Ultimate Guide to Whales and Dolphins in the UK

Ultimate Guide to Whales and Dolphins in the UK

Ultimate Guide to Whales and Dolphins in the UK

I have seen dolphins off the coasts of the UK many times, but they were never ‘planned’ sightings. By this I mean that I just happened to be looking out over the sea wherever I was and there they were - particularly at Brighton around the piers on the south coast of England.

In addition, while I was in the area, had paid a visit to see Fungi, the dolphin who lives in Dingle bay, just off the south-west tip of The Republic of Ireland. And it’s always amazing, even if you just about see a fin.

But I wanted to do it properly this time, I wanted to search for wild dolphins and whales in UK waters, rather than just catch a glimpse. I began researching the most likely places to see resident dolphin populations and the best time of year to see whales breaching, etc, and then go on a vacation specifically for this.

How To Do It

Now, you can either do this off the coast or you can hire boats, either yourself or as part of a guided tour - the latter being closer to them and more likely of a sighting, so I wanted to look at a combination of both. I’m not too keen on the sea myself - and it’s so cold in the UK - so if I can see them from dry land, I would prefer it. Below are the some places I found for both types of sightings and what species you might see, starting with the southern-most locations (as they are that bit warmer):

Around Lands End - Cornwall: Bottle-nose dolphins are very common here, but it’s also possible to see sperm whales off to the west, but they tend to stay away from the rocky shore.

Around Cardigan Bay - Wales: Common porpoises and minke whale are frequently seen in these waters, along with the long-finned pilot whale out at sea.

West coast of Scotland: It is possible to sea orca here (killer whales) between the mainland and the Hebrides, along with minke whales and common porpoises. Slightly more to the south you may catch a glimpse of sperm whales and pilot whales.

East coast of Scotland: Moray Firth is well known for it’s dolphin populations including bottle-nose, white-beaked and common porpoises. Slightly south of here at sea, you may find minke and ling-finned pilot whales.

Northern Scotland and the Shetland Isles: Orca and Risso’s dolphin are common here, as well as some others found elsewhere in Scotland, and around the Orkney’s a sighting from land of orcas is becoming more frequent.

Further Tips

It would be worthwhile watching or studying pictures of breaching whales and dolphins before you go you you are aware of what you are likely to see, as without a guide you are on your own. Make yourself familiar with their activities, like dolphins ‘bow riding’ at the front of a passing boat, to maximise your chances of seeing them. Which species will be alone and which will be in groups? What shape are their dorsal fins? Are there any other aquatic species I could mistake them for?

It goes without saying to take some binoculars and a water-proof jacket!

GPS Essentials for Hiking

GPS Essentials for Hiking

Due to the nature of the activity, hiking can pose some risks and challenges. Among them, getting lost is probably the most common since hikers throw caution to the wind and think that it won't happen to them. Experienced hikers will tell you that tracking your hike and planning your route are as essential as bringing proper equipment and provisions. The best tool you can use is a Global Positioning System or GPS, which uses satellites to locate your position no matter where you are.

A basic unit has controls and a display to show you your latitude (east-west location) and longitude (north-south location). They also have a number of channels so you can switch frequency when there is interference. While the very basic models will suit your purpose, there are a number of options that are beneficial and sometimes essential depending on the types of hikes you're doing.

Added features include waterproof casing which is a must if you think you'll be hiking through streams or rivers or combining your outdoor activity with rafting. Another is a digital compass which is beneficial as a quick reference. Altitude reading is another good option to have. Figuring out altitude when planning a hike on a map can be a lot of guesswork but when used in conjunction with a GPS unit you can figure out the grade and altitude of your hike.

Ultimate Vacation - Mini Road Trip!

Ultimate Vacation - Mini Road Trip!

Well, it wasn’t quite across the whole of America, but we certainly had some fun on the way!

Me and a friend had just finished college and decided to head off for a week driving to all the places within easy reach that we fancied seeing. We packed our bags, got the road map and set off one evening with the intention of avoiding the worst traffic.

Our vehicle of choice was a clean but very old British car - a Ford Fiesta, already having several thousand miles on the clock before we even set off! With Elvis on the stereo, we trundled across town and up the highway, heading for our first stop - which was as far as we could get before it got too late to find somewhere to stay!

We failed of course, and spent the night in the car! We were in a side street in a busy city, reclined in our front seats eating burger and fries before falling asleep!

