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Marvels of Monterey – Whale Watching In California
The whales were side-by-side almost vertical with their noses pointed high in the sky – we were witnessing something truly special – a double breach (two Humpback whales flying out of the water and crashing back in at the same time) – but not just any two, this was a mother and calf, almost within touching distance of the boat!
Our guide told us she had been doing this for 15 years and this was the first time she got pictures of it! Today though, this mother and calf breached so many times for us that she was sure many of us would have a good chance at a great shot. Unfortunately for us, one of the best photo opportunities of them together was so close to the boat that both my wife and I missed it because we had our long zoom lenses on our cameras – doh! Read More
Shark Ecotourism Could Double in Next Two Decades
WASHINGTON, May 30, 2013 /CNW/ – According to a new global analysis led by researchers at the University of British Columbia and other scientists, shark watching is a major economic driver for dozens of countries, generating $314 million annually. Citing the study’s projections that shark-related tourism could more than double within 20 years, generating over $780 million annually, The Pew Charitable Trusts is calling for greater protections for sharks through the designation of sanctuaries around the world.
Shark-related tourism is a growing business worldwide, with established operations in at least 83 locations in 29 countries. Although places such as South Africa, the United States, and Australia have typically dominated this industry, shark ecotourism is becoming an economic boon to countries across the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean regions. The study finds that shark watching attracts 590,000 tourists and supports more than 10,000 jobs each year.
The increase in shark ecotourism and its economic value can lead to interest in establishing sanctuaries for sharks, which play a critical role in the health of marine systems. In recent years, nine countries—Palau, the Maldives, Honduras, Tokelau, The Bahamas, the Marshall Islands, the Cook Islands, French Polynesia, and New Caledonia—have created sanctuaries by prohibiting commercial shark fishing to protect the animals in their waters.
“It’s clear that sharks contribute to a healthy marine environment, which is paramount to the long-term social, cultural, and financial well-being of millions of people around the world,” says Jill Hepp, director of global shark conservation at Pew. “Many countries have a significant financial incentive to conserve sharks and the places where they live.”
In contrast to the growing ecotourism industry, the value of global shark catches has been declining, largely as a result of overfishing. Approximately 100 million sharks are killed every year primarily for their fins, which are used to make shark fin soup, a popular dish in Asia.
The Marshall Islands has been home to one of the world’s largest shark sanctuaries since 2011. It’s an area of the central Pacific Ocean spanning 1,990,530 square kilometers (768,547 square miles)—nearly four times the landmass of California—in which commercial fishing of all sharks is prohibited. This video highlights the importance of the Marshall Islands shark sanctuary and how the government and law enforcement officials have been working to enforce its new laws.
Visit our Facebook page for the accompanying video…
The University of British Columbia research, supported by Pew, was published in the academic journal Oryx today.
SOURCE: The Pew Charitable Trusts. www.pewenvironment.org
About TravelBloggers.ca
Iain Shankland & Gail Shankland started blogging in order to inspire and motivate people to travel the world from their perspective – specializing in having the most fun while using the least amount of money, travelling on the cheap without sacrificing comfort.
Copyright © 2013 Iain & Gail Shankland / TravelBloggers.ca (at)Gmail.com
This original, copyrighted material may NOT be copied, used in whole or in part in any way, cut and pasted, published or otherwise reproduced in any form or in any medium – which means DO NOT POST THIS ON ANOTHER WEBSITE or BLOG. If you want somebody else to see this, please send them a link or post a link to this page.
June Desktop Calendar Now Available
We’ve added June’s Desktop Calendar to our “Downloads” page.
This month it’s Monterey California … we hope you like it!
Flying This Summer? You Might Want To Reconsider
I read this today and thought I’d pass it along to our readers. It’s from The Wall Street Journal and it makes me glad I’m not flying this summer! Some of it only applies to flying in the U.S. right now, but some of the changes are happening world-wide. It’s only a matter of time before all the other airlines follow suit so this is eventually going to apply to everyone. Happy travels.
Summer Air-Travel Survival Guide By Scott McCartney [The Wall Street Journal]
The forecast calls for heavy frustration with a 50% chance of innovation at U.S. airports this summer.
Airport crowds are expected to be the largest in the U.S. since 2008. There’s already concern that budget cuts in Transportation Security Administration overtime will lead to longer security-screening lines. Atlanta’s airport said wait times from an apparent TSA staffing shortage stretched to 70 minutes on a recent Friday, and both the airport and Delta Air Lines are encouraging summer travelers in Atlanta to get to the airport two hours before departure.
