Whale Whisperers

Diving with a humpback whale and her newborn calf while they cruise around Roca Partida … in the Revillagigedo [Islands], Mexico. This is an outstanding and unique place full of pelagic life, so we need to accelerate the incorporation of the islands into UNESCO as [a] natural heritage site in order to increase the protection of the islands against the prevailing illegal fishing corporations and big-game fishing. -Photo and caption by Anuar Patjane Floriuk / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

On a Jet Plane

Some places you just can’t reach without a puddle jumper. Be it from Belize City to Caye Caulker in Belize, Manila to Boracay in the Philippines, or Baltra to San Cristobal in the Galapagos. It’s an exciting adventure, you get great views and you may even get to sit copilot.

Out There

Teton Gravity Research + the Surfrider Foundation present:

Insane Waves : A Dying Ocean : An Uncertain Future

Cahuita, Costa Rica

Monkeys, sloths, black sand beaches, and white sand beaches. Cahuita is a beautiful little town on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. Cahuita National Park can take days to explore. Walk in along the trails and out along the beach. Take a day to snorkel around the reef. If you’re not in the mood for more gallo pinto, splurge for the view at Sobre Las Olas or settle in to the atmosphere of Cha Cha Cha. Just north of town is Aviarios del Caribe, a sloth sanctuary worth the visit, not the tours. They might be some of Mother Earth’s cutest creatures. The bus system in Costa Rica is easy enough and cheap. Puerto Viejo is a short ride south.

Roatan, Honduras

I love this island. The diving is great (Tyll’s Dive), the food is delicious (from Indian to rice and beans), and sunsets are as beautiful as sunrises. It’s a relatively small island but filled with flora and fauna to explore by car or taxis. The West End is a great hangout. Contact Jenny for a great place to stay just a walk away from the main strip.

Quintana Roo, Mexico

The stretch of the eastern Yucatan Peninsula houses the UNESCO World Heritage Site Sian Ka’an – 1.3 million acres of green. It’s a strip of paradise surrounded by wildlife, with hiking, diving, kayaking, and thousands of magical cenotes to explore and swim in. Stay beachside in the biosphere reserve at CESiaK, visit the ruins of Tulum, get delicious local meals, lots of fresh fruit smoothies, and yoga every morning. This is, as the Mayans deemed, where the sky was born.

–