They may sound scary and forbidding but these natural destinations are home to rich biodiversity, rare species, cultural heritage and spectacular landscape.

More scary than their names are the threats they face - urban development, pollution, deforestation, overfishing, drought and global warming.

They are actually beautiful places that need to be protected and safeguarded for future generations to enjoy and explore.

1. Black Sea
2. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
3. Dead Sea
4. Death Valley
5. Devil's Gorge
6. Dragon Mountains
7. Lake Erie
8. The Abyss, Mariana Trench
9. The Never Never
10. Transylvania

1.Black Sea

A rare stretch of natural beach on Bulgaria's Black Sea coastline.

From the Black Forest in Germany, the Danube River flows 2,800 kilometres through 10 countries before reaching the Danube Delta at the shores to the Black Sea, one of the world's largest inland seas.

Rich in wildlife and biodiversity, the Black Sea is sadly on the way to becoming just that … a sea blackened by pollution - oil spills, industrial run-off, coastal development, ship traffic and overfishing are some of the main problems that threaten the sea.

Today, the Black Sea region is at an environmental crossroads: It can continue on the path of neglect or it can move towards more sustainable models of development.

WWF is working with local communities, organizations and governemnts on restoration projects throughout the Danube and Black Sea region.

Restoring the Danube Delta, the gateway to the Black Sea

The most important initiative that will help the Danube Delta is the Lower Danube Green Corridor project, started by the environmental ministries of Romania, Ukrainie, Moldova and Bulgaria, and supported by WWF. This is the largest cross-border restoration and protection wetland initiative in Europe, affecting the entire Lower Danube floodplains, and local people and ecosystems on the Danube River and Black Sea.

The North American comb jellyfish has had a devastating affect on the Black Sea.

Attack of the jellyfish!

It might look harmless, but the North American comb jellyfish (<I>Mnemiopsis leidyi</I>) has had a devasting affect on the Black Sea.
The North American comb jellyfish has had a devastating affect on the Black Sea.

The invasion of a voracious comb jellyfish in the Black Sea from North America in the early 1980s is one of the best-documented examples of a marine alien invasive species introduced through ballast waters from large shipping vessels.

With no enemies, the jellyfish propagated at an alarming rate, contributing to the near collapse of Black Sea commercial fisheries within a few years.

The once prosperous seafood industry has lost about US$1 billion as a result of this invasive species. Anchovy fisheries in the connecting Azov Sea, already under stress from pollution and overfishing, have completely collapsed.

Bottlenose dolphin numbers in the Black Sea have also dropped dramatically, as the fish they used to feed on have disappeared. Monk seals in the Black Sea have become extinct.

Mediterranean monk seal.

2. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Enter at your own risk!

About half of the world's 700 mountain gorillas are found in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The other half are found across the border in the Virunga Mountains in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.

The total population of the mountain gorilla subspecies is about 700 individuals, split almost evenly into two groups: one in the Virunga range of volcanoes on the Uganda-Rwanda-DRC border, and the other in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda.
About half of the world's 700 mountain gorillas are found in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The other half are found across the border in the Virunga Mountains in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.

So rugged is the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in south-western Uganda that it is only accessible by foot.

But if you can make your way over steep sided hills and ridges and down deep jungle valleys, you may come across one of the most awe-inspiring experiences in the wild – an encounter with endangered mountain gorillas.

Uncontrolled hunting, destruction of its forest habitat and capture for the illegal pet trade, however, have led to a dramatic decline in gorilla numbers.

Despite these dire predictions, ground-breaking work by conservation groups like WWF has seen the population grow from 624 in 1989 to over 700 today.

They are not out of the woods yet.

The International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP), a partnership of three international organizations - African Wildlife Foundation, Fauna & Flora International and WWF - ensures the conservation of mountain gorillas and their forest habitat in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda by working with the protected area authorities of the three countries where mountain gorillas occur.

Comprised of 32,000 hectares of forests, the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is also home to 120 species of mammals, including 14 species of primates, as well as 346 species of birds, 202 species of butterflies, 163 species of trees, 100 species of ferns and 27 species of frogs and lizards.

3. Dead Sea

A dying lake

The wetland surrounding the Dead Sea supports endangered species such as ibex, hyrax and even a few Arabian leopards.

