“I don’t see any bonefish!” I said, standing on a flatboat in the middle of shallow aqua green waters of Fresh Creek in Andros, the largest island in the Bahamas 30 miles west of Nassau.

I walked to the edge of the boat, trying to catch a glimpse of the much sought after fish, which brings many around the world hoping to try their hand at this delicate art of hunting. The fish are almost always released back into the water. At the back of the flatboat, Ricardo navigated slowly from the poling platform. In a hushed tone, he told Glaister who is up front to cast the line 20 feet as we floated quietly.

“There are hundreds of bonefish here!” Glaister said handing me his sunglasses, which apparently help with seeing the dusky finned fish in the clear waters. I still couldn’t see any, which explains why the fish are called “gray ghosts”. …read more of Andros, Bahamas: Unexplored Paradise here

MANUEL ANTONIO NATIONAL PARK

The first Jeff Corwin Experience DVD I bought was about Costa Rica. I had seen the show so many times that I’d say the lines even before him. “It’s time to go from a quadruped to a biped in search of a no-ped”, is one of my favorites.

When I made my trip to the beautiful country, I didn’t have to search for any snakes. A gorgeous boa constrictor crawled from the nearby jungle onto the front yard of Costa Verde, the hotel I was staying in. It wasn’t a surprise because wildlife is abundant; more so in Manuel Antonio than in other places.

I also knew that the snake was non-venomous, but kills its prey by wrapping around it. Some boa constrictor species are endangered as they are excessively hunted for their exotic skin. As I touched this boa’s fine ornate layer, while it was being gently held by the security guard, I couldn’t help but feel exhilarated. …read more of Off the Beaten Path in Costa Rica: Exploring Manuel Antonio and Rainmaker Reserve here