Wildlife can be seen here, there and everywhere!
There’s no shortage of opportunities for wildlife enthusiasts to see life in the wild.
This great wide world of ours offers plenty of choices for those wanting to see some of Mother Nature’s creatures, both from the land and the air.
Here are some examples:
An abundance of wildlife
Time + Tide
Time + Tide is offering guests clear choices as to the type of wildlife they wish to see while on vacation.
The company has tourist lodging in both Zambia and Madagascar, both home to abundant wildlife.
“We are enjoying the most exceptional safari season in Zambia, yesterday our guests watched a leopard stealthy stalk a puku through the long dry grass, followed by ending their evening watching the colours of sky melt onto the mighty Zambezi,” the company said recently.
Much was ado for wildlife enthusiasts at its Miavana resort in Madagascar as well, it continued.
“Across the Indian Ocean, Miavana has approached the season where we always feel nature comes alive with migration. Over 90,000 Sooty Terns have landed to breed and the whales can be seen as they pass through on their long journey. It’s a season of excitement and adrenaline.”
Time + Tide reports its teams have received their first vaccinations and there is great international access into its destinations. Zambia is receiving guests while ensuring all safety protocols are taken and Miavana is open to private charters.
More information can be found at timeandtideafrica.com.
The cat came back
Imvelo Safari Lodges' Nehimba Lodge, Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe can also offer sightings of large members of the cat family.
In fact, tourists stand a good chance of spotting the king of the beasts and some of those who routinely accompany him.
“The predator action at Imvelo Safari Lodges’ Nehimba Lodge in northern Hwange National Park is off the charts!” the company reports. “Regular sightings of the 16-strong Nehimba lion pride are consistently thrilling guests.”
Indeed, guests wanting to spot lions may not even have to seek them out.
“Armchair safaris are common this time of year as wildlife comes to the camp waterhole to drink and there have been some rare and exciting sightings as of late, along with the anticipation of predator births!” the company adds.
More information can be found at https://www.kusinicollection.com/collection/africa-partners/imvelo-safari-lodges/.
A hidden gem in South Africa for whale and dolphin watching
Whale Heritage Site, South Africa
World Animal Protection is sharing good news on the leviathan front.
The organization is applauding the creation of another Whale Heritage Site, Algoa Bay in South Africa, making South Africa the only country in the world with two accredited sites.
World Animal Protection says Port Elizabeth, where Algoa Bay is located, is a hidden gem in South Africa for whale and dolphin watching, and other wildlife viewing, as it sees seasonal visits from southern right whales, humpback whales and Indo-pacific humpback dolphins. It also has the largest breeding colony of African penguins in the world. Other resident species include bottlenose dolphins, common dolphins, Bryde’s whales and cape gannets.
“One unique aspect in Algoa Bay is the sheer number of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins, with schools of up to 800 individual dolphins encountered on marine tours. A longstanding scientific research project established since the 1990s estimates there to be approximately 30,000 resident bottlenose dolphins,” World Animal Protection reports.
“A wave of change is happening for whales, dolphins, and other cetaceans. Thank you for everything you do to help make this a reality!” the organization says to its supporters.
More information is available at worldanimalprotection.ca.
Photo of Algoa Bay Whale Heritage Site by Raggy Charters.
It's turtle time
Laguna Lodge Tortuguero, Costa Rica
It’s a turtle!
Laguna Lodge Tortuguero – found on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast – reports green turtle nesting season is underway in the area it’s in and will run through October. The name of the green turtle is due to the color of the fat located under its shell.
The lodge says the green turtle is recognized as a faithful species to its nesting location, meaning a turtle will return to the same beach every time it is ready to nest, often settling less than 100 meters from its last nest.
They nest every two years or more. Each nest has an average of 115 eggs, which incubate around 60 days.
Laguna Lodge Tortuguero says the importance of the Tortuguero area it’s in can be understated when it comes to the green turtle.
