This past summer my family and I had the opportunity to experience amazing eco-adventures, including traveling through the Arctic on the National Geographic Explorer, observing melting glaciers and seeing polar bears up-close-and-personal. These trips have reminded us why it is so important to lead an environmentally responsible lifestyle and work to preserve the future of our planet for ourselves and wildlife. But you don’t have to hop a plane to the other side of the world to have an eco-adventure; there are many affordable and convenient green destinations right here in our own backyard.

Just like we saw the polar bears in their natural habitat, the Georgia Aquarium (georgiaaquarium.org) gives patrons the opportunity to experience the largest aggregation of whale sharks, the largest fish species in the world, as they visit the tropical waters of Isla Holbox off the coast of Yucatan Mexico for annual feedings. For the past seven years, Georgia Aquarium researchers have chosen the destination to conduct population surveys and study the diets of whale sharks. Through visual and satellite tagging systems, researchers hope to expand their scientific understanding of the migratory patterns, particularly where they give birth, of the sharks to better protect this endangered species.

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Laura Turner Seydel is a national eco-living expert and Chair of the Captain Planet Foundation. For more eco-living tips visit www.lauraseydel.com.