© R.Isotti, A.Cambone – Homo Ambiens / WWF-Canon

As the brilliantly colorful panther chameleon demonstrates, Madagascar is home to extraordinary species. Approximately 92 percent of Madagascar’s reptiles, 68 percent of its plant life and 98 percent of its land mammals exist naturally nowhere else on Earth.

However, demands from today’s global markets threaten diversity on the island of Madagascar. Deforestation, unsustainable agriculture and erosion fueled by human population growth all jeopardize the isolated island’s unique habitats. As a result, several charismatic species, including chameleons and lemurs, that evolved here over millions of years may become extinct before the end of the century.

WWF’s vision is to protect, restore and maintain Madagascar’s biodiversity in harmony with the culture and livelihoods of the local people.

• In 2005, WWF cofounded the Madagascar Foundation for Protected Areas and Biodiversity. The foundation supports efforts of national agencies and local communities against slash-and-burn agriculture and the illegal trade in plants and animals. The foundation is already widely recognized as a “model” foundation for Africa and an anchor for sustainable financing of Madagascar’s protected areas system.
   
• WWF is collaborating with the Malagasy government to triple the area of the country’s protected areas, including marine habitats. Creation of the new protected areas is done in close cooperation with local communities and is expected to generate additional economic benefits through initiatives such as ecotourism. WWF is placing special emphasis on the design of the new protected areas, linking small but critical sites to preserve rare species with limited range as well as conserving vast blocks of forest where migration corridors can be maintained.
   
• WWF and its partners run an Ecology Training Program to educate a new generation of scientists. Malagasy students learn about field survey techniques, conservation biology and taxonomy. Program graduates have made biological inventories, discovered new species and published scientific articles. The program has also developed partnerships with international institutions that provide additional opportunities for the professional and intellectual advancement of Malagasy scientists and students.
   
• WWF protects the simpona, one of the three most critically endangered lemurs in Madagascar. Because of its limited population size, restricted range and the ongoing dual human threats of hunting and deforestation, the wild population is estimated to be fewer than 1,000 individuals. Through a conservation awareness program, WWF educates communities near simpona habitat about the lemur’s importance. WWF is also developing zoning and management objectives, as well as habitat restoration activities. The project aims to produce benefits for local villagers through, for example, community events and clubs, school field trips and increased ecotourism.

Visit Wild Madagascar with WWF, June 23 – July 6, 2011.
 
 
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Borneo's pygmy elephant is the most endangered Asian elephant subspecies. © Dan Winter / WWF-US

WWF’s Dan Winter accompanied our most recent Borneo tour. We caught up with him to get his thoughts on the otherworldy destination.

What was your favorite animal sighting?
We saw so many great animals, both large and small, that picking a favorite is hard!  But I must say that seeing a wild orangutan as we headed up the Kinabatangan River was a thrill.  That great big male orangutan eating fruit high in a tree was a joy to see.

What was your favorite moment of the trip?
One afternoon at Sepilok, we saw a red giant flying squirrel glide between trees.  The group oohed and aahed like it was a fireworks display!

What surprised you most about Borneo?
Borneo has some of the finest resorts anywhere in the world!  We were truly in the lap of luxury in Kota Kinabulu.  And the Borneo Rainforest Lodge in Danum Valley was a close second to that, which is all the more impressive given that it is a long way from the nearest town.

Number one piece of advice for future travelers?
Get your sleep now! There’s so much to see in Borneo that you won’t want to sleep much when you’re there.

What did you take away from this trip?
Seeing the work of WWF make a positive impact on wildlife and communities was very gratifying.  Even more so was seeing that conservation is important to the people of Borneo; the tradition of protecting nature goes back to the founding of Malaysia.

Logging and agriculture are two conservation concerns in Borneo. Did you see evidence of those threats during the trip?
Flying from Kota Kinabulu to Mulu we could see great swaths of forest cleared for agriculture, and our lodge on the Kinabatangan River abutted an oil palm plantation.  We also saw logging trucks on our way into Danum Valley.  In the latter case we knew that the logging concession in the Danum Valley represented sustainable logging which supported conservation work in the reserve.  Finding a balance between commercial activity and nature is a very tricky problem, and we could see many examples of that on our trip.

Join WWF’s 2011 Into the Heart of Borneo tour, June 24 – July 10, 2011.

© Lazlo Ilyes

Unquestionably, one of the major reasons why people are drawn to WWF’s Costa Rica & Panama expedition is to see and experience the Panama Canal. But if you were to ask any of them at random at the end of their journey about the highlights of their trip, they almost invariably will mention Granito de Oro on Coiba National Park.

