Explore’s Expert Wildlife Tips
We asked our tour experts to share their advice and knowledge on where to find their favorite wild animals enjoying their natural habitats:
Baboons – Baboons have become part of the urban wildlife scene in the Cape Town area; while they sleep and breed in the sandstone rocks of the beach cliffs and mountain crags surrounding the area, they take advantage of food waste and fruit trees found in the residential neighborhoods.
Bald Eagles - Our Western Canada Adventure is a great trip for people who want to see Bald Eagles. It starts in Banff National Park and ends at Pacific Rim National Park, where whale spotting boat trips provide further opportunities for eagle spotting.
Bird watching - Plettenberg Bay is a seaside town on South Africa’s Garden route, and in its marine park, it’s possible to spot many birds including herons, kingfishers, African fish eagles, and Knysna warblers. On some days, it’s even possible to see dolphins and seals.
Black Bear – While the Rocky Mountains are also a great place to see black bears, the best place for black bear spotting is on Vancouver Island, which offers a special bear watching tour.
Camels – Visit the town of Pushkar in November to witness the Pushkar Camel Fair, a cultural celebration and livestock fair focused around camels and cattle, with rural sports, dances, fete attractions, and shows to explore.
Dolphins – Portugal really is a great location for dolphin spotting. Bottlenose and striped dolphins are residents in the waters surrounding Madeira and can be seen here throughout the year.
Elephants – In
northern Thailand, the Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai is an excellent example of conservation work. It presents a fantastic place that allows you to just watch elephants roam in their natural environment, without any human involvement such as washing, riding, or feeding.
Gorillas – Bwindi National Park in Uganda allows for close and personal encounters with the endangered mountain gorilla. These gentle giants of Bwindi can be seen eating, playing, and relaxing; and the entrance and trekking fee revenue is used to protect the park and the home it provides for this endangered species of gorilla.
Grizzly Bear - Walking in the Canadian Rockies in May or June is one of the best ways to encounter grizzly bears. The food is scarce on the mountains, so the bears come down to the road to feed and are easier to spot.
Hippos - Kosi Bay refers to four interlinked lakes in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal area. Kosi Bay has a supremely rich diversity of birds and animals and provides superb conditions for spotting crocodiles and hippos.
Jaguar – The biodiverse Pantanal region in Brazil is home to the world’s largest flooded grassland and tropical wetlands. This wildlife nirvana can be explored on foot or canal, as part of our
Pure Brazil tour. Here you can find capybara, anaconda, giant anteaters, scarlet macaws, howler monkeys, wild boar, and even the elusive jaguar.
Lions – The Chobe National Park in Botswana provides some wonderful opportunities for wild lion sightings, and even though lions aren’t big fans of water, the Okavango Delta provides an incredible backdrop for lion spotting.
Penguins – One of South Africa’s hidden gems is the colony of penguins at Stony Point Nature Reserve, nestled close to the coastal town of Betty’s Bay in Overberg. The land-based penguin colony is the third-largest breeding colony of African penguins in the world.
Polar Bear – Polar bear excursions are available from the outpost town of
Churchill in Canada , where adventurers will travel in the ‘Polar Rover’ to learn more about bear behavior and watch the bears interact.
Rhino – South Africa’s Kruger National Park is home to a large number of impressive species, including elephant, lion, giraffe, and vultures, and it now boasts an estimated 300 black rhinos thanks to ongoing conservation efforts. A population of over 3,000 white rhinos also reside in Kruger, making it a great location for rhino enthusiasts to visit.
Tigers – Whilst Ranthambore National Park provides some fantastic chances to see tigers in the wild, for something different, our
Darjeeling and Bhutan tour takes in the Sundarbans National Park, where tigers are known to laze out and sunbathe on the mudflats.
Turtles - St Lucia - Night drives in St. Lucia provide some excellent opportunities to spot giant turtles coming ashore. Marine wildlife lovers will also appreciate the chances to spot hippos and crocodiles on St. Lucia River.
Warthogs - While South Africa’s Addo Elephant National Park near Port Elizabeth is, of course, perfect for seeing elephants, warthogs are also abundant here, along with various species of antelope and zebra.
Whales - Iceland, the land of the midnight sun, offers whale watching trips from the northern town of Akureyri. While
research is showing that humpback whales can now be seen year round in Iceland, the time of year to go for the best chances of sightings is from May to September.