Best Nature Experiences (Eco-Travel our Style)

In our 35 years of traveling together, we have always been Eco Travelers; we just never knew what to call it before the term became popular.  The following are some of the best experiences we have had – any photos we use are our own; please ask permission before using them – thanks. 

If you have questions or comments regarding our travels  e-mail us at kathyblueskybluewater@yahoo.com

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1.  Nesting Puffins on Skomer Island, Wales, and United Kingdom May-June

• Dyfed Wildlife Trust manages the island with transportation by Dales Sea Safari more information at www.touristnetuk.com/Wa/index.htm. 
• Thousands of Atlantic puffins carrying nesting materials in April or fish for chicks in June, landing clumblisy and waddling to their burrows — sometimes even over your feet!  (obvious photo op)
• Northern fulmars, guillemots, razorbills, and black-legged kittiwakes nesting by the thousands on nearby cliffs
• Many gannets diving into the water around the boat on your trip to the island. 
• Thousands of Manx shearwaters nesting in burrows, but an overnight stay is required to see them since they are nocturnal.  Luckily a small camera had been placed in a burrow so you could at least see one.
• In addition to the birds, there were many tame rabbits and most of the island was covered with a blanket of pink Sea Thrift (wildflower)

2.  Fishing Bears at Katmai National Park, AK   August-September

• Thanks Bald Mountain Air Service, Homer AK for an outstanding experience.  Everyone involved provided excellent service and information.  We would love to do it AGAIN. 
• Flying on a single engine plane over glaciers and volcanoes in the Aleutians
  Islands
• Landing on the water and wading ashore (wearing hip boots is not easy!)
• Photographing and observing 15-20 very large grizzly bears (brown) chomping on spawning salmon, including several mothers with very cute and curious cubs
• Absolutely awe inspiring.

3.  Roosting Scarlet Ibis at Caroni Swamp, Trinidad/Tobago   April

• Poling through a mangrove swamp seeing exotic birds like boat-billed heron, and potoo as other less exotic tropical birds circle.  We wait for:  
• Brilliant scarlet ibis flying in and roosting for the night on a wall of green  mangroves – like a Christmas tree lighting as each bird lands on a limb.
• Watching all this while sipping on rum punch as the sun goes down – Paradise.

4.  Exploring Denali National Park – Alaska.   First week September  

• Seeing the Alaska Big Five – grizzly bear, caribou, Dall sheep, moose and wolf (one of only 66 in the park) all in one day – hard to beat
• Add in golden eagles, gyrfalcon, willow ptarmigan, snow bunting, and the Artic warbler
• Beautiful autumn season as willows turn to yellow and wild berry bushes change to crimson in contrast to the green spruce and the multi colored ground cover.
• We also saw the top third of Denali as it emerged through the clouds.  Only one in ten visitors to the park actually gets to see the mountain.  What a sight.
• Sweatshirts and down vests weather most of the time, but we did need our water repellent jackets to help protect against the rain and snow squalls.
• Outstanding scenery on the train from Anchorage to Denali and back the Alaskan Railroad take you through spectacular but quiet swamps with trumpeter swans and moose along with raging rivers and waterfalls.

5.  The Rookery at High Island, Texas   April 

Houston Audubon manages this area 

• 15 feet across a canal from 100’s of Roseate Spoonbills, Great Egrets, Double Crested Cormorants and Black Crowned Night Herons
• Cute baby birds still in the nests with many large alligators patrolling the water beneath the trees
• We spend observing and photographing all the bird and reptile activity
• High Island is also famous for “fall outs” of neo-tropic birds migrating across the
  Gulf of Mexico.
• We saw twenty to thirty different species of warblers, thrushes, tanagers, buntings, and orioles (including a few lifers)
• Best to bring sun screen and insect repellent (April can feel like summer in
  Texas)
• Follow the warnings regarding the gators – they move very fast

6.  Cruising Kenai Fjords National Park,Seward, Alaska   Last week in August 

• All day on the water, seeing a glacier meeting the bay – Steller’s Sea Lions, humpback whales, horned and tufted puffins, bald eagles, sea otters, gray seals and more all with a Captain who was both skillful and knowledgeable
• Even though it is summer you need to be prepared for cold, wind and rain, be sure to have rain gear and some layers of clothing.
• Book your cruise prior to the trip so you get the day you want

7.  Viewing Elephant Seals – Cambira, CA – beach along Route 1Friends Of The Elephant Seals - 250 San Simeon Ave, Ste. 3B – San Simeon – CA 805. 924.1628.  Visit their office in The Cavalier Plaza, San Simeon, 3 miles north of Cambria. They will tell you the current best viewing spots. 

