Travels with Tam

3 Reasons to Book a Solo Travel Getaway to the Virgin Islands

July 28, 2017 By Tam Warner 14 Comments

Feeling overwhelmed by the daily grind? Hour after hour of demands and deadlines, interrupted only by the buzz of technology notifications…. Sound familiar? How about….the Virgin Islands?

Solo Travel, Getaway, discount on travel, virgin islands, sonic — Beautiful Virgin Islands

It’s time to schedule a trip – with yourself.

Whether you’re approaching burnout or taking preventive measures to stave it off, it’s time to unplug from the rest of the world and re-learn how to enjoy your own company. And there’s no better place than the Virgin Islands, a treasure trove of sandy beaches and turquoise waters, where you can reap these healthful benefits:

Find out who you are

Make some time to figure out who you are and what you’ve become. Discover new interests, acquire new tastes, and log exciting new memories.

Travel Log:

-Explore new things to love: From exciting adventures like zip lining, kiteboarding, and night kayaking, to sampling local delicacies like callaloo, conch, and pates.

-Treat yourself to the ultimate journey of self-discovery – a custom, multi-island tour led by a local boat captain. Here’s your chance to uncover the best snorkeling spots, find the hottest island drink (ahem, Painkillers), and go on a quest to find the most tranquil, unspoiled island.

Solo Travel, Getaway, discount on travel, virgin islands — Cruzan Rum…try something new!

Time to unwind

Time alone gives you the chance to clear your mind, focus, recharge. The benefits? Increased productivity and creativity when you return home. Pulitzer prize–winning writer John Updike observes: “It is often in idle moments that real inspiration comes.”

Travel Log:

–Relax in St. John’s Cinnamon Bay, a pristine island oasis.

-Virgin Gorda, BVI is the ideal spot to get some refresh time.

Freedom to be flexible

Maybe you’re at everyone else’s mercy when you’re back home, but on this trip, you can do whatever you want. No schedule, no expectations. The choice is yours.

Travel Log:

-Head over to Maho Bay in St. John for superb snorkeling without the crowds. Turtle spottings are pretty much instantaneous in this locale!

And in your quest for bliss, take the words of Roy M. Goodman to heart: “Remember that happiness is a way of travel—not a destination.”

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Do You Want to Swim with Whale Sharks? Yes, You Do!

July 25, 2017 By Tam Warner 5 Comments

whale sharks, travels with tam, adventures, snorkel with whale sharks — Female Whale Shark feeding vertically in the Yucatan

Do you want to swim with Whale Sharks? Every summer, from May 15 until September 15, a marvelous event happens in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. Hundreds of mostly juvenile male Whale Sharks migrate to feast on plankton and fish eggs, and, perhaps, to mate. Large females have been seen in the Yucatan, but they are not common. The best time to see these sharks is late June through mid August. This aggregation is one of the largest, if not the largest, known to scientists on the planet. With drone technology, scientists can watch the aggregation and behavior of the sharks from above, but it is always more exciting to be in the water with them!

Are Whale Sharks whales or sharks? They are sharks and the largest fish in the ocean. They have huge mouths like whales and they filter feed on the smallest creatures in the ocean. These huge sharks (up to 20 meters) are completely harmless. Whale Sharks are gentle giants, and do not attack even with provocation, which is why they are endangered. They are easy for poachers to kill as they have no fear of humans or boats, they seem almost oblivious to anything except their food. There is still very little known about Whale Sharks. No one has ever seen one give birth, though a whale shark caught in a fishery in Taiwan many years ago was carrying 300 pups. The only place where female Whale Sharks are known to gather are the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador (June through November). Where do they give birth? No one knows. Two thirds of the known Whale Sharks are male. Where are all the females? The babies? No one knows. Sadly, their docile nature has made them easy targets for those who sell shark fins to the Chinese. To lose these magnificent creatures to make stringy chicken soup is sickening.

I first snorkeled with Whale Sharks in Isla Holbox in the early 2000s. We went with another family, and the kids and adults were enamored and amazed by these incredible creatures. Since then, I have taken every opportunity to see them and photograph them. I have gone with my husband, alone, and on citizen science trips with Marine Megafauna. Every time I see them I photograph them, and I make sure to get identification photos. Whale Sharks have a spot pattern just behind their gills that serve as a “fingerprint”, no two sharks are alike. I send these photographs to Wildbook for Whale Sharks, and in so doing, I contribute to the scientific knowledge of these creatures. You can do citizen science as well! When you see a whale shark, photograph it from the side! This year I took my cousin and her husband for their very first encounter with whale sharks, and they were in awe. The sheer size of these animals is amazing, and to see them and snorkel with them is a very special and exciting experience. I recommend going with Solo Buceo, a great dive and snorkel shop in Cancun. I met one of the owners on a Great White Shark Expedition, and having a close encounter with a Great White is a bonding experience! Since 2010 and my Close Encounter with a Great White Shark, Rodrigo and I have been in touch, and on expeditions. Book Solo Buceo for an amazing experience with not only Whale Sharks, but Sailfish, Cenotes, and Mantas! Rodrigo is deeply involved with Pelagic Life, a non profit in Mexico seeking to protect oceanic pelagic animals, especially sharks.