Snorkeling at Granito de Oro is a not-to-be-missed experience. This sliver of white sand in the middle of a sea of aqua is just irresistible. The variety of color and forms found in the reef around the island attests to the beauty and uniqueness of this national park.

Coiba, one of Panama’s most important national parks and now one of the five UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the country, is the pride and glory of the Panamanian park system. It not only protects the most extensive tropical forest of any island in the region, but it also boasts some of the best examples of coral
reefs found anywhere between Baja California and Peru.

Coiba is special because it is the one place where virtually everyone’s interests can be accommodated, by offering birding walks, rain forest hikes, sea kayaking and, of course, snorkeling and Zodiac cruising. The naturalists are always delighted to see the expressions of wonder and discovery on the guests’ faces when they come out of the water full of questions about the abundant marine wildlife.

Journey to Coiba National Park on WWF’s Costa Rica & Panama voyage aboard the Sea Lion, February 12-19, 2011.

 
Join WWF’s Wolves and Wildlife of Yellowstone tour, scheduled, January 8-11, 2011.
 
If you enjoyed this article, you might also like 7 reasons to visit Yellowstone in winter.

Fairy basslets in Tubbataha Reef, Sulu Seas, Palawan, Philippines © Jürgen Freund / WWF-Canon

The Philippines is a cluster of more than 7,000 islands, lying north of the Malay Peninsula in Southeast Asia. From north to south, the archipelago extends more than 1,850 kilometers. The Philippines are of volcanic origin; a large part of the terrain is mountainous, with fertile soils and spectacular landscapes.

It is generally accepted that the Philippines terrestrial and marine habitats contain some of the richest biodiversities of flora and fauna, and its waters are considered a part of the biodiverse Coral Triangle. Further, many of these organisms are endemic to the Philippines. For example, of the 580 recorded birds, more than 35 percent can only be found in the Philippines. More than 60 percent of the 167 different species of mammals and 65 percent of the 10,000+ species of plants are endemic.

Although many of the islands have an incredible assortment of wildlife, no island has more to offer than the island province of Palawan. Dubbed “the Last Frontier” because of the thousands of kilometers of unexplored forests and coastlines, this narrow archipelago between the South China Sea and the Sulu Sea is the third largest island in the Philippines.

As the westernmost island in the Philippines, it is actually more closely associated (in terms of geology, flora and fauna) with Malaysia and Southeast Asia than with the rest of the Philippines.

One of the most important events that lead towards Palawan’s high biodiversity happened approximately 10,000 years ago when substantial amounts of the world’s oceans were locked up in glaciers. This resulted in much of the Sunda shelf (which includes Borneo and western Indonesia) becoming exposed.

During this time, it is thought that Palawan had a small, shallow land-bridge to Borneo, and separation with many of the islands in the rest of the Philippine chain was not as dramatic. As a result, Palawan not only showcases many of the flora and fauna associated with the rest of the Philippines, but also has many birds, reptiles, amphibians, mammals, trees and plants found on the island of Borneo.

It is argued even to this day that the Philippines, particularly around Mindoro and northern Palawan Islands, are the center of the center of marine fish biodiversity. For scholars, it is a question of species per area rather than species per region.

But for us, the joy and awe at gazing at more than 1,600 species of fish, 600 species of invertebrates and 500 species of coral makes the details academic.

–Lee Goldman

Snorkel at Palawan Island on WWF’s Snorkeling Bacuit Bay tour, February 26 – March 13, 2011.

common langur © Ola Jennersten / WWF-Canon

India is known, of course, for its tigers, and no tour to natural areas of the vast Asian nation is complete without time spent in tall grasses searching for the majestic and endangered big cat.

But dozens of other wildlife species abound in India’s top national parks. Among the other species most commonly spotted on recent WWF tours in India are these 10.

Sloth bear: Don’t let their ambling, feet-slapping gait fool you: sloth bears are capable of lopsidedly galloping faster than a human can run, and they are masters at tree climbing. Considered a relative of the sloth and not a bear at all, the sloth bear is a masterful hunter of termites and ants, pillaging an anthill with puffs, grunts and a Hoover vacuum-like force.

One-horned rhinoceros: Kaziranga National Park in Assam was created in 1926 as a refuge for the rhino. Once hunted nearly to extinction, today this two ton beast is a conservation success story, rebounding to more than 1,600 individuals.

Guar: The world’s largest species of wild cattle is the guar – also called Indian bison – and is among the largest living land mammal. Males often weigh 2,200 to 3,300 pounds, and only hippos, elephants and rhinos are larger. WWF travelers earlier this year observed a female with a suckling calf that was likely just a few months old.

kingfisher © Suzanne Noakes

Kingfisher: A number of species of the brightly colored bird with a cartoonishly oversized head and sharp beak are considered threatened or near-threatened as a result of human activities, including deforestation. Seeing the shy bird with unusual behavior patterns in the wild, therefore, takes on special significance for the birding enthusiast.