• Alpha males fighting and mating, cows with calves – nature in the raw – only few feet from Route 1.   See the calendar on the Friends’ site for the number  of seal  at the rookery during the three best viewing times: late January when most births occur, late April at the peak of molting, and late October during the fall or juvenile haul-out.  Each of these periods is unique and wonderful to see.

•  While in the area check out Cambria “Where the Pines Meet the Sea” many B&B’s, antique shops, art galleries, wineries, golf and of course, The Hearst Castle.  Cambira is a very warm and friendly village – definitely worth the stop.  If you are heading north have the spectacular coastline of Big Sur and the attraction’s of Monterey.

• Watch for California condors who sometimes roost along the highway.  The condors were almost extinct in the wild, but are on the road to recovery due to some great work hatching and raising young condors then releasing them into the wild.  We have been lucky enough to see one!

8.  Swimming Orcas, off Vancouver Island, Victoria, British Columbia in October

• Sailing with, Naturally Salty Excursions we learned a great deal from the crew and captain – who were all personable, knowledgeable and just enjoying the beautiful day and surroundings. 

• We enjoyed seeing our first orcas and minke whales – both up close and personal, along with the usual but still appreciated humpbacks, California and Stellers sea lions, harbour seal, rhinoceros and auklets and lots more seabirds. 

• You might even get a look at an elephant seal in the spring or fall.  In addition to the wonderful wildlife, seeing the snow covered Olympic Mountains in the distance and then sailing back into Vancouver’s harbor was a pure delight. 

9.  Watch Free Range Elk with Beautiful Fern Canyon – Praire Creek Park, CA 

• Walking through a small canyon with beautiful little creek and many types of luxurious ferns grow on every possible space you head up and come to a grassy meadow where to our surprise three elk with gigantic antlers were grazing.  We watch them feed for a long time – then without more than a quick look up they turned and walked back into the forest.
• You can also see the elk roaming on the beach, but could never get as close  as to see these beautiful creatures enjoying their lunch in the meadow.
•  Headed back on to our camping spot on Gold Beach — a wonderful camping experience!

10.  Flocks of Snow Geese at Bombay hook, National Wildlife Reserve, DE 

• Sunlight highlighting thousands and thousands of white geese with black wingtips against the brilliant blue sky as they land to feed and then take off again – just to entertain the folks that are watching. 
• Try to visit in an hour or two before sundown – this is a fall spectacular – for eyes and ears (lots of loud honking).  Sights and sounds you’ll never forget.

11. Spinning Dolphins off Lana’i,Maui, HI  

• A catamaran tour with Trilogy Sailing www.sailtrilogy.com across the channel from
  Maui to Lana’i accompanied by Spinning Dolphins.  Only the babies spin so it was really amazing to see these miniature (football size) dolphins jumping, spinning and swimming very fast to keep up with the sail boat.
• As a bonus, this sailing trip to Lana’i provides a great lunch using Hawaiian Kiawe wood (Mesquite) and an old local recipe for the best BBQ in Hawaii.  You also get a bus tour of the island (our tour guide was defiantly Hawaiian, but with a Minnesota accent – not something you expect to hear – she lives in Maui in the summer and Minnesota during the winter – to spend time with her grandchildren).  On the tour you get to see the former Pineapple Plantations and most probably a memorable Hawaiian sunset on your sail back to
  Maui.

12.  Feeding Humpback Whales in Boston Bay 

• Seeing humpback whales diving with tail slaps and emerging in the disturbance they created with mouths open, eating lots and lots of krill, then diving again to do the same.  One breached, back toward the boat – that was pretty memorable!  Of course, I have never really gotten a good picture while on a boat (lots of shots of the ocean) so I have decided to remember the breach in my minds eye and not worry about getting trying so hard next time. 

• We sailed out of Gloucester MA, but there are also good tours from Provincetown on Cape Cod.

13.  Racing Porpoise with Captain George in Oceanside, CA     January 

• Sailing on the Obsession, a 29’ sailboat with Captain Les George who sails while off duty from his firefighter duties, we were very easily over-taken by hundreds of porpoise – no time to count, but Capt. Les thought maybe 300 or more.

• The porpoise played in our wake for a few minutes and then left us in their wake when they tired of playing with us.

• Also had an up close and personal look at a mother and calf gray whale.  Really neat!Even if we had not seen any porpoise, whales or life list birds, a sunny day on a sail boat is just a most glorious way to spend time. 

Coming Soon to a Blog Near You:

• Outer Banks in June
• South Africa info in the Fall

Happy Traveling and tell us your favorite nature experience -  please send to kathyblueskybluewater@yahoo.com with subject line “A Few Of My Favorite Things” – we’ll do a follow up post in the future.