Six hundred miles west of continental Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean, the Galápagos Islands contain birds, fish, reptiles and mammals not found anywhere else in the world. One in four animal species is endemic – …
October 12, 2011
Wildlife
The Galápagos: Wildlife Aplenty
Kayaking Elkhorn Slough, California
Elkhorn Slough is one of the last coastal wetlands in California and one of 27 estuaries in the National Estuarine Research Reserve System, set up to study and protect estuaries and coastal watersheds across the …
September 22, 2011
Orinoco Delta, Venezuela
An intricate labyrinth, the waters of the Orinoco Delta weave through the jungle on their way to the Atlantic Ocean. The Orinoco branches off into over 60 waterways and 40 rivers in the delta, meandering …
September 1, 2011
Swimming with Dolphins in Kona, Hawaii
I’m a frequent visitor to Hawaii – usually at least twice a year, and Kona on the Big Island has always been a favorite spot of mine. On a recent trip, and as I do …
August 23, 2011
Point Reyes National Seashore, California
About a one-hour drive from the densely populated San Francisco Bay Area, Point Reyes National Seashore was established to protect wilderness and natural ecosystems along the California coastline. Point Reyes is rich in biological diversity: …
August 23, 2011
Elephant Nature Park, Chiang Mai, Thailand
If you're feeling a bit hardened by modern life and sense a need to reconnect with the natural world – and even, perhaps, your own heart – try feeding an elephant that's been blinded by …
Polar Bears in Svalbard, Norway
Halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole – high above the Arctic Circle – lies the archipelago of Svalbard, Norway. A trip to Svalbard is not for the budget-conscious, so for many this might …
June 28, 2011
Lava and Bats: Nicaragua's Masaya Volcano at Night
Outside the town of Masaya, Nicaragua, the Parque Nacional Volcán Masaya offers a glimpse into the smoking cone of an active volcano as well as stunning views of the area around Managua at night. The …
June 23, 2011
Panama in the Buff
Today, wedged between the old and the new, the natural and the modern, Panama is a country of both paradox and transition. With a biodiversity exceeding its more famous neighbor to the northwest – Costa …
June 9, 2011
San Diego's Inland Sea: Salton Sea, California
I rolled my Celica up to the Border Patrol guards stopping traffic along Route 111 north of El Centro. When asked where I was headed, I explained that I was here to see “their” sea. …
April 29, 2011