10 natural wonders to see before they disappear - CNN.com
The Belize Barrier Reef is home to whale sharks, rays and manatees. One of its most famous sites is the Great Blue Hole.
(Budget Travel) -- You've heard the grim timelines: if warming continues, the Great Barrier Reef will be bleached by 2030; glaciers in the Swiss Alps, on Mt. Kilimanjaro, and in Glacier National Park will disappear in under 40 years; and Arctic ice melt will leave the North Pole bare and polar bears extinct.The immediacy of these timelines prompts flocks of curious eco-tourists to travel to environmentally fragile areas.
Tourism is both bane and boon: it can add strain to already distressed areas, but it can also provide income, which in turn can help preserve these wonders.
We spotlight 10 areas under threat -- some lesser known than others -- that can still be visited responsibly. In some cases the price tag may be higher than your average vacation, but consider it an investment in Mother Earth. [...]
Full article at cnn.com