Office Team

Adam Riley is the Managing Director and co-founder of Rockjumper Birding Tours. He is a qualified chartered accountant and his keen business sense, customer care and attention to detail has been a major factor in making Rockjumper one of the world's premier bird tour companies. Adam spends approximately half the year overseeing Rockjumper's operations and the remainder guiding or scouting new destinations for future tours.

Alison Wakelin was born in Kwazulu-Natal and some of her earliest memories are of precious hours spent with her family in the national parks of South Africa. Alison has been surrounded by birders her whole life and it is no surprise then that she should find herself managing the office for Rockjumper. She is committed to service excellence and is talented in handling the complex logistics of running tours to a mind-boggling diversity of countries.

Crystal Brook was born and raised in Johannesburg and has long nurtured a passion for nature. Her childhood years were brightened with countless encounters with the natural world, including playing with Lion cubs and shadowing shark researchers on the beaches of KwaZulu-Natal! When you book a tour with us Crystal will be the first member of our team you communicate with and you can rest assured that she will handle your booking inquiry in a friendly and efficient manner. When she takes a break from making the tour of your dreams become a reality, she can occasionally be found cage diving with Great White Sharks!

Cuan Rush earned a conservation diploma before launching his career in bird related work as curator of birds at Umgeni Bird Park in Durban. He then spent several years developing birding multimedia products and has also worked as a lodge manager and guide in Zambia. Cuan divides his time between heading Rockjumper’s custom tour department and leading tours throughout Africa and Asia.

David Kaplan has been an ardent lover of birds and wildlife as long as he can remember. After studies in the Natural Sciences he ran a string of his own small businesses before joining Rockjumper in 2009. David wears many hats for Rockjumper, managing our website, itineraries, photos and trip reports, as well as posting our Facebook Photo of the day, amongst other tasks.

Keith Valentine completed a degree in Financial Management but decided to follow his dream to become a bird tour leader. Keith guides throughout Africa, Asia and Madagascar and has an in-depth knowledge of the region's birds and wildlife. Keith also plays an important role in the management of Rockjumper and Indri.

With a background in nature conservation, Luis has been a nature tour leader since 1982, during which time he has amassed a vast wealth of experience in the complicated logistics of international travel. Having co-founded Suricato Safaris with Adam Riley, a wildlife tour company for Spanish speaking naturalists, he is now a full time member of the Rockjumper team, where he has taken over the reigns as our new operations manager.

Mick Travers was born and educated in Australia, and has spent most of his life travelling the world to enrich his passion for natural environs. Mick represents us and our sister companies to the Australian market, so if you stem from that part of the world, then please feel free to contact him at australia@rockjumperbirding.com with any inquiries or questions about our various tours, and he will enthusiastically assist you.

Sue Anderson worked for Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife (then Natal Parks Board) for 14 years, followed by 7 years with BirdLife South Africa before joining the team, where she heads our travel division.  She works hard to ensure that our clients enjoy a completely hassle-free tour by arranging all the necessary bookings.

Yuraisha Chavan was born in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, and holds an Honours degree in Marketing and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. Prior to working for Rockjumper, Yuraisha spent the last 8 years working internationally in three different countries, namely the UK, UAE and Denmark, for both the private and public sector. Yuraisha is responsible for Rockjumper’s key marketing initiatives and strategy. In her spare time, she loves travelling, fashion, gardening and playing the piano.