In December of this year I am co-hosting a trip to the Sea of Cortez with Red Travel Mexico, and we will be snorkeling with Whale Sharks off of La Paz! Please consider coming with us, it will be an exciting trip! The dates are Dec 3-9 and you can get more details at http://redtravelmexico.com/tour/cabo-pulmo-and-the-sea-of-cortez-with-tam-warner-minton/.

whale sharks, travels with tam, adventures, swim with whale sharks — My cousin Lisa and a whale shark! She loved it.

Below you can see how individual Whale Shark’s spot patterns are.

*My passion for the ocean has resulted in my first self published book! ALL FISH FACES. Check it out!<br />

Two of the Best Dive Sites in Cozumel are full of Sea Turtles!

July 17, 2017 By Tam Warner 11 Comments

*This post contains affiliate links, which means I will receive a small percentage of sales, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting me in my travels, and my mission to encourage others to explore this incredible planet, experience other cultures, and make it a better place!

reefs, palancar, cedar pass, cozumel diving — The Palancar Reef System is amazing.

Dive sites on Cozumel often have turtles! I always love diving El Paso de Cedral (Cedar Pass) and the Palancar Reefs. I cannot think of a single trip I have taken to Cozumel when I didn’t dive them more than once. Palancar is beautiful, full of colorful coral and sponges (and turtles!). Palancar Reef is so large it is split into four sections: Palancar Gardens, Palancar Horseshoe, Palancar Caves and Palancar Pinnacles. The mountains and colors of the reef never cease to awe me. Huge pinnacles come up from the depths and take one’s breath away. I wish I had the ability to translate it into images. Cedar Pass, on the other hand, is a basically flat area with no large coral, but it does have a lot of small coral head areas, and under the ledges are some pretty amazing creatures! And I don’t think I’ve ever been on the reef without seeing turtles and a nurse shark or two. These reefs could not be more different, yet each is a fabulous dive site. Take a look!

columbia deeps, columbia shallows, cozumel, dive cozumel — Look at that face! A beautiful Hawksbill Sea Turtle.

An incredibly large and old Loggerhead. You don’t see them often on the reef, but they nest on the east side of Cozumel.

The fish are waiting for the goodies the turtle doesn’t eat, they are happy to have crumbs!

cozumel, turtles, diving cozumel, scuba — Turtles always have a clean up crew! In this case, a French Angel and a Yellow Head Wrasse.

reefs, cozumel diving, palancar, cedar pass, cozumel — These Blue Striped Grunts are hanging out in a recessed area on Palancar Gardens

Children of all ages love to look at fish faces! My first book, All Fish Faces, is an introduction to species living all over the planet, and fun facts about them. And of course, cool photos of fish faces! Meeting our fishy friends face to face can only help people understand and love our oceans.<br />

Where to get the most Amazing Salad and Dessert in Cozumel!

July 12, 2017 By Tam Warner 8 Comments

cozumel, foodies, la cocay, cozumel foodies — We’ve been coming to La Cocay for years!

Want to know about the most amazing salad and dessert on Cozumel? One of my favorite restaurants on the planet is La Cocay on Calle 8 in Cozumel, Mexico. My family has been going to La Cocay for many years. We’ve celebrated birthdays and anniversaries there, and it is a place of many good memories for us. But let’s talk food. In my humble opinion, they have the most amazing salad and dessert on the island. Their entrees are fabulous as well, but I never have room for an entree! I always start with their tapas, have a delicious Napa Salad, and order a Chocolate Torte (souffle) the minute I sit down!

La Cocay is a warm, friendly restaurant set in a garden, though they do have indoor seating as well. The food is creative, and has a mediterranean flavor. The restaurant has even added pizza with much flair to their menu. So here is my favorite meal: I order the margarita (best on the island I think!), Goat Cheese Empanaditas with mango chutney (part of the tapas menu), and a Napa Salad, my favorite salad on earth, with mixed lettuce, apple, blue cheese and toasted pecans with a honey Dijon dressing, tied with red beets. I mean, presentation counts too!

cozumel, lacocay, foodies, cozumel foodies — My beautiful Napa Salad!!!!

The fish of the day, Mahi Mahi. La Cocay always has specials!

