About Us
Barna Takats
Born in Hungary, Barna has spent the last two decades exploring some of the most remote and biodiverse regions of the planet. After beginning to travel extensively in his early twenties, he eventually relocated to Mexico, where he has been based for the past 15 years.
Barna is a technical and full cave diver, wildlife expedition leader, photographer, and lifelong naturalist. Over the years, he has traveled to all continents and guided expeditions across a wide range of natural environments: from Antarctica and the Arctic to the Amazon rainforest, the Congo Basin, the Sahara Desert, and the remote islands and reefs of the Indo-Pacific.
His work and expeditions have included tracking polar bears in the Arctic, searching for big cats across Africa, India, and South America, exploring remote cave systems, diving with marine megafauna from the Galápagos to the Coral Triangle, and visiting deep-sea habitats using specialized submarines.
As a passionate observer of the natural world, Barna documents wildlife encounters across both terrestrial and marine ecosystems. His records and photographs have contributed to scientific research projects, including the documentation of undescribed species and photographic material used in species descriptions by researchers.
Through Encounters, he has personally led groups around the world, designing expeditions that create close, meaningful encounters with iconic and, in many cases, rarely seen wildlife species.
Barna is a Fellow of The Explorers Club and the author of the book Around The Whole Wild World, a visual chronicle of two decades spent exploring Earth’s diverse ecosystems and wildlife habitats.
Encounters
Encounters is a wildlife and expedition travel company focused on immersive experiences in some of the world’s most remarkable natural environments.
Founded by Barna Takats over 13 years ago, Encounters was built around a simple idea: meaningful wildlife experiences come from genuine field knowledge, small groups, flexibility, and time spent deeply immersed in nature.
The company organizes expeditions and specialty trips across the globe, including wildlife safaris, marine expeditions, snorkeling and diving adventures, polar travel, rainforest explorations, and encounters with rare or iconic species in remote habitats.
Rather than traditional tourism, Encounters focuses on authentic experiences for travelers who are passionate about wildlife, exploration, photography, and the natural world. Many trips are personally guided by Barna himself, drawing on decades of field experience across a wide variety of ecosystems and cultures.
From remote islands in the Pacific to deserts, jungles, caves, and polar regions, Encounters aims to create journeys that combine adventure, education, and a deeper appreciation for the planet’s remaining wild places.
