For many travelers, the highlight of a cruise is the wildlife. Sure the beaches and the historical sights are easy to see, but the constantly moving animals in each destination can be difficult to spot. You can increase your chances of seeing the most wildlife by utilizing the following tips.
Take Advantage Of Shore Excursions
Excursions that are geared towards animal watching usually will provide opportunities to see an abundance of wildlife. These excursions may come with a high price tag, but will often times get you as close as possible to the wildlife. It may cost quite a few bucks to get that up close and personal encounter you want, but if seeing wildlife is the main goal of your cruise, then it may be well worth the money. Many cruise lines are now catering to traveler’s desires to see wildlife and are offering several different excursions that are geared towards wildlife viewing, dependent on the destination.
Go During The Right Time Of Year
One of the simplest things you can do is to plan your cruise when the weather is the most comfortable for animals to be roaming about outdoors. For instance, when it’s very cold out you probably won’t see bears walking around because they are hibernating. When it’s very hot out, a lot of animals will be off sleeping the day away somewhere. Depending on your location, pick early fall or late spring departures if seeing animals is what you are after.
Pick The Right Destination
It’s essential to pick the right destination for wildlife viewing. If you have a particular animal that you want to see, do your research and find out where those animals reside and which cruise line has a destination in that area. If you have a particular cruise line that you are interested in, call them and see if they have any recommendations as to which cruise you should go on based on what types of animals you want to see.
Get Off The Ship
If you want to guarantee that you will see wildlife, but don’t want to spend a lot of money on expensive excursions, visit a wildlife preserve. When visiting a preserve, try to go in the morning or the evening when the weather is cooler and the animals will most likely be more active. Many of these preserves may even offer animal encounters that will allow you to see the animals up close for a few extra dollars.
