Vanda Claudino-Sales

Galápagos Islands, Ecuador

Galapagos Islands are isolated in the Pacific Ocean, 1100 km west of Ecuador, at the confluence of three ocean currents. The islands are subject to volcanic and seismic activity and are a natural museum of geological, ecological, and evolutionary processes. Their varied climates, oceanographic regimes, and extreme isolation have produced one of the world’s highest concentrations of endemic species, including unusual animals such as the land and marine iguanas, giant tortoises, and the finch that inspired Darwin’s theory of evolution following his visit in 1835. No other site in the world can offer the experience of diving with such a diversity of marine life. It was the first site to be declared World Heritage by UNESCO.

iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa

iSimangaliso Wetland Park stretches for 220 km along the eastern shore of South Africa, bathed by the Indian Ocean. It includes a wide range of pristine marine, coastal, wetland, estuarine, and terrestrial environments which are scenic and unmodified by people. The ongoing fluvial, marine, aeolian, and climatic processes in the site resulted in a variety of landforms, such as coral reefs, sandy beaches, coastal dunes, lake systems, swamps, wetlands, grasslands, forests, lakes, and savanna. The transitional geographic location between subtropical and tropical Africa has resulted in exceptional species diversity and speciation. Its vivid natural spectacles include nesting turtles and large aggregations of flamingos and other waterfowl. The site contains critical habitats for a range of species from Africa’s marine, wetland, and savanna environments.

Whale Sanctuary of El Vizcaino, Mexico

Whale Sanctuary of El Vizcaino is located in Baja California, Mexico, facing the Pacific Ocean. It is a site formed by two coastal lagoons and a complex mosaic of wetlands, marshes, halophytes, mangroves, dunes, and desert habitats. The lagoons are the world’s most important place for the reproduction of the once endangered North Pacific gray whale. The lagoons are home to numerous other marine mammals. Four marine turtle species live in the shallow waters which are also habitat for a large number of fish, crustaceans, and migratory bird species. The sanctuary conserves both marine and terrestrial ecosystems and their interface. The surrounding desert displays highly diverse flora and fauna.

Ujung Kulon National Park, Indonesia

Ujung Kulon National Park is in the extreme southwestern tip of Java, on the Sunda shelf. It includes the Ujung Kulon Peninsula and several offshore islands, besides the nature reserve of Krakatoa Volcano. The site is of great interest for the study of volcanoes and also contains the largest remaining area of lowland rainforests in the Java plain. The site possesses a very diverse flora and fauna, demonstrating ongoing evolution processes since Krakatoa erupted in 1883, which became the most well known and studied of all modern volcanic eruptions. The physical feature of Krakatoa Island combined with the surrounding sea, succession of vegetation, and volcanic activity combine to form a landscape of exceptional beauty. Several species of endangered plants and animals can be found there, the Javan rhinoceros being the mostly seriously threatened.

Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, the Philippines

Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park is in the center of the Coral Triangle between Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. It is the only coral atoll in the Philippines and consists of North and South Atoll, 8 km apart, and Jessie Beazley Reef, 20 km north. The site is the locus of the world’s greatest coral diversity and is one of the few remaining examples of a highly diverse near-pristine coral reef, with a spectacular 100 m perpendicular wall, an extensive lagoon, and two coral islands. It is also a unique example of an atoll reef with a very high density of marine species. Its huge assemblages of fish, marine mammals, and seabirds are invaluable to science as a wildlife refuge and field laboratory and a dive site of exceptional quality and beauty.

Gulf of Porto: Calanche of Piana, Gulf of Girolata, Scandola Reserve, France

This nature reserve on the west coast of Corsica, Mediterranean Sea, is centered on the gulfs of Porto and Girolata between the craggy Scandola Peninsula to the north and the turrets of the Calanche (a type of “fjord” of the Mediterranean Sea) of Piana to the south. The reserve is part of the Regional Natural Park of Corsica and is made by an impressive porphyritic rock mass. The coastline is known for its orange-red cliffs and rugged headlands up to 900 m high, sheltered sand beaches, and the coves and serrated red ochre pinnacles of the Calanche of the Piana coast – the livid, sheer, and jagged cliffs of the coast contain many grottos and are flanked by numerous stacks, islets, and coves. The vegetation is also outstanding and gives examples of Mediterranean maquis, a densely growing evergreen shrub. In addition, the clear waters, their islets, and inaccessible caves harbor a rich marine life.

Tasmanian Wilderness, Australia

These scenic parks and reserves are mixed cultural and natural World Heritage site. It comprises a contiguous network of reserve lands extending over much of west-central and southwest Tasmania. The site is geologically and geomorphologically complex, representing the product of at least three major glaciations, and covers an area of more than 1 million hectares. It constitutes one of the last expanses of temperate rainforest in the world. The altitude goes from sea level to 1617 m, and the area is characterized by the presence of steep gorges. Remains found in caves attest to human occupation of the area for more than 35,000 years. The Aborigines who lived there represent the longest isolated human group in world history, surviving hundreds of generations without outside influence.

Heard and McDonald Islands, Australia

The volcanically active islands of Heard and McDonald are in the Southern Ocean, 1700 km from the Antarctic continent, as part of Australian territory. They are one of the most pristine ecosystems in the world, with complete absence of alien animal and vegetal species and with minimal impact from human activities. As the only volcanic active subantarctic islands, they provide good examples of ongoing tectonic activity, offering a view of plume volcanism, giving direct geological evidence of the action of the longest operational plume system known in the world. The islands also furnish crucial habitat for large populations of marine birds and mammals, and their endemic species demonstrate ongoing evolutionary processes.

Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra, Indonesia

The site is made up of three national parks that contain some of the richest and most varied of the world’s remaining rainforests. They are in forested volcanic mountains, ranging from coastal lowlands to highlands, having a wide range of soils, hydrological conditions, and habitats from marine to subalpine volcanoes, supporting a high diversity of flora and fauna. They retain their importance as critical refugia for future evolutionary processes. The site holds the greatest potential for long-term conservation of the distinctive and diverse biota of Sumatra. The protected area is home to an estimated 10,000 plant species and more than 200 mammal species. Of the mammal species, 22 are Asian, not found elsewhere in the archipelago.

Sanganeb Marine National Park and Dungonab Bay: Mukkawar Island Marine National Park, Sudan

The site is a serial one, made by Sanganeb, an isolated coral reef structure and the only atoll in the Red Sea, 25 km off the shoreline of Sudan, and by the Dungonab Bay and Mukkawar Island, 125 km from Port Sudan. The site includes a high diversity of coastal and marine systems, such as coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass beds, beaches, and islets. These natural systems provide habitat for large populations of marine and coastal animals, including mammals, fish, turtles, and birds. Dungonab Bay has a globally significant population of dugongs (sea cow). The clarity of the water, coral diversity, marine species, and pristine habitats create a striking landscape and seascape.