World Wildlife Fund WWF Travel Blog

The opportunities to engage on a cultural level with local communities may seem less prominent as wildlife is often the focal point of the WWF trips. But it's often the local communities and guides who can spot the rare bird hidden in the thick of the forest canopy. It's the community that is bound tight to the history of their landscape; they know the stories that illustrate how nature has shaped their culture or perhaps how culture has shaped nature. It is almost impossible to understand and appreciate wildlife without also understanding the people and cultures that live under the same expansive sky.

Our photo slideshow highlights eight WWF trips that engage with the keepers of this intimate knowledge.

Biologist and nature expedition guide Astrid Frisch possesses a knowledge of Mexico’s ecosystems and biodiversity that’s as large as her passion for conservation itself. So when we chatted recently with the Mexico native about the best wildlife experiences in her home country, she was quick to rattle off a well-founded list.

Sailing along the west coast of South America provides views of the diverse landscape of South America. No place encapsulates the biodiversity and wonder of South America quite like Lauca National Park.

At the end of August, WWF travelers will board a new, custom-designed riverboat to explore the Amazon. The riverboat, aptly named La Estrella Amazonica, is designed to provide travelers with the best voyage through the Amazon. Let’s take a look at the five unique features that make this new riverboat an innovative way to travel the Amazon.

They slide on their bellies across the snow, congregate on icebergs and seem to fly through freezing water in search of fish. That’s how most people picture penguins, in Antarctica.

The southernmost continent has the most penguins of any region in the world, but it’s not the only place where you’ll find the tuxedoed bird. The Galapagos Islands, New Zealand and South Africa are three other WWF destinations where you can see penguins in their natural habitat.

The Pacific gray whale migration from Alaska’s Bering Sea to the warm waters of Baja’s lagoons is the longest mammal migration on Earth. San Iganacio Lagoon become home to thousands of whales every year.

Marsea Nelson of WWF Travel recently traveled to the Galapagos on the Classic Galapagos Adventure. She shared what she learned with us.

During a trip to the Galapagos this past April, I was at times overwhelmed by the incredible wildlife and breathtaking vistas. But I was curious to hear a different perspective, one from people who had experienced the “enchanted islands” for years as opposed to days. So I sat down with the expedition leaders for my trip, Roberto Plaza, who began guiding in 1994, and Giancarlo Toti, a guide since 2005.

WWF Senior Policy Officer in Species Conservation, Leigh Henry, recently headed to Panama for the International Whaling Commission’s annual meeting. Before she left, we caught up with her to chat about whale-viewing in Mexico’s Baja California.

WWF's Jeff Muller accompanied our recent voyage through the Amazon. We caught up with him to get his thoughts on this vast region, which contains one-third of the planet’s remaining rain forests.