New Google Earth
I just spent three hours exploring the new Google Earth and I am absolutely hooked. If you didn’t already know Google Earth launched a huge update, introducing a feature called “Voyager”. You can now take virtual tours around the globe, and discover places you’ve never been.
Click the Voyager features for dozens of curated journeys around the globe. Our favorite was to select national treasure and click the blue pins indicating island. You can learn more about each location and pilot yourself above the terrain to explore the beaches, maintains or forests you wish to see. Some pins connect to BBC Earth clips showing you on the ground action while others will only have text.
So this is the part I admit I’m a little bit of a geography nerd and that I love maps. I’ve been a fan of Google Earth since day one, but this new update allows you to explore like never before, and I had to share this on the blog! It’s like you are piloting a drone and have unlimited access to the sky. Absolutely incredible.
Even before the new limitless three-dimensional flight, I used Google Earth to scope out new travel destination. If you’re heading out on a dive adventure, it helps familiarize yourself with a map first.
If you are checking out your future travel spot, look for the hotel and see how far the drive is to your hotel, or walk the streets before you arrive. Get familiar with directions, street names and points of interest, and scan the coastline for any secrets beaches that might be hiding just beyond your hotel.
The update comes just in time for earth day. Some of the adventures we took were, climbing sand dunes in Africa, flying over archipelagos from space, investigating the bathymetry of my future dive destinations, and visiting islands in the middle of the ocean. But most of all just have fun! [g.co/earth]