Scary enough that the Dead Sea is the lowest point on Earth with temperatures reaching a scorching 50°C in the summer, but with water levels dropping at a rate of about 1m per year, some believe the biblical salt waters between Israel and Jordan may disappear completely within the next century.

The Dead Sea has already lost over 1/3 of its surface area and has fallen over 25 metres. Water inflow levels have been reduced to just 5% of its original volume, with annual surface inflows in the future predicted to only further decrease.

The dramatic lowering of the Dead Sea's water level since the 1970s is largely attributed to the diversion of water sources upstream in the Jordan River by Israel and Jordan to meet domestic, agricultural, tourist and industrial demands.

The fall in the level of the sea has receded so much that the surrounding shores are now dotted with collapsing sinkholes, some 15m in depth and 25m in diameter. On the western shores of the Dead Sea, 2,000 of these sinkholes have been identified.

Saving the Dead Sea

One option being discussed for stopping the Dead Sea from shrinking is  channelling water from the Red Sea. The Red Sea-Dead Sea canal project has been touted by some as a possible panacea for providing desalinated water to the people of the area and stabilizing the level of the Dead Sea.

Supported by the international community, including the World Bank, the proposed pipeline is expected to cost billions of dollars and pump some 1.8 billion cubic meters of water per year from the Red Sea near Eilat and Aqaba to the Dead Sea, a distance of 190 km.

However, environmental groups are concerned that the proposed canal can damage the unique natural system of the Dead Sea, including the coral reefs in the Gulf of Aqaba. They are calling for an integrated regional development plan and better water management such as diverting some of the waters of the Jordan River back to the Dead Sea.

4. Death Valley

The badlands of Golden Canyon. Death Valley National Park, USA.

Death Valley National Park in the US states of California and Nevada is the lowest, driest and hottest valley in the country, with temperatures soaring to 46°C (115°F) in the summer months.
It doesn’t get much hotter than that ... or colder, with heavy winter snows and near-zero temperatures at night.

And with natural destinations within the park bearing such ominous names as Funeral Mountains, Coffin Peak, Hell's Gate, Starvation Canyon and Dead Man Pass, it's a wonder why anyone would want to visit.

Scorpion. Death Valley.

Desert beauty

Despite its foreboding reputation, visitors will find a place of amazing beauty with many colourful rocks and canyons, pristine sand dunes, unique salt formations and even a diverse range of wildlife.

Life does thrive in the harsh desert environment, including bighorn sheep, coyote, bobcat and mountain lion, horned lizard and scorpian.

The park also boasts 1,000 plant species, such as cactus, desert holly, creosote bush, Joshua tree and bristlecone pine.

Solar Power Station, Australia

As part of WWF's Climate Savers initiative, Xanterra Parks & Resorts, America's largest park and resort management company, with operating concessions in Death Valley, is commited to cutting its heat-trapping carbon dioxide emissions.

Xanterra has pledged to reduce its CO2 emissions 10% below its 2000 emissions levels by 2015 - an approximate reduction of 9,308 tons of CO2 - by using more efficient vehicles and appliances, and purchasing renewable energy.

At its operations in Death Valley National Park, Xanterra has installed one of the largest non-utility-owned renewable energy systems in the US - a one megawatt (1 MW) solar photovoltaic energy system. It also has solar-powered systems in its operations in Yellowstone and Zion national parks.

5. Devil's Gorge

Don't jump!

Jaguar, Iguaçu National Park, Brazil.

Devil's Gorge (Garganta del Diablo in Spanish) is the highest of the 275 waterfalls that make up the awe-inspiring Iguaçu Falls along the Argentinian-Brazilian border.

Iguaçu (in Portuguese) or Iguazú (in Spanish) means "big water" in the local Guarana language.

And the falls certainly live up to their name, plummeting 82m into the gorge below.

The thunderous roaring of the water can be heard from kilometres away and the mist from the falls forms rainbows.

Much larger than North America's Niagara Falls, they are rivalled only by South Africa's Victoria Falls.

Iguaçu Falls, Iguaçu National Park, Brazil.

Beyond the falls

The falls are shared by the Iguazú National Park in Argentina and Iguaçu National Park in Brazil.