Common langur: Nearly 2 ½ feet tall, with grey hair and a black face, this “Old World monkey” species is often seen wandering through open wooded habitat and urban settings alike. Common langurs sleep in trees but spend much of waking time on the ground, usually in medium- to large-sized groups led by an alpha male.

barasingha © Martin Harvey / WWF-Canon

Barasingha: The endangered swamp deer is seen in the Kanha Tiger Reserve, which is home to the world’s last population of the spotted mammal. It strikingly possesses up to 14 points on its antlers, making it an attractive species to hunt or poach. However, an increase in farm land replacing its habitat of tall grasses is probably the main reason for its decreasing population.

Wild dog: Packs of them roam throughout Kanha and other natural areas. In 2009, WWF members watched wide-eyed as a pack of 19 dogs chased an adolescent spotted deer across the dry, grasslands. The deer ran out of sight, leaving the travelers wondering about his fate.

Sambar: Inhabiting much of southern Asia, the dark brown-colored deer wanders Indian grasslands and deciduous forests, feeding mainly on coarse vegetation, grass and herbs. They’re also a favored prey of tigers and crocodiles.

Bengal monitor: Not as fearsome as their counterparts on Indonesia’s Komodo Island, India’s monitor lizards are solitary and shy and tend to avoid contact with humans. They can grow to nearly 6 feet long.

Rhesus macaque: Though notorious as urban pests throughout India, rhesus macaques exhibit more fascinating behavior when studies in their natural habitat. Troops of them can contain up to 180 individuals.

Visit India with WWF on one of several tours in 2010 or 2011.
 

(c) Canadian Tourism Commission

Geoff York is coordinator of WWF’s Polar Bear Conservation Program, researching the animal that has become a strong symbol for climate change. York spoke with WWF Travel about his field work and what it’s like to see polar bears in the wild.

How did you become a polar bear biologist?

I wish I could tell you that I dreamed about working on polar bears as a child, but that was far from my thoughts in rural Indiana! My first biology job was working on Arctic fish in the Beaufort Sea, followed by graduate work on the ecology of glacial stream systems that in turn led to general marine mammal work and finally to polar bears. I have lived [in Alaska] since 1990.

How much time do you spend in the field?
It’s a lot less than people imagine. It turns out to be about two months a year. With polar bears, there’s a short window of time when they can be safely and efficiently captured and studied.

When do you go?
We used to do one month in the spring and one month in the fall. But in the fall we don’t have good enough ice to work on anymore during times of year with enough light to make the effort worthwhile. This spring, the sea ice was thinner and more active—noticeably so. There’s so much more open water than I have ever seen. We often didn’t have a stable platform to work on.

What does field work entail?
Each day, we head out to the sea ice [by helicopter] and begin searching for polar bears. Once we locate a bear, we sedate it with a dart gun from the air. We do standard measurements, [such as] weight and length. We collect a variety of biological samples—a vestigial tooth for [determining age], blood, serum, hair, fat and feces. Every bear captured for the first time is tattooed and receives ear tags so that it can be identified in following years.

Have you ever had a close call?
I’ve been charged by polar bears on two occasions. Once, a colleague and I were about to explore a den we thought was vacant. But a mother bear and two cubs were in there. She charged us and I fell backward. I yelled as loud as I ever have in my life. The bear halted then ran off when our helicopter engine started. I wasn’t hurt, fortunately. Clearly polar bears are quite capable of doing harm, but my encounters have been benign.

What’s the biggest myth people have about polar bears?
It’s thought that polar bears are fierce predators and man killers. My experience has been quite different than that, and most polar bear scientists would say a similar thing. In the past 100-plus years in Alaska, there was only one human fatality by a polar bear. And that human was doing something he shouldn’t have been doing.

• See polar bears in the wild during WWF’s Polar Bears of Churchill tour, November 6-12, 2010. Or join a Classic Polar Bear Photo Adventure, offered by WWF’s partner tour operator, Natural Habitat Adventures.

© Lindblad Expeditions

Perhaps the best tools on our ship-based expedition to Baja California are our naturalists’ brains. Their experience in the region allows us to learn about wildlife behavior, topography, climate, marine life and so much more.

However, there are other tools onboard the ship that make the experience worthwhile. Among them:

Zodiacs: See whales at water level from inflatable landing craft called Zodiacs. Sometimes these gentle giants draw close enough for you to reach out and touch them. Zodiacs also land in pristine and otherwise inaccessible desert islands, dropping hikers to walk among plants and animals that are found nowhere else.

