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Whales Wallowing in Western Australia

June 25, 2009 at 4:16 PM | 0 Comments

The coast of Western Australia is getting busy: the whale watching season is underway and early sightings suggest that not only has the season started early, but there are more whales than there've been in decades.

Commercial whaling in Western Australia finished up in 1963 with just 500 humpback whales left in the waters, but estimates now put the number of whales that will swim the 8,000 miles from Antarctica to the north of the state at around 17,000. Good work, whales!

Whale watching trips run all up and down the coast and from the capital Perth, too – grab a two-hour trip from Hillarys Boat Harbour for A$62 ($50), or head south to Albany for three-hour cruises that let you come on board again in the unlikely event of no whales showing up.

The only thing that seems to be growing faster than the whale population is the population of whale-watchers. Tourism peeps in West Oz say tourist numbers are growing by 15% every year so you need to hurry to avoid the crowds.

Related Stories:
· Early Signs Show Whale Watchers In For A Treat [The West]
· Big Fish Show Up Early at Ningaloo Reef [Jaunted]
· Western Australia Travel Guide [Jaunted]

[Photo: wouter]

Eep! Southwest Has Penguins On A Plane!

June 11, 2009 at 8:45 AM | 3 Comments

Everyone knows the phrase "when pigs fly," but how about killer whales? Southwest Airlines recently celebrated the opening of the new Manta Ride at SeaWorld, and as the official airline of the aquatic amusement park, they flew in with "Shamu One," one of their 737s painted up with the whale livery.

Don't be surprised if you see the belly of this whale flying overhead at more than one airport; Southwest has three of them in their fleet. As a matter of fact, of their 500-strong planes, about 12 of them sport festive paint jobs like the NBA's "Slam Dunk One." But for the Shamu One, the partnership with SeaWorld goes beyond the plane exterior.

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Barcelona Bulldog Attempts Popular Skateboard Maneuver

June 10, 2009 at 5:21 PM | 0 Comments

Remember the popular YouTube video of the English bulldog hopping on the skateboard and taking off? Well, it looks like this French bulldog in Barcelona is trying to get his own shot at fame. Although, it doesn't look like he (or she) succeeded.

Still, the Flickr member who took this snapshot, Marni Rachel, dropped in a ton of great travel shots from Barcelona and abroad into the Jaunted Flickr Pool. Trust, us. We probably spent a good half-hour just looking at them all. And wishing we were traveling some place right now.

Got your own travel snapshots to share? Drop them in our pool here!

Go on an Urban Safari at Brooklyn's Prospect Park Zoo

June 6, 2009 at 3:54 PM | 0 Comments

New York has zoos in each of its five boroughs, and while the Bronx Zoo is the largest metropolitan zoo in the country, the other four are small enough that one can see pretty much every animal there is to see in two or three hours. I actually prefer these bite-sized zoological parks, where you can get in, get your animal fix, and get out with plenty of time left over for a nap before happy hour.

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SeaWorld Orlando Launches Manta, Its New World-Class Roller Coaster

May 5, 2009 at 3:46 PM | 0 Comments

It's tough to overstate the awesome awesomeness of SeaWorld Orlando's new Manta roller-coaster. The ride, which soft-launched last weekend and will soon be open to the public, has already been declared by the LA Times Travel blog to be the #1 new ride of the year.

There's 3,359 feet of tracks, a top speed of 56 mph, four inversions, and a max drop of 113 feet that all add up to two minutes and 35 seconds of face-down flying adrenaline:

Sometimes zoos and aquariums build less-than-electrifying rides to keep teenagers amused while parents and younger siblings wander around. Ferris wheels, slow-moving trains, bumper cars - these are standard fare. But that's not what's happening here.

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San Diego Zoo Elephant Explosion, You Herd It Here

April 27, 2009 at 4:32 PM | 1 Comment

Take three San Diego Zoo elephants, add four Wild Animal Park elephants, and what've you got? A herd of elephants that apparently needs a $45 million enclosure.

It's pricey but pretty cool. The new Elephant Odyssey at San Diego Zoo opens on May 23 and includes a 120,000-gallon pool in a 2.5-acre yard. Interesting for us but perhaps a bit embarrassing for the elephants, it'll also have a publicly visible vet facility so we can watch their check-ups.

The seven elephants – Ranchipur, Mary, Cookie, Cha-Cha, Sumithi, Devi and Tembo – might get confused by some of the eight life-size replica statues that will also be part of the Elephant Odyssey exhibit. They include a mammoth, giant sloth and a saber-toothed cat, all representative of the wildlife of southern California thousands of years ago. Just remember that while the concrete ones don't bite, the elephants might, especially if you laugh at them while the vet's doing any sensitive check-ups.

Related Stories:
· San Diego Zoo Elephant Odyssey [Official Site]
· San Diego Zoo Adding $45 Million Elephant Odyssey [LA Times]
· Where to Placate Our Future Animal Overlords [Jaunted]
· San Diego Travel Guide [Jaunted]

[Photo: San Diego Shooter]

How Pet Airways Plans To Keep Your Pet Happy In-Flight

April 23, 2009 at 5:05 PM | 0 Comments

We've been extremely curious about the offerings aboard Pet Airways which plans to make its first flight on July 14 for the introductory one-way fare of $149.

