The whale shark season in Western Australia is just starting up and its not too late to book into Sal Salis luxury camp and enjoy specially chartered boat trips to snorkel with these awesome creatures on one of the most pristine reefs in the world. Take a look at our Australia holiday pages for further information.

The International Whaling Commission is meeting in Madeira this week and one of its priorities among the 85 member countries is to find ways to break through the deadlock of polarised views with regards to hunting of whales. Reports commissioned by various interest groups now show that whale watching has doubled in the past decade and as a consequence is of considerable worth to local economies worldwide whilst hunting can be a cost burden on those governments still allowing whaling. Of particular note is Iceland where the outgoing government set a quota of 150 fin whales, none of which would end up in Iceland but would be sold to the East. However whale watching holidays in Iceland continue to be worth more to the economy and the season there is being extended. In Reykjavik the season will to run throughout the year for the first time this year. Clearly whale watching holidays offer a more responsible and sustainable role in a countries economy as well as helping protect whales and oceanic ecosystems.

When most think of their Costa Rica holidays, they probably are expecting lush green scenery, great beaches, perhaps some adventure and a good mix of wildlife. You may expect to see the myriad of butterflies and tiny hummingbirds such as the scintillant hummingbird at the small end of the scale and I guess, if feeling very lucky a jaguar at the top end of the spectrum. Well with Costa Rican wildlife this spectrum can be expanded. True, it is unlikely that you will rush to see the newly discovered species of bacterium that has been found living in the hot springs of Rincon de la Vieja (around which there are some nice lodges). The species of Euglena lives in water between 40 – 98 degrees Celcius. Living in much cooler waters, much more accessible and at the larger end of the spectrum are the humpback whales that migrate along the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. In fact a marine national park, Marino Ballena, has been established and whale watching throughout the has increased in recent years with over 100 000 tourists taking excursions during their Costa Rica holidays. Humpback whales can be seen around Marino Ballena from December to April, the peak time for travel for most Costa Rica holidays.