The parks are home to several endangered species including jaguars, tapirs, ocelots and anteaters as well as colouful toucans, parrots and butterflies. Recognized for their high levels of biodiversity, they are both listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The parks are also part of the Atlantic Forest ecoregion. The Atlantic Forest once covered more than 999,740km2 along Brazil's coast with extensions into eastern Paraguay and northeastern Argentina. It is one of the most endangered rainforests in the world, with only 7% of the original forest now remaining.

6. Drakensberg (Dragon) Mountains

Into the dragon's lair

South Africa's Drakensberg region includes hills with incredible sandstone formations.

There is nothing scarier than walking straight into a dragon's mountain den. And there is nothing more challenging than hiking in southern Africa's highest mountain range.

The Drakensberg Mountains (Dragon's Mountain in Afrikaans) rise above 3000m in eastern South Africa. The Zulu call it Ukhahlamba or "the barrier of spears". The massive 200km-long range, with its awe-inspiring cliffs, lush forets and cascading waterfalls, separates KwaZulu-Natal Province from the Kingdom of Lesotho.

Rolling high-altitude grasslands, pristine steep-sided river valleys and rocky gorges contribute to the beauty of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Also included in the protected area are thousands of rock paintings left behind by the San people, who lived in the Drakensberg area for more than 4,000 years.

Dragon prey

Competing with dragons for food are Drakensberg's main predators, including leopards, black-backed jackals, caracals and servals.

Troops of chacma baboons, porcupines and colonies of rock hyrax are also found throughout the mountain park, as well as over 300 bird species; 32 which are endemic to southern Africa.

Bearded vulture, Drakensberg Range, South Africa.

Beware the Giant

Located within Drakensberg Park is the Giant's Castle Nature Reserve, which gets its name from the silhouette of the peaks and escarpment that resemble the profile of a sleeping giant.

It is also home to some giant animals like the eland, the world's largest antelope, and the bearded vulture, a huge raptor.

7. Lake Erie

Not all is always peaceful under the calm waters of the Great Lakes. Lake Ontario, Canada.

Lake Erie (pronounced eerie) has over the years lived up to its name.

The lake, the fourth largest of the five Great Lakes, has for decades been the dumping ground of eerie pollutants.

Thanks to environmental regulation on both the US and Canadian sides of the lake, water quality has vastly improved since the 1970s.

But the lake area is still laden with heavy industry and sewage treatment plants, and the lake continues to receive large amounts of run-off from the region's agricultural areas.

Dead zones - oxygen-deprived areas where fish can't survive - still occur when excess fertilizer and untreated sewage seep into the waters.

Zebra mussel.

Other eerie problems

Another problem facing Lake Erie are invasive species - species that invade and become established in areas where they do not normally occur. In Lake Erie, that would be Zebra mussels.

In less than two decades, these voracious filter-feeding organisms, accidentally introduced from eastern European lakes, have all but wiped out the native mussel species. Millions of dollars are spent each year in attempting to control these small but numerous mollusks.

The Great Lakes and climate change

Scientist predict that global warming will lead to a steep drop in water levels of Lake Erie in the coming decades, a change that could cause the lake's surface area to shrink by up to 15%.

Should climate change manage to alter the physical or chemical characteristics of the Great Lakes, an overall loss in biodiversity would result because many endemic species would be incapable of adapting to the changing conditions.

Find out from a WWF climate witness about changing climate in the Great Lakes.

8. Mariana Trench

Into the abyss

Deep-sea angler fish collected by a scientific trawl at a depth of over 1,000m in the Porcupine Seabight, North East Atlantic Ocean.

It's dark down there, really dark!

At 10,911m below sea level, the Mariana Trench in the western Pacific Ocean - east of the Mariana Islands - is the deepest point in the ocean. To put things in perspective, Mt Everest, the world's highest mountain, is a mere 8848m.

What's down there?

Scientists have only explored 1% of the sea floor. Indeed, less is known about the sea floor than the surface of the moon.

From what we do know, life is on the depths of the ocean is scarce; but there is life.

There are starfish, sea urchins, sea lilies, brittle stars, sea cucumbers, sea daisies and others. Crabs, shrimp, angler fish and bacteria are but few of the many species found even as deep as the Mariana Trench.