We woke up in daylight, in a stinking car and in need of a freshen up ourselves! Pulling into a city car park, we went into a shopping mall - they usually have the best restrooms - and we got cleaned up and changed into fresh clothes, then stopped in a local restaurant for a cooked breakfast!

The town itself was a bit boring, but it meant that we would be driving through the best countryside in the day light today, so we soon headed off again, singing ‘Viva Las Vegas’ with The King! We made sure that we got to our next destination in time to find a place to stay and have a look around too this time!

After a great day in the sunshine, stopping for lunch when it took our fancy, we found a great building in the centre of a small town with its own parking, perfect! After checking in, we were free to look around the town at the sights, even taking a short drive to a local beach. We returned in time for a great meal there, then simply headed upstairs to bed.

We continued on like this for the week - booking places on arrival rather than in advance. It just gives you that extra flexibility to get one town further if somewhere or something is not as exciting as you thought it would be!! Some of the nights we weren’t so lucky with the accommodation in terms of location (or bedroom decor!), but on the whole we did OK with availability and that’s all that mattered to us.

We managed to cram in hiring a boat, some fishing, some shopping, some sight-seeing, some cheese tasting (?) and even some horse-back riding. We certainly didn’t hold back - if we saw something worth stopping for - we stopped!

We had no problems with the car, but a few problems with the driver!! Well, apart from endless Elvis - who was great to start with, but really getting on my nerves now - we had her singing, which again was OK to start with…..

Nothing like Experiencing Alaska

Alaska vacation Travelling Vacation Tips

Nothing like Experiencing Alaska

Not only can a trip to Alaska be rewarding and enjoyable but it can also be reasonably priced. Both thrilling and relaxing activities can be done in Alaska as diverse as hiking, skiing and fishing. The outdoors in Alaska offers so much as to keep one busy and entertained for days on end. There are constant discoveries in Alaska's nature to make and adventure travelers booking these type excursions should make the region a stop for any excursion. My family is glad we made the trip from the Murcia Airport last summer.

Image credit lonelyplanet.com

In Alaska, travelers will find the sizable Hubbard glacier and lovely Fairbanks. And for those who like to go coin searching with coin finding machines would definitely get a kick out of the goldmines that are scattered across a portion of the landscape. Between the fauna filled forests to the vast wide plains on to the salmon filled, ice waters, there are enough diversions to satiate any thrill seeker's curiosity. And a cruise liner can give a traveler access to some of the more difficult coasts in the Alaskan Canadian coast.

Scaling a mountain is one of the most life-affirming activities for some people. And Alaska has some of the tallest mountains in the world for those people to tackle. Conquering the McKinley Mountains during the holidays would be the best gift for some while for others it would be experiencing a journey across the Denali National Park. Actually, some adventurers decide spend entire months, if they have to, to conquer the pinnacle of Mount McKinley. Like a hole in one, that is an achievement that rarely occurs more than once during a lifetime.

Alaska adventure travel is not only limited to the mountain ranges and parks as there is backpacking white water rafting and ice-fishing to do near Anchorage. Westward are the Aleutians full of mystical coves, sea otters and puffins. This area is unspoiled but for more organized and landscaped surroundings then a traveler would have to go to Clark National Park where there are tons of acreage to explore.

Maybe the more interesting portions of Alaska for some exist in the North where historical information can be learned. The cultures of the people hark back to a very ancient past. And the past can be experienced somewhat by travelers who boat down the Yukon River to Fairbanks and try to pan for gold as they did in years past. And for the especially thrill-seeking ones, travelers can cross the Arctic Circle and continue on to the extreme north portions of Alaska.

Alaska's south is not to be overlooked, either. It gives travelers chances to kayak near enough to the shoreline to see chestnut colored, unconquerable glaciers and unruly rain forests of Alaska. Due to the sights and unusual activities you can get in no climate or location anywhere else in the world, Alaska receives a lot of tourist traffic a year, making it a hotspot that everyone should see at least once.

What To Expect With A Vacation Package (3)

What To Expect With A Vacation Package (3)

If you have never been on a Vacation Package, it can be very difficult to gauge whether it is going to be for you. The lure of free food and drink for your entire stay sounds great - as does the beachfront location, the available water-sports and the hotel entertainment, but what does it all mean?

So here is a quick guide to what you should expect and what to watch out for…..

