Posted in WWF news on Oct 3rd, 2011 No Comments »
The United States and Indonesian governments signed an agreement September 29, 2011 that will result in $28.5 million in funding to protect a large block of forest land in the Indonesian region known as the Heart of Borneo. WWF and The Nature Conservancy worked with the two governments to develop this innovative conservation financing approach. [...]
Posted in Photography, Q-and-A, Snorkeling on Sep 5th, 2011 3 Comments »
Professional marine photojournalist Mauricio Handler has been capturing wildlife images for decades. It wasn’t until 2007, however, while leading a scuba diving outing in the Galapagos, that Handler, saw his first whale shark. Several years later he began photographing the world’s largest fish off the coast of Cancun, Mexico, where he sometimes finds schools by [...]
Posted in WWF news on Aug 22nd, 2011 No Comments »
WWF was awarded its largest-ever grant for work in one country — a $30 million grant from USAID for implementation of a conservation program in Nepal. The overall goal of the program, which is titled “Hariyo Ban Nepal ko Dhan” (“Green forests; wealth of Nepal”) is to reduce adverse impacts of climate change and threats [...]
Posted in Featured tours, Wildlife on Jul 5th, 2011 No Comments »
The endangered blue whale is full of contradictions. It’s the largest animal that has ever lived on Earth, yet it’s quite timid. Its heart is the size of a small car, but it feeds on tiny krill. Traveling to the coast of Sri Lanka offers a unique opportunity to see blue whales up close. There [...]
Posted in WWF news on Jun 30th, 2011 No Comments »
Orangutan and pygmy elephant survival in the Heart of Borneo received a major boost with the certification of nearly 300,000 hectares of important habitat in the forest reserves of Ulu Segama-Malua and Tangkulap-Pinangah, in the Malaysian state of Sabah, Borneo. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) – an independent not-for-profit organization – certified the sites, which [...]
Posted in WWF news on Jun 6th, 2011 No Comments »
We are now accepting bookings for our newest snorkeling adventure, in Indonesia’s Komodo National Park. The trip, which is aboard the well-appointed yacht Mermaid I, runs June 15-28, 2012. Komodo National Park is a place of raw natural beauty. Its islands are home to such exotic animals as the giant carnivorous Komodo dragon, and its [...]
Posted in Featured tours on Jun 3rd, 2011 No Comments »
Expedition staff member Kim Saunders recently traveled on the Clipper Odyssey and visited the major port city of Kochi (Cochin) on India’s west coast. Here’s how she described the day of exploration. The backwaters of Lake Vembanad provide a wonderful contrast to the hustle and bustle of the port of Kochi. Kettuvallam boats were originally [...]
Posted in Photography on May 16th, 2011 No Comments »
Tigers and rhinos can be difficult to compete with, but India is a fantastic place to see impressive birdlife, too. For example, WWF’s Wild India itinerary includes a visit to Kaziranga National Park. Known best as a refuge for one-horned rhinos, the park is also designated as an Important Bird Area by Birdlife International. More than 1,250 species [...]
Posted in Snorkeling on Mar 31st, 2011 No Comments »
The fourth in an occasional series examining the most unusual accommodations on WWF tours. After spending four nights in the Danum Valley at a remote lodge tucked deep into the rain forest, approaching the Sipadan Water Village Resort is quite a dramatic change. Where you had spent your days in search of orangutans, pygmy elephants [...]
Posted in WWF news on Mar 29th, 2011 No Comments »
Today the Indian government released new tiger population numbers for the first time since 2007, indicating that numbers have increased in the country that has half of the world’s remaining wild tigers. The government estimated current tiger numbers in India at 1,706, up from 1,411 during the last count in 2007. However, the 1,706 figure [...]