Protecting the unknown

Despite being largely unknown, the deep sea is nevertheless extremely important.

Intrinsic value: Every expedition to the depths of the ocean results in new species being found. Sometimes entire new ecosystems are discovered or new life forms such as the ancient microbes, archaea.

Scientific value: The specialized adaptations of deep-sea organisms are not just interesting for interest’s sake. An understanding of their biochemistry could also lead to biochemical, medical and other scientific advances.

Commercial value: The deep sea is increasingly being targeted by commercial fisheries in national waters and on the high seas. Populations of deep-sea species like Patagonian toothfish and orange roughy, for example, have already been fished to commercial extinction in just a few years. Currently, most deep-water species are likely to be over-exploited if not protected and better managed.

9. Australian Outback

Into the Never Never

Rising from the centre of the Australian Outback, Uluru (Ayers Rock) is Australia's most recognizable natural icon. This massive rock formation dates back 500 million years and is sacred to the Aboriginal people in the area.

As if the Australian Outback wasn't remote enough, the "Never Never" is the even more remote parts of this hot, arid desert region.
But as inhospitable and sparse as it sounds, it doesn't mean one should never make a visit to one of the driest places on Earth.

The Outback covers millions of square kilometres of desert throughout the Northern Territory, South Australia, West Australia and Queensland. The Simpson Desert is to the east, the Great Victoria Desert, Gibson Desert and Great Sandy Desert to the west, and the Tanami in the north.

Despite its great expanse, one will be surprised to see a great diversity of landscapes - rocky hills, flood plains, sand dunes and caves decorated with Aboriginal rock art.

The Outback is also full of very well-adapted wildlife that can handle the harsh conditions: thorny devils, bearded dragons, scorpions, death adder and fierce snakes, freshwater and saltwater crocodiles.
 
The thorny devil, one of the many unique species found in the Australian Outback.

Desert survival

The thorny devil (Molochorridus) is a unqiue Australian desert lizard easily identified by the many large thorn-like spines that entirely cover its body and tail.

Despite its threatening name, the thorny devil is completely harmless. When frightened, it tucks its head between its front legs. It also relies on camoflage against predators by changing colour to match its environment.

In the harsh desert environment, the thorny devil has a most unusual way of collecting water. Deserts become very cold at night and when dew forms on the lizard's skin, thousands of tiny grooves allow the water to spread quickly over the lizard's body, finally making its way to the lizard’s mouth.

It also has curious food habits. It can sit for hours by an ant nest, flicking up one ant at a time with its sticky tongue. The desert species has been known to eat about 45 ants a minute!

10. Transylvania

Carpathian wolf.

There are not too many places that evoke spookiness more than Transylvania, the fictional lair of Count Dracula, werewolves and blood-sucking vampires.

But contrary to popular belief, there is no Dracula (although the literary character may have been based on 15th century Romanian prince, Vlad III, the son of Vlad Dracul), no werewolves (just wolves) and no vampire bats (more like small harmless church-roosting bats).

Actually, Transylvania, in western Romania along the Hungarian border, is one of the most beautiful natural regions in Europe surrounded by the forests and streams of the Carpathian Mountains.

Green Mountains -- The Carpathian Mountains in eastern Slovakia, Polana National Park

Land across the forest

Transylvania, translated from Latin, means "the land across the forest”. The land they are talking about are the green forests of the Carpathian Mountains.

Arching across 7 countries - from the Czech Republic, across Poland, Slovakia, Ukraine and Hungary, and down to Romania and the tip of Serbia - the Carpathians are Europe's last great wilderness area.

Here one find's half of Europe's populations of bears, wolves and lynx, and is home to one of the last remaining stands of old growth forests.

Vampire bats

I've come to suck your blood...

    * Vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus) do exist but they don’t live in Transylvania or anywhere close. They live in Central and South America.

    * Vampire bats have a wingspan of about 20cm and a body about the size of an adult's thumb. Because of their small size, they only drink about a tablespoon of blood each night.

    * Vampire bats feed on the blood of large birds, cattle, horses and pigs. They don’t actually "suck" blood but use their blade-like upper incisors to make tiny cuts in the skin of a sleeping animal.