“The great majority of the Caribbean population of green turtles comes from the beaches located in Tortuguero, which makes it one of the most important sites in the world,” it reports.
More information can be found at lagunatortuguero.com.
The sky is the limit
AirVentures Chobe Balloon Safaris, Chobe Region
AirVentures Chobe Balloon Safaris is eager to give people a bird’s-eye view of a region famed for wildlife.
“We are excited to announce that our balloon safaris in the Chobe Region, over the Seloko Plains are operational,” it says. “The Seloko Plains is a vast concession situated 45 minutes south of the town of Kasane. It is an important wildlife corridor, extending from Zimbabwe to join up with the Chobe National Park, and the Kasane Forest Reserve, forming part of the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area. The diverse habitat incorporates large tracts of forest, which open up into wide open grassland plains, making it perfect for balloon safaris.”
Operations are seasonal due to the soil type in the concession becoming impassable during the wet season, and are set to conclude Sept. 30.
Guests have a variety of accommodation options available in the Kasane area, or can opt to overnight in one of the camps closer to AirVentures Balloon Safaris’ flying area. A one night’s stayover prior to a flight of approximately an hour explores the reaches of the wilderness of the Seloko Plains and ends with the traditional bubbly celebration overlooking the vast savanna plains. Breakfast at a five-star camp rounds off the experience before guests are transferred back to Kasane.
More information can be found at chobeballoonsafaris.com.
The sky is the limit
Songstam Hotels Resorts Tours, China
Meanwhile, young shutterbugs wanting to hone their wildlife photography skills are being invited to attend luxury hotel group Songtsam Hotels Resorts’ Tours Youth Wildlife Photography Training Camp in the Tibet and Yunnan provinces of China. August will see a camp in Southeastern Tibet guided by master photographers Xi Zhinong, Yuan Minghui, Lausanne Dutan / Peng Jiansheng, and Zhang Chenghao. The camp results from a recent strategic cooperation agreement between Songtsam, Wild China Film, and Ideas Camp Education to conduct discussions on the development of nature education and nature centers in the region.
The training camp will give young people the opportunity to follow the photographers/nature teachers and learn about the wild animals and plants living in this area of Tibet “where glaciers and forests are intertwined, and snow-capped mountains and meadows echo. This photography training camp will enable these young photographers to locate and photograph the rare and beautiful species, such as the brown-tailed rainbow pheasant, red goral, and the Tibetan Cypripedium. This unique photography camp will encourage them to discover the beauty and vitality of the world around them, not just through a lens, but in real life,” Songstam says.
After 20 years of hotel growth and expansion, Songtsam now plans to establish four nature centers which will also play a major role in the Youth Wildlife Photography Training Camp program. One will be located in Jingdong and the others in Shangri-La, Bome, and Namcha Barwa. Most of the staff at Songtsam Lodge Bome and Songtsam Lodge Namcha Bawa are already knowledgeable about local habitat, nature, and environment, since most are from the surrounding villages. “With Songtsam’s exquisite cuisine, comfortable rest space, and warm hospitality, camp participants will have an opportunity to relax and recharge while they discover more of nature’s wonders,” the company adds.
The unique geological and diverse locations of Songtsam’s Nature Centers “from rainforest to snow mountains” will also be transformed into a rare opportunity to be surrounded by natural wonders. “Through cooperation with a team of Chinese wildlife experts and the help of Qixing’s mature camp education methods, the content of the Nature Centers will be enriched and improved and will be used as a gateway for more people to observe and understand nature firsthand,” Songstam adds.
“These Nature Centers allows these young photographers with an opportunity to immerse themselves in their surroundings and to promote the whole society’s attention to the environment and nature, while overall contributing to the sustainability of this planet: to develop, to make this world better tomorrow, and to do our part.” says Baima Duoji, founder and chairman, Songtsam Hotels Resorts & Tours.
More information can be found at www.songtsam.com/en/about.
