Mona, Puerto Rico - an Untouched Treasure

Puerto Rico is known worldwide for its pristine beaches and luxury resorts. Travelers come to this Caribbean Island paradise to take advantage of the natural beauty and luxury Puerto Rico Resorts. What many don't get to experience are the 'untouched' natural wonders found in this fascinating country.

Located in the Mona Passage, Mona Island is something you don't read much about. This natural preserve is a flat plateau surrounded by dazzling cliffs on most sides. On Mona, you'll find many species that are either endangered or cannot be found anywhere else in the world. If is for this reason that Mona is often compared to the Galapagos Islands.

Take a tour of Mona and you'll find countless species of animals. On land, the Mona Iguana freely roams the island but cannot be found anywhere else in the world. You'll also find several species of rare birds. In the ocean, several endangered species of sea turtles swim freely amongst the unspoiled mangroves and rich coral reefs. If you're lucky, you may catch a glimpse of dolphins or humpback whales.

Things to do in Mona Most visitors spend a great deal of time exploring the island. With plenty to see, this can easily keep your attention for your entire visit. For ocean-lovers, it has been said that Mona offers some of the best snorkeling and diving in the Caribbean. Healthy coral reefs, clear visibility and warm waters attract ocean-lovers from around the world to this island paradise.

Camping in Mona You won't find any hotels on Mona. In fact, the only way to stay overnight is to pitch a tent on the inland. Camping is allowed on three different beaches and is restricted to weekends-only during hunting season.

Getting to Mona

Accessing Mona can be done from the towns of Mayaguez and Cabo Rojo in Puerto Rico. Charter boats carry visitors to the island. Since the trip takes 6 hours, you may want to plan to spend at least a couple days.

Next time you're in Puerto Rico, consider spending a couple days of your vacation in the natural wonder that is Mona Island.

By Enid Glasgow
Enid Glasgow is a travel writer who enjoys traveling in the Americas and Caribbean. When visiting Puerto Rico, she stays at luxury hotels in Puerto Rico like Gran Melia.

Birding Along Alabama's Gulf Coast

The Alabama Gulf Coast plays host to many different kinds of birds, with habitats running from coastal to marshland to bay areas. This region on the Gulf of Mexico is also an important stop-over habitat for a number of migratory birds who make the area their transient home.

In summer months, the savvy bird watcher may spy the rare groove-billed ani in the canal near Lake Shelby. And in between sand dunes, you can catch a glimpse of the snowy plover, a shorebird whose California cousin is on the endangered species list. Snowy plovers' numbers are diminishing because of beach habitat disruption, caused mostly by humans and some animals. So be sure to tread carefully.

You'll find rare birds as they stop over during migration in places like Little Lagoon Pass in Gulf Shores. And Wade Ward Nature Park in the middle of Gulf Shores is home to a number of bitterns and rails. Lake Shelby, just east of Gulf Shores in Gulf State Park, is the ideal spot to look out for waterfowl.

There's something almost zen-like in watching the skies as a Great Blue Heron soars into view over the snow-white beaches of the coast to hunt for his dinner. Great Blue Herons are year-round residents to the region, where you'll find them along the shoreline, or nesting in trees or bushes near the water. You'll see a line of pelicans flying in over the Gulf, where they chase schools of fish into shallow waters for their dinner. They will plunge-dive right into the water to catch fish, then come up and toss it into the air to be caught in their bills for eating. And often, a fellow pelican will pirate the catch in mid-air!

More than 370 species of birds have been identified during migratory season at Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge, on the Birding Trail just west of Gulf Shores toward Fort Morgan. Bon Secour protects 7,000 acres of wildlife habitat and is on the critical migratory path leading south to lower Florida, the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America. Year-round, you can spot a number of egrets and herons, as well as red-tailed hawks, great horned owls, belted kingfishers and ospreys. Summer brings brown pelicans and double-crested cormorants, and occasionally anhinga and white ibis. Very rarely, you might catch a glimpse of a magnificent frigate bird or bald eagles.

The Alabama Coastal Birding Trail leads you through two counties, in loops designed to showcase the best areas to view birds in their habitats. The loops are close enough together that you can drive easily from one to another, using the trail signage as your guide. You'll find interpretive signs throughout the loops to help you on your quest. The area's Welcome Centers can provide you with maps and information on the Birding Trail.

Alabama's Gulf Coast is definitely a bird-watcher's paradise! But it's also so much more. You'll find plenty of opportunities for refreshment, distraction, and relaxation in beautiful Gulf Shores / Orange Beach.

For more ideas on where to stay, play, and dine, make sure to check out http://www.thebeachiscalling.org/
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Embarking on a Bird Watching Vacation

Bird watching has been one of my favorite experiences, and is a relaxing way to spend a vacation. Why? In my view, birds are simply unique. There are diverse types of birds and their behaviors differ greatly from each other. A parrot will fervently imitate the words that we utter to it, a flamingo will showcase its wings of myriad colors, a peacock will strut elegantly in the aviary, a penguin will wander charmingly in their group, a hawk will stealthily stalk its prey and many more. It is very entertaining to embark on bird watching vacation, as birds interact uniquely to their environment keeping us captivated with their actions.

Fortunately, birds are not rare in nature; they can be found nearly everywhere. Exotic birds are frequently kept in aviaries in zoos so one does not need to worry about the peril of being assaulted by birds. Almost every zoo has specific bird cages or aviaries, so one will easily get the opportunity to watch the birds in action. Wild birds can also be seen in their own habitats, so bird watching vacation is a really enjoyable trip as one can travel to any locale or climate.

Furthermore, in bird watching vacations, one can also interact with birds and consider them as close friends. We can feed them, take pictures with them, and we can also interact with them. In terms of money, bird watching vacation is one of the inexpensive forms of vacation available and yet, one of the most relaxing. It gives you the satisfaction of getting close to nature as well as a journey to watch a cultural performance. You'll never be bored watching these wild or exotic birds, because their actions keep us engaged and addicted with their unique behavior.

Katie Appleby is an accomplished niche website developer and author. To learn more about bird watching vacations, please visit New Recreation Site for current articles and discussions.
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