Fagatele Bay sits in an eroded volcano crater on the southwestern corner of Tutuila Island, about 5,000 miles from the U.S. mainland. Its 163 acres is home to parrot fish, sharks, octopus, dolphins and sea turtles. The bay also supports a fringing coral reef ecosystem with over 140 species of animal and plant life. In its submission to UNESCO, the U.S. highlights the bay's exceptional beauty, endangered animal population and coral reef ecosystem. Above, spinner dolphins, known for their acrobatic displays, swim in Fagatele Bay. More info: http://fagatelebay.noaa.gov/

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Offbeat Traveler: U.S. submissions for UNESCO’s World Heritage list

Fagatele Bay sits in an eroded volcano crater on the southwestern corner of Tutuila Island, about 5,000 miles from the U.S. mainland. Its 163 acres is home to parrot fish, sharks, octopus, dolphins and sea turtles. The bay also supports a fringing coral reef ecosystem with over 140 species of animal and plant life. In its submission to UNESCO, the U.S. highlights the bay’s exceptional beauty, endangered animal population and coral reef ecosystem. Above, spinner dolphins, known for their acrobatic displays, swim in Fagatele Bay. More info: http://fagatelebay.noaa.gov/ (Ed Lyman / NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries)

Table coral in Fagatele Bay. (Dr. Charles Birkeland / University of Hawaii)

A sea turtle swims in Fagatele Bay. (Ed Lyman / NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries)

The Petrified Forest in eastern Arizona contains the world’s largest collection of petrified wood, trees whose organic matter has been replaced by minerals over millions of years. The fossils of about 78 animal species have also been found here. The park’s fossil cache has been a valuable source of information for the Late Triassic period (about 225 to 205 million years ago). Aside from petrified wood, the Petrified Forest features colorful badlands and hundreds of petroglyphs. More info: http://www.nps.gov/pefo/index.htm (Jason La / Los Angeles Times)

The Painted Desert, a colorful collection of hills, buttes and mesas carved by millions of years of erosion. (Jason La / Los Angeles Times)

Sitting on 143,733 acres in southern New Mexico, White Sands encompasses the world’s largest deposit of gypsum sand. Though it may be hard to imagine now, the monument, whose geology is similar to that of Mars, was covered by a shallow inland sea millions of years ago. Popular activities here include stargazing and sledding. More info: http://www.nps.gov/whsa (National Park Serivce)

Sand dunes with the Sierra Blanca Mountains in the background. (National Park Serivce)

White Sands is home to several species of reptiles, including the whiptail lizard. (National Park Serivce)