Vanishing Wonders: 5 Destinations to Visit Before They Disappear

The world is awash with natural wonders, from lush forests to edifying mountains and far beyond. We are fortunate to have the resources to visit them, but those same resources are somewhat spelling their doom. Climate change is real, and coming for our most beautiful destinations, making them vanishing wonders. Where do you need to visit, while you still can?

The Amazon Rainforest

The Amazon rainforest is a breathtaking swathe of tropical rainforests measuring millions of square miles in size. It is home to millions of different animal species, and one of the most important natural landscapes the planet has to offer. It is, unfortunately, dwindling, as predatory businesses continue to fall Amazon trees in favour of timber, construction, palm oil and other products. The rainforest is far more than a destination, it is also an adventure waiting to be embarked upon.

The Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World and has more than earned its place; the Reef describes hundreds of thousands of square miles of islands and individual coral clusters, themselves home to thousands of species of aquatic life, including seven different species of turtle.

The Great Barrier Reef, immense and multiform as it is, is under threat from rising sea temperatures, and much of it has already succumbed to bleaching. A private jet membership might seem anathema to the problems facing disappearing wonders worldwide, but can make seeing these places far smoother – and with the right number of passengers aboard, could potentially reduce the amount of carbon shouldered per person.

Venice

Venice is a beautiful city on the eastern coast of Italy, and a destination outside of Italy’s own unique draw. There are many reasons to visit Venice, from its glass-blowing pedigree to the majesty of its architecture; the biggest draw is, of course, the myriad waterways that form the city’s primary method of travel.

These same waterways, though, are putting the city at risk. Many of its buildings are poorly or shakily built, with the foundations ever under threat from subsiding clay. Coupled with slowly rising sea levels, even the most ardent of conservation efforts will not fully preserve the city as it stands today – so catch it now, while you can!

Galapagos Islands

These islands are singularly famous, on account of Charles Darwin’s famed voyage to understand tropical species and formulate his epochal theory of evolution. Famously home to the giant tortoises of the same name, the Galapagos are heading the way of the dodo – climate change, again, a predominating factor. If you can visit, you should make the most of its stunning beaches.

Antarctica

Finally, we come to Antarctica – a place that can never truly disappear, on account of being an entire continent with the tectonic plates to prove it. It can, however, change beyond recognition, as it continues to lose near-incalculable amounts of ice. You should come for one last snow-shoe-laden journey, if you can.