From the green, hawksbill and loggerhead turtles found in the waters off George
Town to the tropical parrots that populate the artsy urbanscape of Barcelona, you’ll
encounter a cross-section of wildlife that very few get to experience in person.
In Manta, you’ll hear howler monkeys before you see them. Found in nature
reserves and animal sanctuaries, the distinctive monkeys emit sounds that range
from a grumpy German shepherd to a baby’s cry to a low, haunting moan
resounding through the verdant trees. Bird lovers will find hummingbirds,
yellow-rumped cacique, speckled chachalaca and spectacled owls flittering in
the tropical canopy.
There’s truly no comparison to seeing the tremendous variety of marsupials, birds
and reptiles of Australia in person. Visit animal sanctuaries near Darwin, and get
up-close to kangaroos, koalas and wallabies, as well as Aussie birds like parrots,
cockatoos, lorikeets, doves and rosellas. As Darwin is in Australia’s tropical
Northern Territory, there’s plenty of crocodiles to be found there, too.
Though a bustling commercial hub, Colombo has wildlife sanctuaries where you
can see lemurs, monkeys, apes, the Sri Lankan leopard, African lion and Bengal
tiger, plus African and Asian elephants. Exotic varieties of herons, crakes, pelicans,
coots and ibis abound at local bird sanctuaries.
The renowned Big 5 of South African wildlife — lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant
and Cape buffalo — may be found in proximity to an out-of-the-way port city like
Richards Bay, which is also one of South Africa’s top water bird areas.
2023 WORLD CRUISE / 9
BEYOND THE HORIZON. . .
IS WILDLIFE
YOU’VE ONLY
DREAMED OF