One of my husband’s favorites is bacon wrapped Filet Mignon with scalloped potatoes and veggies.

As a foodie, or a person who loves to eat, you must be ready to go to La Cocay! But now…the desserts!

If you are going to Cozumel and you love good food, head over to La Cocay. I guarantee you will have a fantastic evening. Please tell Kathy, the owner, and Danny, the manager, that Tam sent you!

Don’t forget my newly published book!

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I Love Introducing People to the Wonders of the Ocean

June 21, 2017 By Tam Warner 11 Comments

cozumel, snorkeling, learning, wonders of the ocean — A new ocean enthusiast!

I have always loved introducing people to the ocean. First time snorkelers, first time divers, and especially children seeing the underwater world for the first time. I cannot count how many people I have taught to snorkel or taken snorkeling, and most of them went on to dive and become certified divers. Since I am always excited to be in the water and see fish and animals and corals, I enjoy being with others who are as excited as I am!

cozumel, snorkeling, learning, wonders ocean — This future oceanographer was a natural in the water!

Good fortune came my way in Cozumel a week ago, when a ten year old girl staying next door to me fell in love with the ocean. Her entire family did! They were in Cozumel for a family wedding that took place at Villa Torres, though Villa Coronado did the honors for the ceremony! I loved the whole group, they were just wonderful. The young girl, Addison (love that name), went out on a snorkel with me and we had a great adventure: scorpion fish, flounders, yellow stingrays, and amazingly enough, a seahorse! That was magical. Seahorses are hard to find in Cozumel since the 2006 hurricane, so finding one on a snorkel was just incredible. We stayed out for over an hour, and she could not get enough! It was so fun to show her the underwater world. I had forgotten how much I enjoy introducing new people to the beautiful creatures. She was particularly drawn to the Queen Parrotfishes just becoming adults with their dazzling colors.

cozumel, snorkeling, wonders of the ocean — A pretty spotted Scorpionfish

The desire to write a book series about our Ocean Friends was something I always wanted to do in order to introduce people to the animals in the ocean. When people get interested and excited, they want to learn more, and to experience it. My first published book, Fish Faces: Photos and Fun Facts about Tropical Reef Fish, is meant to begin a journey of getting to know our ocean friends, and how important they are to our survival on this planet. It all begins with knowledge, and with knowledge comes enthusiasm. Learning should be fun at any and every age! Fish Faces is available on LULU.com right now, and will be on Amazon and Barnes and Noble soon, within the next few weeks. It is the same price on all the sites. Do you know someone interested in the ocean? This is a super fun way to learn about fish species and how different they look from ocean to ocean. I have dived in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans, and many of the seas within them, so my photographs reflect a planetary view of ocean fish, along with fun facts about each species.

I so enjoyed my time snorkeling with Addison, and it makes me want to show people the ocean even more! I hope you take a look at All Fish Faces!

No Matter How far I Roam, I always come Home to Cozumel

June 18, 2017 By Tam Warner 11 Comments

cozumel, scuba, home, dive cozumel, colors of cozumel — The first sunset from the deck.

I have roamed all over our amazing planet, and there is so much more to see! Having walked on seven continents, I have been privileged to see the most beautiful, fantastic, and incredible sights. Every place is so different and so unique, and I have loved all of my travels, and treasure my experiences, both good and bad. Travel is the very best teacher, and for me, a way to learn, humble, and challenge myself at the same time. But…no matter how far I roam, the colors of Cozumel always awe and thrill me. This easy, breezy, non-pretentious island welcomes me home, I am reminded every time I come why I love it so much.

The ocean has many colors of blue, and the diving here is wonderful. I always forget the mountains of colorful corals and the creatures of Cozumel.. I love to dive the multi-faceted reefs here, and now I am trying my hand at macro photography (close up photography as the pictures below) I am discovering new dive sites and meeting new people!

cozumel, cozumel colors — A cushion seastar!

cozumel, diving, home, colors of cozumel — Close up of sea star leg. These podia serve two purposes, for movement and capture of prety.

colors of cozumel — One of the most beautiful sights are these flowing social feather dusters. They are actually worms!

It is a small world, as we all know. My next door neighbor and friend Lyn and I have been coming to Cozumel together for longer than I want to admit! Ten years ago Lyn brought some friends down and one of the women happened to be the mother of a school mate of my daughter’s. A few nights ago, her son had his wedding at Villa Torres, and the ceremony was on my front yard! It was so exciting for me to be able to give them a place for their ceremony! The sunset at the end of the ceremony was so dramatic it must be a good omen for the bride and groom!

My husband, Randy, has been delayed, but I hope he gets down here any day now. He loves the island as much as I do.

Travel Adventures!

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