COASTAL LIVING MAGAZINE NAMES THE TOP 10 WILDLIFE HOTSPOTS

Birmingham, AL — From butterflies to grizzly bears, COASTAL LIVING names the top 10 wildlife hotspots in its March issue, on newsstands now. Hike, cruise, and snorkel through the picks to find where the wild things are.

The list includes:

1. Stingray City, Grand Cayman: The clear, shallow water of Grand Cayman’s North Sound teems with southern stingrays. They began to congregate here because it’s where fishermen cleaned their catch and now they come for handouts from tourists. Ebanks Watersports offers trips to visit the sandbar, where passengers can touch, feed, and snorkel among these gentle swimmers.

2. Depoe Bay, Oregon: From now until June, Oregon’s “whale-watching capital” welcomes roughly 18,000 gray whales en route to Alaska. Visit the Whale Watching Center in Depoe Bay to learn the best spots to view the grays. (Insider’s tip: Northbound whales, which migrate now, swim closer to shore than southbound winter travelers.) Spring Whale Watch Week, when center volunteers will be stationed along the coast to provide viewing tips and facts, starts March 22.

3. Assateague Island National Seashore, Virginia and Maryland: During spring and fall, this area’s famed wild horses spend much of their time grazing the Virginia and Maryland coastlines. The best way to see the privately owned Virginia herd is aboard the Pony Express Nature Tour cruise. On land, hike or bike the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge’s 1½-mile Woodland Trail to an observation platform overlooking the ponies’ habitat.

4. Big Pine Key, Florida: This is the only place in the world to see the pint-size Key deer. A subspecies of Virginia white-tailed deer, they stand just 30 inches tall at the shoulder. Go to the National Key Deer Refuge in the early morning or at dusk for the best viewing—you may spot a newborn during the April-to-May fawning season. Stop at the visitor center before heading to an observation platform, or hike trails to see the deer.

5. Maui, Hawaii: Many green sea turtles that gather off Maui’s shores eventually make their way to Maluaka Beach, also known as Turtle Town. To view the sea turtles in their natural habitat, grab your snorkel or scuba gear. The Turtle Lagoon at the Maui Ocean Center offers a chance to see the reptiles and stay dry.

6. Stonington Peninsula, Michigan: During August and September, thousands of monarch butterflies swarm Michigan’s Stonington Peninsula on their long southern migration. You’re likely to find many at Peninsula Point, a resting spot on the Upper Peninsula. Visitors can climb the 40-foot lighthouse for a bird’s-eye view of the butterflies’ journey across Lake Michigan, or observe them resting in the surrounding cedar trees.

7. Delaware Bay, Delaware: Head here to visit one of the world's largest spawning grounds for horseshoe crabs. These crustaceans are protected at five community-based sanctuaries, all accessible to the public. There are also plans for a horseshoe-crab museum and research center in Milton (the only other museum of this kind is in Japan).

8. Mosquito Bay, Puerto Rico: Often called bio bay, this is one of the best places in the world to experience bioluminescence, a natural glow produced by living organisms. You can observe the glowing dinoflagellates (a type of microscopic algae) throughout the year, but the best time to visit is during a new moon when the night sky is darkest

9. San Simeon, California: Winter is a great time to observe one of California’s largest resident populations of elephant seals. Visit Friends of the Elephant Seal’s Web site to learn about these funny-looking marine mammals and to get recommendations for the best places to find them. One top viewing spot: the Piedras Blancas rookery just north of San Simeon, where on-site docents will answer questions.

10. Knight Inlet, British Columbia: To see black bears and grizzlies, head to Knight Inlet, northwest of Vancouver. The Knight Inlet Lodge, open June through mid-October, offers three-, four-, and five-day packages. A boat takes guests to a channel brimming with salmon, and to other areas the bears frequent.

A national magazine that celebrates life along the coast, Coastal Living (www.coastalliving.com) is the source of inspiration and information for people who live or dream of living a coastal lifestyle. Marking 11 years of publication in 2008, Coastal Living serves a total audience of 4 million.

A leader in lifestyle information, Birmingham, Ala.-based Southern Progress Corporation A leader in lifestyle information, Birmingham, Ala.-based Southern Progress Corporation (www.southernprogress.com) publishes Southern Living, Cooking Light, Health, Coastal Living, Southern Accents, Cottage Living, and Sunset magazines, and books through Oxmoor House. It also operates a direct-selling division, Southern Living At HOME, and has a strong Web presence through branded portals, including MyRecipes.com and MyHomeIdeas.com, as well as 10 individual Web sites. Southern Progress is a subsidiary of Time Inc

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