Humpback Whale Tour Review
Dirk Ubbink from the Netherlands enjoyed his humpback whale watching trip of 2007 so much, he returned for more in July 2008:
I went whale watching in St Lucia, South Africa during July 2008, because of my experience the year before.
The company I went with is Advantage Cruisers & Charters (make an enquiry). What I really like about them is the fact that they gave a 100% guarantee that we would see whales. It was amazing but true!
They gave a briefing before the boat ride, which took place on a boat about 50ft long with about 20 people on board. I would recommend this operator to others.
| Comment from Advantage Cruisers: "Just for clarity, our one boat is 32ft, the other 33ft, and we take 10 persons per boat plus one skipper and one cameraman - that is a maximum of 12." |
It was cloudy and windy. You'll get wet, and, if you like, soaked! But they do offer jackets and raincoats.
We stayed out at sea for about 3 hours, during which two of our group of five got seasick, but it's still worth while!
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We were picked up from the operator's office in main street St. Lucia by an old but exciting Jeep (to get us on the beach, close to the boat), accompanied by a senior filmmaker who would film us throughout the journey to produce a DVD to for purchase afterwards.
After an elaborate explanation of the safety instructions, we boarded to cross the rolling breakers. This was more than enough for some wimps among us to get seasick.
As we arrived in open sea, it took a while to spot the first humpback whale by its spouting. After a while we got to see them very closely. They became very playful around the boat, as they are curious and friendly animals. We got very close! You could jump on them if you like and you're quick enough…
In the mean time, we saw flying fish and dolphins as well.
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June - August is the best time to see the whales. Stay around for another day in St. Lucia to enjoy the village, shops, and beach. Bring as few loose things with you on the boat as possible, such as glasses, wallets, keys, etc.
The most useful item I took with was my (film) camera, although you won't get still images...!
My only disappointment was that no Amex card is accepted.
I rate my trip a 9 out of 10.
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