How can travelers help orcas and humpbacks?

In today’s newsletter, the best U.S. sunrises and sunsets; Stonehenge under repair; a bicyclist paradise … and the joy of a living root bridge.

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About 30 whale species live in Canadian waters, some of them endangered. (Above, Explorer Paul Nicklen captures a pod of beluga whales off the coast of Baffin Island, Nunavet.) “Before the new regulations went into effect, whale watching boats across Canada were usually respectful of the animals, though some edged in close to give customers photo ops. Now, the only legal close encounters are if whales surprise a boat captain and it’s not safe to move away,” Read writes.



Whale watching operators have increasingly kept the public aware and interested in protecting marine wildlife. “We are the eyes and ears [of] the world, sharing observations and raising the alarm where whales are being harassed or abused,” says Mike Reimer, owner of

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