NORTH AMERICA
JAN
FEB
MARCH
APR
MAY Brown bears congregate for the first time in the year in Canada, north of Vancouver to feed on succulents and to fish for salmon.
This is now the peak time for seeing grey whales in Canada off Vancouver Island’s west coast as they head north to their summer feeding grounds.
JUNE
JULY Canada’s west coast is perhaps the best place in the world to see orca whales. They will be here until early September.
AUG Brown bears congregate for the second time in the year, north of Vancouver in Canada, to fish for salmon
Eastern Canada’s Bay of Fundy is home to northern right, minke, humpback and fin whales between now and the end of September.
SEPT arrival of fall in Canada and USA, a time of wonderful colours
OCT Polar bears gather in Churchill on the west coast of Hudson Bay in Canada.
NOV
DEC
CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA
JAN whale watching Mexico Baja Minke, Bryde’s, Orca Pilot Humpback and Blue
Drys season Costa Rica Herons, Ducks, Spoonbills Nicoya, Peninsular
FEB whale watching Mexico Baja
Orcas Vales Peninsular
MARCH whale watching Mexico Baja
Orcas Vales Peninsular
Honduras Whale Sharks were spotted every month, but the highest concentration arrives between March and April, then in fewer numbers from September to Christmas.
Leatherback Turtles Caribbean Costa Rica, the beaches of Gandoca and Parismina provide nesting grounds. MAR-JULY
APR whale watching Mexico Baja
Orcas Vales Peninsular
Waved albatross arrive en-masse in Espanola, Galapagos, for the start of their courtsh
Whale sharks Gladden Spit, Belize mass fish-spawning period between March and June draws whale sharks to Gladden Spit and Silk Cayes Marine Reserve, around 40km off the southeastern coastal town of Placencia. April and May are the most consistent months for sightings; most are spotted a few days after the full moon.
Leatherback Turtles Trinidad. APR-AUG. and Guyana, French Guiana , Suriname The Galibi Nature Reserve is only accessible by a 90 minute boat ride from Albina. The best time to view giant Leatherback turtles is from April to August. The turtles generally nest from April to July and their eggs hatch from July to August.
MAY In the Pacific ocean, the UNESCO World Heritage islands of Cocos Island (Costa Rica), Coiba Island (Panama), Malpelo (Colombia) and Galapagos (Equator) are part of the Biological Marine Corridor of the Tropical Eastern Pacific, attracting an overwhelming marine biodiversity typically known as Top World destinations for sharks, Giant Mantas, whales and occasionally Whale Shark encounters from May till August, in a healthy coral environment.
JUNE The start of the dry season in the Pantanal in Brazil, makes this a good time to see mammals such as anteaters, crab-eating fox and howler monkeys.
JULY now until mid-September you will find green, leatherback and hawksbill turtles in Costa Rica’sTortuguero National Park.
Whale Sharks .Isla Holbox, Mexico150kms north of Cancun July to August is peak season.
AUG Olive ridley turtles nest at Ostional Park in Costa Rica’s Nicoya Pensinsula.
Giant tortoises return to the highlands of Santa Cruz, Galapagos.
SEPT Galapagos penguins are at their most active on Bartolome Island.
OCT Galapagos fur seals begin mating. October/November is the height of the courting season for penguins and seabirds in Antarctica.
Spring wildflowers are at their best in the Falklands and South Georgia.
It’s becoming dryer in the Pantanal in Brazil so great opportunities to see jaguar, maned wolf and giant anteaters.
Leatherback Turtles Playa Grande Costa Rica. OCT-FEB
NOV Olive ridley, and leatherback turtles may be seen between now and April in Costa Rica’s Tamarindo Bay.
Leatherback turtles come ashore to nest on beaches until the end of March.
DEC green turtles gathers off the shores of the Galapagos Islands to mate, socialise and then lay their eggs.
Humpback and sperm whales can be seen now and in January along the coastline of the Corcovado National Park in Costa Rica.
The first young waved albatross fledge in the Galapagos.