Animal Lovers' Guide: Unforgettable Wildlife Encounters to Add to Your Bucket List

1. Salmon Fishing with Grizzly Bears (Alaska)

From Seward, Alaska, your journey begins by seaplane, landing on the Kenai River, where you'll board a small boat to search for the prized salmon amidst majestic grizzly bears. With the beauty of Alaska in the surroundings, reel in your catch alongside grizzlies in their natural habitat hunting for their own feast. After a successful fishing expedition, you can grill and eat your freshly caught salmon with your guide! Watch my experience here.

2. Swim with Whale Sharks (Cancun, Mexico)

During whale shark season in Cancun (May to September), you have the incredible opportunity to swim with the largest fish in the ocean, growing up to lengths of around 40 feet. Swimming with whale sharks allows you to observe and connect with one of nature's most awe-inspiring marine animals in their natural habitat. Watch my experience here.

3. See the Big 5 (Africa)

Get ready for a real-life Lion King experience on an African safari as you see these big cats up close. At Mala Mala, the largest and oldest Big 5 private game reserve in South Africa, you are guaranteed to see lions, elephants, buffalo, leopards and rhinoceros plus many others! Watch my experience here.

4. Emperor Penguins of Snow Hill Island (Antarctica)

On an Antarctic cruise, you have the opportunity to visit the remote and rarely visited northernmost Emperor penguin breeding colony in the world, Snow Hill Island, where you can observe over 5,000 pairs of breeding Emperors and their baby chicks. This is home to the largest penguin in the world, the Emperor Penguin, which is native to Antarctica, reaching up to four feet tall and weighing up to 70 lbs. Snow Hill Island is renowned for being a notoriously difficult destination to reach, only accessible by helicopter landing and a mile trek across sea ice to the colony. Watch my experience here.

5. Camel Trekking (Morocco)

From Marrakech, you can arrange camel trek excursions to nearby deserts such as the Sahara Desert. Ride camels through the dunes and watch breathtaking sunsets, a fantastic way to immerse yourself in the natural beauty of Morocco's desert landscapes.

6. See Komodo Dragons (Indonesia)

Komodo National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is best known for its native population of Komodo dragons. These creatures are the world's largest lizard species and are native to the Komodo Islands. They can grow up to 10 feet in length and weigh over 70 kilograms. They have powerful jaws, sharp teeth and venomous saliva. Watch my experience here.

7. Stand-Up Paddle-boarding with Humpback Whales (Antarctica)

On a cruise to Antarctica, you can go stand-up paddling across the world’s largest ice sheet. We had the incredible opportunity during our experience to find ourselves surrounded by Humpback whales. These magnificent creatures create and sing songs that can be heard up to 20 miles away and can grow up to 60 feet long and weigh up to 80,000 lbs. Watch my experience here.

8. Dog Sledding (Alaska)

From Juneau, you can visit the renowned Mendenhall Glacier for a dog sledding adventure. Typically as a cruise ship stop, this exhilarating tour begins with a scenic helicopter ride before landing on the 12-mile glacier. You'll be immediately greeted by Alaskan huskies ready to lead you on a mushing journey across the snow. You even get to drive the sled yourself and play with the adorable puppies after! Watch my experience here.