The Flight

You will usually travel on a charter flight which means that it will be full to the brim with other people, probably all going to the same or neighbouring resort as you - some of these people will even be staying at your hotel. These flights come with optional hot meals, but will sell snack foods and drinks regularly through the flight as well as duty free goods and sometimes novelty gifts and raffle tickets, etc. You should also have in-flight entertainment including free headphones, with several movies to choose from, music channels and comedy and cartoon offerings. You also get a blanket and pillow with overnight flights and maybe even an eye mask and toothbrush set!

Arrival 

When you arrive at your destination airport, clear customs and leave the airport, all the representatives from the tour companies should be outside, holding up ID cards. Find your rep and they will check you off, and tell you which one of the huge number of waiting coaches to get on. When your coach is full, it heads off to your hotel and possibly a few others on the way. You will normally get a rep or other guide on your coach who gives you an information pack, and describes journey times and any important information for check-in, etc. They will also tell you what time your welcome meeting is the following day.

Check In

In the reception you will be given a welcome drink and a room number and sent on your way with a map. At many all inclusive resorts, and sometimes others, you will be required to wear a brightly coloured non removable wristband for that hotel. This allows the staff to know that everything you eat or drink is free, and to tell you apart from those who have to pay. You head off from here and get your first look around on the way to your room, and at some point after that a concierge will bring your bags and expect a tip!

Your Hotel

Now you are there and settled in you need to find your way either to the main restaurant or the bar depending on your order of importance (!) It’s also an opportunity to read all the relevant information about your safety as well as fire (and hurricane) procedures. Also to find out whether your room is not to close or too far away from the important things to you. If you are not too active do you need a room closer to the reception and restaurants? Do you like your sleep, so want to be further from the thumping disco? Closer to the beach? Now is the time to change rooms, as you haven’t even unpacked!

Your Room

Will be vaguely as stated in your brochure, usually containing local decor and bright colours! Your chambermaid will clean it every morning for you, changing the towels if necessary, and replenishing water and mini bar as appropriate. They will sometimes leave you flowers or make swans out of your new towels, which will be wearing your hat or sunglasses if they are to hand……. Don’t leave the doors open at night though, unless you want to be eaten alive by mosquitoes that are attracted in by your lights!! You may have a resident gecko in your room (which is good, as they eat insects), as well as ants or beetles if you leave food around…… The room are not airtight!

Welcome Meeting

These are not compulsory, but they do offer an insight into the local area, buses, taxi’s, hotel amenities, etc. They also tell you the history of the country you are visiting and will offer you a vast array of trips you can go on while you are there, usually including a boat trip, a fishing trip, a culture tour, a capital city tour, a local village tour and a national food or drink plantation (banana/sugar/cinnamon/etc). These vary from $40 to £300 depending on what you want to do.

Restaurants and Bars 

Order what you want from the bar - it’s free (well, not including the really expensive stuff, or things that have to be imported). You can chat to your bartender and he or she will help you to work your way through the cocktails and spirits on offer during your stay! Fresh fruit juice, tea and coffee are usually available as are ice creams in some locations.

The restaurants vary in hotels, but basically all inclusive offers a buffet style meal 3 times a day. like 7-10am, 1-3pm and 7-10pm. Some resorts have more than one restaurant so find out what meals they offer as it may only be lunch or dinner. There are usually speciality restaurants that you can eat in free but you have to book a table and the number of visits you have may be limited. If the hotel also offers half board or bed and breakfast, you may find other restaurants there that you have to pay for even though you are all inclusive.

Some hotels offer 24 hour all inclusive deals which sound great, but sometimes the only food on offer through the night are ham rolls or cheese toasties! Some hotels do offer great hot 24hr food, but the brochures do not normally specify which ones they are!

Hotel Rep 

This person would have hosted the welcome meeting and will also be available to you during your stay, but they may rep for several hotels so your access to them may be limited or over the phone initially. They are always available for any questions or complaints you have in the hotel, although some hotels off their own customer service representative, or the reception staff may help. If you want to make a formal complaint though, you must go through your rep.

Entertainment 

This usually involves young members of staff making a lot of noise around the hotel. They try to get you to dance, play volleyball, come to their evening shows, enter raffles, and play sports. It can get a bit annoying if you want to relax around the pool, but you can normally get away from them at the beach! They also run the kids clubs during the day if available.

