7 Offbeat Places to Spot Wildlife in the World

You might have been on safari, under water diving and sneaked in a photo petting a whale at Sea World. But those of you who really want to quench their adventure and thrill thirst, these 7 places will place you right at the heart of adventure and please you like never before:

1. Eco tour in the Caribbean Jungle of Costa Rica

Here’s what you should know, the rich and diverse land of Costa Rica houses more than 5 % of the earth’s diversity and 3.5% of the world’s recorded marine species. Vivacious volcanoes, thrilling jungles, barbaric animals, Costa Rica is considered as home to highest no of species in the world. Measured in terms of number of species per 10,000 sq. km., the country tops the list of countries with 615 species, compared to wildlife-rich countries.

The lush green jungles of Costa Rica are home to 68,000 species of insects, 11,500 plant species, 900 species of birds, 200 species of reptiles, 200 species of mammals and amphibian. Strawberry Poison Dart Frog, Coati, Ocelot, Sea-turtles, whales, dolphins, Jaguar, and Chestnut-Mandibled Toucan is some of the weirdest and most exotic animals of Costa Rica Jungles.

Best places to spot wildlife: Corcovado National Park, Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve Manuel Antonio National Park

Best time to Visit: December – April

2. Spread your wings and explore the animal kingdom of Kenya

Famous for the world’ best animal safari, Kenya is the place where you can witness the ‘big five’: elephant, rhino, leopard, lion and buffalo. Kenya is famous for its exceptional population of lions, leopards and cheetahs, and the annual migration of zebra. The Great Serengeti Wildebeest Migration is the largest movement of herds on the planet and is often referred as ‘The Greatest Show on Earth.’ This is when thousands of animals arrive in mass and there’s a better chance of seeing river crossings between July and October. Some of the unique species found in the periphery of the country are Baboon, Giraffe, Ostriches, Bushbaby, Giraffes, Zebras, and Hippos.

Best places to spot wildlife: Tsavo National Park, Masai Mara National Reserve, Amboseli National Park, Alice Springs Desert Park.

Best time to Visit: January and the end of March

3. Walk with the wild animals of Amazon River Forest Basin

As per the facts, the Amazon is home to the largest rainforest on Earth and one in ten known species on Earth are here. The rain forest covers 40 % of South America’s land and produces 90-140 billion metric tons of Carbon which helps in stabilizing the global environment. A huge moist leaf forest covering a great swathe of the top of South America, the Amazon spreads into nine countries but is most of it falls within Brazil. Amidst the lush jungles of the Amazon, one can see 40,000 plant species, 3,000 freshwater fish species, and more than 370 varieties of reptiles. You can visit the jungles of Amazon all year around.

4. Best place to swim with sharks: Australia

Australia is of the 17 “Megadiverse” nations and is home to more species than any other developed country. Wildlife is certainly one of the Australia’s top selling points. Home to some of the most unique species like a Kangaroo, koala bear, crocodile, penguins, great white sharks, dolphins and birds, Australia has been home to unique yet fascinating flora and fauna. There are national parks, biosphere reserves, state forests, wildlife parks and zoos.

In fact, the Great Barrier Reef, one of the seven natural wonders of the world, is composed entirely of living organisms. A dive into Great Barrier Reef will take you to the fascinating world of 1,500 shipwrecks, and countless marine species to discover. For bird watching, the Willandra National Park is the place to be, and it’s even registered in world heritage list. There is a lot to explore in Australia, whether it’s about swimming with sharks or minke whales or snorkelling with manta rays and sea turtles. Even if we talk about the stats, 1 out of 3 mammal extinctions in the last 400 years have occurred in Australia.

Best places to spot wildlife: Great Barrier Reef, Kangaroo Island, Rain Forests

Best time to visit: November to March

5. Explore the wondrous wildlife of Madagascar

Located on the eastern course in the Indian Ocean, Madagascar is the world’s fourth largest island and home to thousands of plant and species found nowhere else in the world. The land of Madagascar is synonymous with exotic. Deemed as one of the world’s most biologically diverse areas, many species of Madagascar are endemic. Species found in Madagascar include the world’s smallest and largest chameleons; the predatory cat-like fosa; largest butterfly in the world, comet butterfly; endangered land tortoises and 285 known bird species. Other endemic species include the Red-bellied Lemur, the Indri, and the Aye-aye. There are 11 National parks in Madagascar, out of which 6 are registered in UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Best time to visit: April and December

Best places to spot wildlife: Ranomafana Rainforest National Park, Isalo National Park

6. Glance in the Eyes of Wild Tigers of India

Nothing can better capture the imagination of traveller more than exploring the forest, binoculars in hand, as you search for a rare sighting of a beautiful beast. If there is any land on this earth which is famous for its unmatched variety of flora and fauna, then it has to be INDIA. Watching the wild animals in their natural habitat is a delightful and speculating experience. India is indeed a wonderland as it is home to 102 national parks, 528 wildlife sanctuaries, 43 tiger reserves, and 13 biosphere reserves. Sloth bear, Blackbuck, Chausingha, Lion Tailed Macaque, Asiatic Lion and Nilgai are some of the species which are only here, not anywhere else in the world.

Best places to spot wildlife: Corbett National Park Ramnagar India, Great Himalayan National Park, Kaziranga National Park

Best time to visit: October to January

7. Witness the nail biting whale encounters in Antarctica

Antarctica holds the record for being the coldest place on Earth, which together with extensive ice cover and lack of winter sunlight makes the continent pretty inhospitable to life. Beneath the icy blue water that surround, Antarctica is a dazzling ray of life for some unique speciess. Antarctica is home to Weddell Seal, Orcas, Rockhopper Penguins, Black-browed Albatross, Leopard Seal, Blue Whale, and Wandering Albatross (to name only a few of its inhabitants). If you are interested in whale watching the Southern Ocean whale is the place to be. For animal lovers with adventure streaks, the peaks of Antarctica provide the wilderness setting for whale and wildlife watching. Fin, sei, humpback, orca, and minke whales

Best places to spot wildlife: Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary

Best time to visit India: November to February

All thanks to their geography, and sparse human population, mentioned below are some of the best places to observe wildlife. So, what are you waiting for? Grab your cameras and binoculars and go on some of the best wild life expeditions in the world.

Written by, Anjali Wadhwa.