Kayaks: Kayak along peaceful coastlines in one of the twelve double or eight single kayaks onboard. Get a water-level look at stunning scenery.

Snorkeling equipment: Don a mask, flippers and wetsuit and explore the vibrantly colored undersea realm in these crystal-clear waters. All snorkeling equipment is provided on our Baja voyage.

Underwater cameras: See the vibrant marine life without getting wet. Underwater cameras can feed live images to the Lounge, and often HD underwater videos shot during the day are played in the evening.

Microscopes: A video microscope lets you examine minute plankton and marvel at the intricacies of marine life in new ways.

Hydrophones: Listen to the awe-inspiring sounds of whales and dolphins beneath the bow.

Join our ship-based trip Among the Great Whales: Baja California & the Sea of Cortez aboard the Sea Bird, January 22 – 29, 2011.

Green sea turtles are a common site in Bacuit Bay © Lee Goldman

Between researching coral reproduction at the University of the Philippines in pursuit of a Ph.D., guiding nature-oriented expeditions throughout Asia and spending time with his family, Lee Goldman keeps himself busy.

Still, the Philadelphia native’s schedule always allows time to snorkel in one of his favorite spots in the world: the Philippines’ Bacuit Bay.

Nestled in a secluded part of Palawan Islands in the Coral Triangle – a WWF priority place for protection – Bacuit Bay is a biodiverse snorkeling spot with protected reefs, abundant coral and fish, gentle currents and stunning vistas.

We spoke with Goldman from his home outside Manila about why Bacuit Bay should be on every diehard snorkeler’s must-see list.

WWF Travel: You have snorkeled all over Asia and the rest of the world. Why is Bacuit Bay an especially remarkable place?

Lee Goldman: Bacuit Bay is a very small and semi-enclosed bay. What is amazing, however, is that it is so incredibly diverse. A fish census in 2008 recorded over 800 species of reef fish. A 2009 coral census in 2009 showed more than 400 species of coral.

The Philippines are already recognized as being the epicenter of inshore marine fish diversity and one of the leading countries for coral diversity, yet to find such high numbers in such a small area is remarkable. Each time I go I see something new and amazing.

WWF: Is the habitat as diverse as its inhabitants?

LG: To go from a shallow channel to steep drop-offs to sheltered reef flats to sandy sea grass beds, all within a 15-minute boat ride, is heaven for the marine enthusiast. It gives us the chance to see a wide range of fish, coral and invertebrates that are specific to these habitats.

The snorkeling in Bacuit Bay is very shallow, making the reefs and the inhabitants extremely accessible for all snorkelers. And the scenery in Bacuit Bay is some of the most dramatic in the world. Two-thousand-foot cliffs soaring above pristine beaches makes for a truly breathtaking experience.

Lee Goldman will guide WWF's Snorkeling Bacuit Bay tour.

WWF: Being that it’s such a protected nook, is Bacuit Bay a haven for juvenile species?

LG: The Bay is a great place for juvenile fish – juvenile blacktip sharks, eagle rays, cuttlefish and dozens of  juvenile reef fish are common sightings for us.

In 2008, I was running a tour for a group of avid snorkelers when one of them commented that their favorite fish to see was the juvenile humphead grouper. This fish is rare and I had not seen it here before. We were snorkeling at Seven Commandos Beach when I spotted a pearly white fish with black spots swimming near a rocky outcropping. Sure enough, here he was, and it was the highlight of tour!

WWF: What has been one of your top marine life sightings so far this year?

LG: Perhaps the most memorable this year was the juvenile whale shark. We were returning from a snorkel around Matinloc [Island] when we spotted, from a distance, what we thought was a dolphin on the surface. We approached slowly and the “shadow” never broke the water’s surface to breathe, as we would have expected.

At 10 feet away, we saw the spots and characteristic square-shaped head. “A juvenile whale shark!” I yelled. I couldn’t believe it!

I have had over 100 encounters with whale sharks but never with one only a meter long. This was a real treat to see, especially since they are so rare. We didn’t get to spend a very long time with it, but it was an experience that will stay with all of us for many years to come.

WWF: What corals should travelers keep an eye out for?

LG: As a coral guy, I get excited about coral species that are rare or have interesting behavior. Recently, I found an Acropora species that was a rare color morph – red.

I love seeing things like this and I love even more that after explaining why it is rare. It gives the guests yet another reason to appreciate the marine life of the Philippines.

Travel with Goldman on WWF’s Snorkeling Bacuit Bay tour, February 26 – March 13, 2011.