As all overprotective pet parents know, flying our babies in cargo is a painful decision to make. What if they freeze? What if they get dehydrated? What if they get shipped off to another destination? Will someone sing them lullabyes to help them sleep?

Most vets and animal experts (i.e. pet store owners and the people you meet at dog parks) will tell you that flying your animal in cargo is a bad idea. It stresses the pet out and it's just too risky.

Well, judging from this Pet Airways video, those painful decisions might be over. Pets on Pet Airways fly in the main cabin, not in cargo. There's a dedicated pet flight attendant walking throughout the cabin (every 15 minutes) making sure the pets are happy in their crates and the temperature control is "just right." Your pets can even walk on a red carpet up into the plane!

This all sounds so wonderful but we still worry a little. What if this is just a long-running April Fool's joke? What if Pet Airways is just bluffing about their personal attention to your loved ones? What if, thanks to the economy, the airline will shut down right quick like Skybus?

We won't be the first ones to put our pet on the Pet Airways flight but if things go well, we will seriously consider it. That and a doggie or kitty valium too. For them, not for us. Well...maybe for us too.

Related Stories:
· Pet Airways coverage [Jaunted]

Pet Airways To Start Flying Furry Friends On July 14

April 20, 2009 at 9:26 AM | 1 Comment

We were a little skeptical when we heard about Pet Airways a couple weeks ago. Of course we love kitties and puppies, but it just seemed too good to be true—especially since it’s not really the ideal time to launch a new airline. However, after an update on their Facebook page Friday afternoon, the new airline let everyone know that “pawsengers” can start flying on July 14.

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Qantas Deals With Real-Life Snakes On A Plane

April 17, 2009 at 11:11 AM | 1 Comment

We wish every Friday began with a story like this: In a scene reminiscent of a not-too-distant Samuel L. Jackson movie, a Qantas plane had to be taken out of service after four baby pythons escaped from their secure location in the cargo hold.

Frighteningly, the carriers of these snakes didn't realize until two days after they landed in Melbourne from Alice Springs that one-third of the pythons were MIA. After making sure the Stinson's pythons, native to Australia, hadn't eaten their own kind, officials pulled the plane and fumigated it, causing delays and probably a number of nightmares.

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The Zoos Will Be Partying on Earth Day

April 16, 2009 at 3:52 PM | 0 Comments

We know, we know, every day is Earth Day. But only starting Monday will zoos and aquariums around the world be celebrating Mother Nature as part of the "Party for the Planet" initiative, which connects the 150-plus members of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums.

Party animals can hop from state to state all week for free concerts, games and even organic food. This weekend, the Dallas Zoo debuts a new alligator exhibit called "Ghosts from the Bayou" as part of its four-weekend spring festival, Dallas Roars. The Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport offers free admission on Earth Day and a six-hour scavenger hunt. And X-Men hero Wolverine, who is actually an endangered species, will show up for photo ops at the Chattanooga Zoo on April 25, which also features mural-making and free seedlings to attendees.

Find your participating zoo at the AZA Website.

Related Stories:
· Chattanooga Zoo Hosts Party For The Planet April 25 [Chattanoogan.com]
· North Texas rolls out the green carpet [DallasNews.com]
· Oregon Coast Aquarium Celebrates Earth Day [Aquarium.org]

[Photo: artescienza]

Petcation, Anyone? JetBlue Now Offering Rewards Points for Pets

April 16, 2009 at 9:36 AM | 0 Comments

While United has a problem with overweight people, animals on JetBlue have never been treated better! If you’re only a few TrueBlue points away from a free ticket aboard JetBlue, then you may just want to consider bringing your best friend along.

With the airline’s JetPaws program, flyers who bring along their four-legged friends will get two extra TrueBlue points each way. If you’re really into the JetBlue pet experience, remember to get your leash and collar before you leave for the airport.

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Dogs Make Great Souvenir T-Shirt Salesmen

April 14, 2009 at 6:26 PM | 0 Comments

Dear owners of souvenir gift shops across the world,

Are you having trouble moving inventory of pink babydoll t-shirts with your city's name written across the front? Are sales for ballcaps, sweatshirts, bumper stickers, pens, pencils, snowglobes, souvenir shot glasses and the like slowing down? Here's a Jaunted approved suggestion: hire a cute pug to sit behind the cash register and watch your sales instantly skyrocket!*

We found this doggie perched on a shelf at a gift shop in Carmel, California, one of the most dog-friendly cities in the world. We stumbled into this store out of boredom but the pug convinced us to buy two shirts that were on sale for $5 a piece. Hopefully, he got a cut of that sale in Milkbones.

Have your own travel snapshots to share? Drop them in the Jaunted Flickr Pool.

*This statement has not been approved by anyone, anywhere. But you know, you could always give it a try.