Frontier Airlines has joined Spirit and Allegiant airlines in charging some passengers for a carry-on bag, and beginning July 1, Frontier will start charging some passengers $1.99 for a soda, juice and coffee. And most big airlines recently began charging significantly higher Read More
We Live In Canada, But I Found A Tiger In My Backyard!
A Tiger In My Backyard
Who would have thought that we could find tigers, elephants and lions in our own backyard here in Niagara?
We were shocked when we found out that there was such a good Safari Park just down the road – about 30 minutes away (10 minutes from Niagara Falls, Ontario).
To be honest, we’ve never bothered to stop in at wildlife parks or “big cat” parks that you see advertised along the highway because we’d always imagined them to be hokey, lame imitations of “real” zoos. Based on our experience at Safari Niagara it’s safe to say we’ve been completely wrong about them and we’ll certainly investigate more in the future. Read More
“LugLess” on your next trip when you travel without the baggage!
In a world where air travel is seeing a tightening of the baggage belt, travellers are considering their options … and if they’re not … they should be.
Did you know that in 2012 airlines earned $6 BILLION in fees for everything from switched and cancelled flights to baggage?!?
Last week on Shark Tank “LugLess” was on the block for bidding. None of the sharks took the bait, but the company caught our attention and we thought we’d share the concept with you.
These days most travellers are incurring baggage costs of some sort. Whether it’s oversized, overweight or not included, we’ve found it’s pretty rare to escape extra fees of some sort unless you’re travelling internationally, have a bag included and pack smart. With airlines cracking down on baggage weights and sizes, travellers are left with few options for getting their gear to their destination. You either put up, shut up and pay the fees, or Read More
Driving The Infamous California Highway 1 (San Francisco to Monterey)
While we previously had opportunity to visit California in the Long Beach/Los Angeles area, this time we were going to see an entirely different region of California – the Monterey Peninsula. Flying into Los Angeles would have meant a 6+ hour drive north via the freeway to Monterey. Flying into San Francisco and heading south, required only 2 hours 45 minutes according to Google Maps -that decision was easy; we’d fly into San Francisco and head south. Read More
CNN: Consumers Respond That Safety And Security Greatest Concern When Travelling
A global study of CNN consumers’ travel perceptions and behavioural trends has revealed that, for 66% of respondents, safety and security is of greater concern when choosing an international travel destination, than any other deciding factor.
The survey asked global respondents from over 70 countries, recruited via CNN websites, to identify the key influencing factors in their decision making process, when deciding upon both leisure and business travel destinations.
The findings are that :
· 67% say ‘safety and security’ matters most
· 60% are ‘price’ driven
· 58% are driven by ‘reputation’
· 55% say ‘knowledge and availability of information’ matters most
· 54% are driven by ‘diversity of things to do/amenities’
The UK led Europe, and is among the top 5 countries globally, for safety and is seen as a developed, hospitable destination.
The ‘Consumer Connect: Travel & Tourism’ surveyed 3,106 respondents from over 70 countries worldwide, recruited via CNN websites.
The main areas covered included travel behaviour and activities, decision making factors, cultural events’ impact on travel, outlook on 2013 and hotels brand data.
About TravelBloggers.ca
Iain Shankland & Gail Shankland started blogging in order to inspire and motivate people to travel the world from their perspective – specializing in having the most fun while using the least amount of money, travelling on the cheap without sacrificing comfort.
Copyright © 2013 Iain & Gail Shankland / TravelBloggers.ca (at)Gmail.com
This original, copyrighted material may NOT be copied, used in whole or in part in any way, cut and pasted, published or otherwise reproduced in any form or in any medium – which means DO NOT post this on another website or BBS. If you want somebody else to see this, please send them a link or post a link to this page.
Eight Cities To Visit – Where You Can Live Like A Local Without Breaking The Bank
TORONTO, May 9, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ – Travelling ain’t cheap. After flights, hotels and food, there is little left in the wallet for attractions and excursions. This is why so many Canadians travelling on a budget turn to all-inclusive packages where one payment can take care of it all. While this is great for some, the downside is that staying within resort grounds may mean missing out authentic experiences and culture the destination has to offer.
- The Hotel Price Index can help travellers find affordable destinations, like Hanoi, to gain authentic cultural experiences.
So what’s a world explorer – on a budget – to do? Well, turns out you can have the best of both worlds. The travel experts at Hotels.com® have sorted through their Hotel Price Index™ (HPI™) to find eight interesting destinations where you can have an authentic cultural experience without going broke. Read More
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