Sun, Sand and Sharks?

While pondering between various choices of Antigua holidays and longing for the sun and the sand, you might forget that holidaymakers are not the only animals found there. Indeed, many tourist traps are host to a variety of exotic flora and fauna which most visitors don’t even attempt to see. Without further ado, then, let me tell you about what you’re missing out on (attempting to pet any of these creatures is not advised, however).

Antigua

Birds are Antigua’s main feature. The Antillean crested hummingbird, affectionately known as “Doctor Brushy”, is fond of using cobwebs to build its nest and due to its high rate of metabolism must feed constantly throughout the day. Other common avian sights include cattle egrets, Carib grackles, brown pelicans, grey kingbirds and the adorably named little blue heron.

Dubai

There are a great many creatures living in the desert here, some of which you may see on any Dubai holidays you may have the privilege of going on. The oryx is perhaps one of its most famous herbivores, originally bearing a name that translated as “unicorn” as only one horn can be seen when they are in profile. Carnivores include the Fennec fox (easily identifiable to their small size and comparatively huge ears), striped hyenas (who are prominent in local folklore and mythology) and the caracal (a lynx-like medium-sized cat, sometimes used for hunting).

The Maldives

Maldives holidays are likely to offer you some sort of interaction with the place’s thriving marine life, which varies from province to province. Turtles, moray eels and stingrays (these, interestingly, nurturing their young in the womb via uterine milk instead of a placenta following the using up of their yolk sac) are all often seen. The Maldives are also home to whale sharks, a large but peaceful creature that feeds off plankton by filtering sea water through its gills and “coughing” up anything untoward.