The entertainment or animation team also put on loud evening shows for you, sometimes by the main bar and sometimes in a theatre area away from the main hotel, usually basic dancing and panto-like shows from 9-11pm - so make sure your room is far enough away from these if you do not intend to go!! Some hotels even offer a late night disco until 2am……

Sport equipment varies, so always check what exactly is free (sometimes its only your first go, or the first hour, etc) and how to book it. It’s always different in every hotel, so make sure you ask as early as possible once you are there otherwise you could miss out. Check for the safety of things offered as well, as standards vary. Most hotels also offer a small library where guests can borrow, swap or leave their books for others.

Tips- All the staff will know when you are leaving and they will all be that bit nicer to you as a result. But if you have had a great service, or service above what you expected, and you wish to tip for it, then check with your rep what is expected and how best to do it, or for multiple persons - ie - the whole bar was great, who do you give the money to?

Check-Out 

Depending on your flight time, you may have to leave the resort before breakfast, or you could have to sit about with your cases for several hours after check out time, waiting for your coach - not too good if you are wearing your jeans and coat!! Some people sunbathe up to the last minute, and others get private taxis to the airport early to get the best seats on the plane and avoid the long queues when all the coaches descend on the airport at the same time!

Think it’s for you now?

Costa Rica Vacation - The Preparation

Costa Rica Vacation - The Preparation

Me and my friend have been planning to go to Costa Rica for  the whole of April for some time, and although we had a rough  idea of the things we wanted to see and do - the departure date is fast approaching and the only thing we have booked is the flight!

First Things First - We know we will have to stay near the airport on arrival as we touch down at around 8pm local time, and it will take around a half hour or more to clear passport control and customs. We are definitely going to arrange for an airport transfer to the hotel, so we have nothing to worry about after a whole day flying. It likely we will stay there a second night, just to get our bearings. We’ll book the same place the night before we depart as well for the same reason.

Next Thing Next - Well we haven’t decided what’s next yet, but we have narrowed it down to four main locations and we need to start thinking of the best route for them and a timescale of things. So far it looks like this:

Monteverde Region - 10 days

Arenal Volcano Area - 4 days

Peninsula de Nicoya - 4 days

Puntarenas Region - 10 days

That’s around 28 days, plus the 3 in San Jose and we are done!

Planning a Route - 

Well we are nowhere near done are we? We haven’t yet considered travelling times between these places as San Jose is in the middle of the country; Puntarenas is at the southernmost point and all the others are in the North! This should be fun!

We know the buses are very cheap and run regularly but we have heard that most bus stops are not marked at all - so things could get interesting. We are really excited about using the buses as we will get to see so much more of the country this way, than if we flew or travelled with other non-local tourists.

Must Sees - We have both decided on our ‘must sees’ which will help to select specific locations to visit. Mine includes sloths, giant anteaters, tapirs, armadillos, coatis, morpho butterflies, macaws, an exploding volcano - possibly a minor earthquake too, huge waterfalls, a canopy walk, toucans, manatees, whales, turtles and of course a jaguar!

Yep, that just about covers the wildlife basics for me. There are 69 National Parks and Protected Areas so I should be sure to find everything I’m looking for…………..

Additional Things - I have also still got to buy a few travel essentials before we go, including a new rucksack. I don’t have one anymore and I am sure that I don’t want to travel around Costa Rica with a large solid plastic mango-coloured suitcase! Yes, It has little wheels on it, and keep everything inside safely protected but it’s not very practical for dragging on and off of buses!

I’ll write again when we have made any more progress…….

Vacation Facts:

Location: Costa Rica - Central America

Accommodation: Not known at the moment! Possibly 4 main locations and the first night around San Jose, but unsure of actual accommodation at present time.

Flight Cost: $920/£460 per person, return airfare with

Continental - from the UK, via New York.

Reader Postcard - 7 Hour Atlanta Visit

Reader Postcard - 7 Hour Atlanta Visit

Here’s a little story of what I did with my 7 hours stopover in Atlanta, Georgia.

Basically, I was flying from South America with a group of 6 people - on route to the UK - and the flight went via Atlanta where we had to wait some time before our connecting flight. Why waste the transit time sitting in the airport we thought - lets go investigate.

As we were transit passengers, we just checked our hold luggage straight back in after collecting it from reclaim, and headed outside. It took us about 30 minutes in total to get off the plane and out into the street as we had had to get on a local tube for a handful of stops.

