Family travel 5: Trips for animal lovers

For animal lovers, observing your favorite creature in its natural environment can be one of life’s great thrills. Here are five ideas to consider.

Manta Rays in the Maldives

With the largest brain to body ratio of any living fish, these gentle giants are reported to be among the most intelligent creatures on the planet. 

Large, flat and oddly shaped, they take their name from the Spanish word for blanket or cloak. Adventurers can learn more about these iconic creatures in their natural playground – the Maldives. Between May and early December, the Maldives Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve draws hundreds of reef manta rays to its plankton-rich currents. Guests at Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru enjoy access thanks to two decades of pioneering on-site work with the Manta Trust.

The resort’s “Manta on call” experience rings up the guests when the graceful sea creatures are in the area. A speedboat is at the ready to whisk guests to the area at which point snorkelers can swim along as the Mantas feed in the current.

In addition, the resort’s Marine Biologist Trainee program immerses youngsters in ground-breaking conservation and research, perhaps sparking a career interest with hands-on discoveries. For those who prefer terra firma, guests can learn more about the wonders of the ocean in the Manta Hologram Room - the Maldives’ only immersive holographic experience, offering cutting-edge encounters with mantas and other marine marvels. 

And for manta enthusiasts at home, the latest collaboration between Four Seasons and The Manta Trust is an interactive app (The Manta Story) that enables users to deepen their connection to these awe-inspiring creatures from anywhere in the world.

For more: www.fourseasons.com/maldives/; www.mantatrust.org;

A wildlife wonderland: Yellowstone

When you see a gaggle of cars stopped alongside the road, it’s your first clue. Other visitors to this storied national park, America’s first, have stopped to ogle what they came for. Perhaps it’s a grizzly with cubs, a lone wolf or a moose snacking in the marshy grass. 

Yellowstone, a nearly 3,500-square-mile wilderness recreation area, sitting atop a volcanic hot spot, is a nature lover’s nirvana. Beyond the wildlife, visitors come to hike or snowshoe alongside alpine rivers, through lush forests and to marvel at the gushing geysers, most notably, Old Faithful. Stay in one of the park lodges and you’ll wake right in the middle of the action.

For more: www.nps.gov/yell/index.htm

Whale sharks in Cancun

Swimming with the largest fish in the sea is a thrill worth seeking. Whale sharks reach lengths of 40 feet and can weigh 15 tons. Despite their imposing presence, the gentle creatures peacefully share the warm seas with visitors who arrive via boat from the shores of nearby Cancun. 

Two at a time, along with a guide, you’ll don a life jacket or wet suit and fins before jumping in for a swim with these plankton-slurping vegetarians. No touching is allowed (the mega-fish are considered a “vulnerable species”) but you can swim alongside as they thrust forward their supersize square jaws and begin filtering everything in their path like a water-born vacuum cleaner.

For more: www.cancun.travel; www.solobuceo.com.

Burros in Oatman, Arizona

Yep, it’s true. There are more wild burros than people in this small town tucked within a Bureau of Land Management wilderness area along the famous Route 66. The burros are the offspring of the original critters that worked alongside gold miners back in the day. Some shops even sell carrots that can be fed to the four-legged creatures. The colorful town might have faded into history were it not for the resurgence of interest in the Mother Road. And the burros, of course.

Today visitors channel the Wild West history (be on the lookout for staged shoot outs on Main Street), stroll along wide-planked wooden sidewalks, go for a hike in the adjacent wilderness areas and briefly consider adopting a burro.

For more: www.visitarizona.com

Pryor Mountain Wild Mustang Center,Wyoming and Montana

Learn about the evolution, habitat, social interaction and historical significance of this mustang herd during a tour of the extraordinary landscape that is their home. Many believe the magnificent creatures are descendants of Spanish horses brought to the area by Native American tribes, including the Crow. The daylong tour, available May through October, might include bear, bighorn sheep and other wildlife sightings as you traverse land that straddles the Montana and Wyoming border.

For more: www.visitmt.com; www.travelwyoming.com.

Bison at Custer State Park, South Dakota

Each year the public has been invited to hear the thunder of hooves and photograph the moment as experienced riders roundup a herd of some 1,300 buffalo during the state’s Buffalo Round Up and Arts Festival. Considered a critical management tool in maintaining a healthy herd, the buffalo are corralled and then tested, branded and sorted. 

The fall event typically includes a pancake feed, Western and Native American entertainment, and the chance to peruse the fine art and crafts offered by more than 150 vendors. Weather permitting, you can snag top-notch views of wildlife via the 18-mile Wildlife Loop State Scenic Byway. Possible sightings include elk, pronghorn, bighorn sheep and the resident bison roaming the park.

For more: https://www.travelsouthdakota.com/things-do/events/custer-state-park-buffalo-roundup

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