselves!”
One of the most challenging parts in this ongoing journey is, for Amlas, how to live in a community and at the same time also run a business. To live in community with a team – and also be the boss. “I have this vision of us all sitting in a circle – the crew, Atmo and me. In that circle we are all equals, we are all seekers on the path. We are there to love and support each other on our journeys, to be mirrors for each other, to become more open, honest and vulnerable with each other.
“Yes, Atmo and I wear the boss’s hats – it’s just a hat, just like a captain’s hat or a cook’s hat – but that’s not who we are. It’s a dance on the razor’s edge as, of course, we are the ones who do the hiring – and potentially the firing. So, there are many authority projections (as well as mummy and daddy projections!) This aspect of the business has probably been the most challenging part for me, because when there is such a projection running, I do not feel seen for who I truly am. It can sometimes be very painful. It’s an ongoing process, I would say.
“That’s Osho in the marketplace! Osho – the awareness – and the marketplace – a business! There are not many other situations in the world where this is happening – and so clearly.”
Is there competition with other businesses offering similar retreats?
“We now have a very good relationship with the other companies on the island who are also offering swim-with-dolphin programmes. There are not so many companies offering this locally, after all. When we took over the business there was a bit of a competitive vibe on the island, as if we were all coming from a place of scarcity – these are ‘my’ dolphins and these are ‘my’ clients.”
But over the years they have worked hard at changing this and, thanks to Atmo who is very good at forging these connections, it now generally seems that they can all come from the position that there is plenty for everyone. Also, each one offers a different flavour, so each holidaymaker will choose what fits best with them. “If someone wants an Indian meal you would not send them to the Chinese!”
How did you cope during the pandemic?
“Well, we did what we could. Luckily we managed to stay financially afloat. During lockdown there was only us and a few crew on the island, so we had the place to ourselves. Imagine, in a tropical paradise! The moment we were allowed to take the boat out and the weather was good, we went out swimming with the dolphins! It was amazing… just us!”
Two thirds of their clientele comes from the US and the rest from Germany, the UK, Switzerland and the rest of the world. The age range also varies – but they are mostly older women. “Swimming with dolphins seems to be a women thing – but we do have some men, too. At one point in a circle we were discussing how we could attract more men. And one of the women said, ‘I’ve been asking myself that for years!’”
How do you feel, knowing that you have been running WildQuest for so many years, and with so much success?
“I feel incredibly grateful and humbled by the whole thing. It seems existence has showered on us in so many ways. I feel so lucky. For most of my young adult life I had been a bit of a hippy, always living on the edge. But there was at some point the knowing that I would have to step into the world and learn how it all works. To step into it and face the fear. At the time it was not so clear, but it must have been there under the surface. Now, looking back, it’s clear that that’s the direction I was headed.”
In a few words could you describe a day in a retreat?
“Wake up, yoga, breakfast, relax in the hammock or join a meditation (depending on the flavour of the week), pack your picnic lunch, off on the boat – wow, the colour of the water! – snorkelling – a coral reef! – look over the vast ocean for dolphins and here they come – wow! Home, shower, dinner, a relaxed evening or a meditation. After each meal we have three guests to help with the dishes. This actually helps the group to bond and work together (of course if someone doesn’t want to do dishes it’s fine, but usually people do love to jump in. We put on music and dance and connect and have fun).
“At one of our circles where we share the experiences we had through the week, one participant said, ‘I came here to experience the Human-Dolphin Connection. What inspired me the most was the Human-Human Connection. Connection with different people and sharing our journey together. The swimming with the dolphins was just the cherry on the top of the cake.’”
Anything you want to say about your crew?
“The crew is amazing! We have a pool of trained crew who come and go – so it’s not the same crew all season. (We cannot employ people the whole year round as we only operate programs from April to October.) We have been lucky to find fantastic people who can take a few months out of their ‘regular’ lives. They come to the island, contribute and enjoy their time with us for a few months each season. So, before each season starts, it’s quite a job for me to finalise the crew schedule so that everyone is taken care of and that we have all the skills covered. We now also have a couple of crew who can site manage so that Atmo and I do not need to be there for the whole season. This now means that Atmo and I can slowly step back; it gives us the time to slow down and let the younger ones step up. A natural progression of life!”
Is there something you would like to say about the dolphins? What have you learned from them?
“Well, it’s indeed a mystery. We keep on learning more and more about them as a species. There is definitely something very mysterious about them. They are a much older species than us homo sapiens; they have been around for millions of years. And they have such a large brain. My feeling sometimes is that they have all reached that place of enlightenment! Whatever the case, it still remains an amazingly joyful and uplifting moment whenever we see them – even after so many years… It brings out the childlikeness in everyone. To make eye contact with them really gives you the feeling that you are being let in, that you are being totally seen and accepted – very much like looking into the eyes of Osho! Ha!”
The photographer of these splendid shots of encounters with dolphins – and with clients – is Atmo, who has already been featured with his photographs and videos a few times in this magazine. “Atmo was into photography well before we started with WildQuest. But not underwater. At first, in the early 2000s, the underwater cases for cameras were basically sophisticated plastic bags. They were very difficult to use. As you swim into the depth of the water the pressure increases, so it happened that the buttons on the camera would get pressed just by the pressure of the water. This created a challenging situation, as you can imagine! Atmo slowly graduated to more sophisticated equipment and, I would say, he is now a world-class underwater photographer… Of course the photos and videos are our main marketing tool, because they can give people a vivid glimpse of what they too can experience when they come.”
A few final words, Amlas?
“WildQuest is an amazing place for transformation. It seems to be more than the sum of its parts. I continue to be amazed by what happens there and to see the transformation in people who pass through. I am trusting that it will continue to grow and get better and better with the younger generation stepping in.”
Thank you!
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Related articles
- Wild Dolphin Encounters: Lessons in the Art of Podding – A participant in a holiday retreat at WildQuest on Bimini learns the Art of Podding while swimming with the dolphins… and meditating (January 2011)
- Existence has its own wisdom, existence has its own love – “Dolphins are very loving animals, very playful, very joyous… If you are swimming, they will swim with you. If you are playing with them, they will play with you,” states Osho
- More articles on Osho News about WildQuest and Atmo’s photography
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