We had a mini meeting and worked out that we had to be back to check in one hour before the flight, so we had 5 and a half hours to fill here - we headed for the nearest mall grabbing a coffee on the way!

Luckily it was quite early, so the mall was reasonably quiet as we entered and tried to find our way around. The couple from our group said they would spend the time alone, so we were down to 4 - then we saw the sign for the movie theatre…….

There was only the new Texas ChainSaw Massacre film showing in the next few minutes, so that was the one we watched! Bearing in mind this was around 11am it wasn’t our preferred choice - but time was against us and it was an easy way to pass the time.

So, shocked out of our skins 2 hours later, we emerged from the movies a bit paler than we went in! There was almost a hush across the group as we hit the sunlight again, before we remembered where we were: 2hours 15minutes remaining.

The only man amongst us said that he fancied a new pair of trainers while he was here and one of the girls said she wanted to look at some scents (?) so we split up - arranging to meet at the big restaurant we had seen at the entrance to the mall in just under 2 hours.

I had started to get a bit of a cold by now (great!) so I was on the look out for a drugstore. I made the mistake of walking into the entrance lobby of a department store and was imediately doused in scent spray from the over-zealous sales assistants and promptly started sneezing continually until I was well away from there! Great sales technique ladies - scare people away from the entrance to your store!!!

So with shrunken watering eyes I kept looking until I finally located a drug store tucked away in a corner and started reading labels. We had a long flight ahead of us and if I had a cold, I wanted something to send me to sleep - I needed ‘drowsy’ in big letters on the packet!

Failing to find one, I asked the assistant for ‘drowsy’ and she told me in no uncertain terms that ‘NOTHING’ she sold would make me drowsy - ‘why would I want that?’ Obviously she thinks everyone wants to stay wide awake when they are ill???

I brought something non-drowsey anyway - and plenty of tissues, then headed to the restaurant a bit early. I sat myself down at a table for 4 much to the annoyance of the staff and ordered a lovely chicken fillet with curly fries and BBQ sauce to cheer myself up.

The others all arrived one at a time with bags of new products and ordered something themselves and we chatted away about anything really while we ate.

Then, time was up and we had to head back to the airport.

Looking back it would have been great to have researched it more thoroughly, and since I have another long stop-over coming up with my family this time, I found an Internet sight showing trusted tours and attractions for Atlanta and other US cities to help us make more use of the time while we are there.

Spain Vacation Tips and Ideas

Plan Vacation Spain Vacation Tips

Spain Vacation Tips and Ideas

You will find that Murcia is known for the mild weather, common in Spain. You will find that the daytime temperatures are about 40 degrees Celsius, but it is also a great place for you to vacation through out the year. The temperatures in winter never fall below 10 degrees Celsius.

As for the warm, mild weather, this part of Spain happens to be beneficial to the culture. The area is well known for the wineries, many fruit groups, flowers, and even olive oil production. You will notice most of these plantations are around the Segura River because it will allow the crops to be easily irrigated. You will want to go to Spain and to the Murcia region just to get some of the crops freshly produced.

As for the climate, the summer is very dry and hot, while the winter is mild and wet. There happens to be very little rain when it comes to the summer months, however, fall and winter are well known for many storms and heavy downpours. Keep in mind that this area sees the sun at least 300 days per year. There are very few times where rain will effect your travel plans.

As for the summertime, you will notice that this is the best time to travel to Spain. It is the best time to see the sights without having to think about rain clouds. As for rain, it averages about .22 inches in August. This is very little rain compared to what you might get the States.

As for the springtime you will notice that this is the most wonderful time to go because everything is in bloom and the weather is hot and sunny, but not uncomfortable. You will notice that the average monthly rainfall for the spring is about .35 inches, but it can get up to almost an inch in rain. Again, that's not that much. There are places in the world that get 12 inches of rain a month, but Spain is a beautiful place that is dry and sunny for at least 300 days of the year.

As for the autumn and wintertime, the weather in murcia is not as hot, but it's also still very nice. Of course, it will begin to cool, but the temperatures rarely drop below freezing and it very rarely snows. These seasons are still acceptable for vacation. As for those who do not like to be in the hot sun constantly, you will find that the weather is perfect for you in the fall and winter.

Murcia is a great place to go on vacation. You can have the ultimate vacation by sunbathing in the warm, hot sun, or you can take in some of the local culture.