Full Trip Report The whale watching tours reviews below are summaries of the full report so if you want to read the long version request it here... |
What's This?  Travel opinions that have been obtained directly from past participants of whale watching tours by means of a phone call. |
Been on Whale Watching Tours? Then share the good, the bad and the ugly of your experience with others by posting it here ... |
Destination:
Kaikoura, New Zealand
Species Seen:
Sperm Whale
Trip Operator:
Whale Watch
02 May 2006
James RSource: Travellerspoint
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The resident whales here are so well known that they have been given names. James was lucky enough to see Noodle (so named because he normally only stays on the surface for two minutes - two minute noodles) on his whale watching excursion and watched him dive with a gust of air from his blowhole and a wave of his massive tail. The boat then moved on to view one of the biggest sperm whales called Taoi feeding in the area and when he dove under Noodles surfaced again a short distance away so they went over to photograph him once more managing to get pretty close to the giant animal ...
 
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Destination:
Kaikoura, New Zealand
Species Seen:
Sperm Whale
Trip Operator:
Whaleway Station
16 April 2006
Emma and SeanSource: Travellerspoint |
The whale watching tours experience started for Emma and Sean at 7am at the whaleway station where they boarded the boat and headed 7 miles offshore to spot the first sperm whale called Tiaki (all 18 metres of him). After about ten minutes the whale submerged and they moved on to another spot to see two whales called Big Nic and Little Nic. On the way back to the harbour they were treated to a show by over 200 dolphins doing somersaults and swerving in front of the boat...
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Destination:
Kaikoura, New Zealand
Species Seen:
Sperm Whale
14 April 2006
Jon & Barbera BurfitSource: TravelBlog |
Jon and Barbera were lucky to have a bright, sunny day for their whale watching tours day trip but Jon was just a little disappointed that the boat wasn't big enough to have an on-board bar. They managed to see a total of three sperm whales and were awestruck by the giant creatures, along with the 30 other people on board. They particularly enjoy the wave of the huge fluke (tail) when the whales dive down into the depths...
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Destination and Accommodation:
Kaikoura New Zealand, Sunrise Lodge Backpackers
Species Seen:
Sperm Whale
Trip Operator:
Whale Watch
08 March 2006
Spence and DebsSource: TravelBlog |
Spence and Debs' expedition was almost cancelled due to high winds but they decided to go out anyway and it was lucky they did because they managed to find a number of sperm whales and get pretty close. The whale watching tours boat has tracking equipment which can pick up whale sounds when they are heading to the surface. The whales treated them by spouting water in the air (yes, they really do that) and doing a magnificent tail flip...
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Destination:
Kaikoura, New Zealand
Species Seen:
Sperm Whale
02 November 2005
Neil RogersonSource: Travellerspoint |
Neil found his encounter with these awesome creatures to be the experience of a lifetime. The whale watching tours crew know the whales in the area so well that it took them less than 20 minutes to locate the first ones who were floating in the water resting before their next deep dive to feed. After 10 minutes of watching the whales up close they lurched forward, arched their backs and slid under the water...
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Destination:
Kaikoura, New Zealand
Species Seen:
Sperm Whale
11 March 2005
Rob & Nicky, UKSource: TravelPod |
Rob and Nicky chartered a very fast whale watching tours catamaran which used an echo locator microphone lowered into the water to find the whales. When they picked something up they charged off in the direction of the signal to catch the whale before it dove under again for about 40 - 60 minutes at a time. In this way they managed to see three different sperm whales floating on the surface of the water for 10 - 15 minutes each. The whole encounter took about three hours and they managed to see hundreds of dolphins and many albatross too...
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Destination:
Kaikoura, New Zealand
Species Seen:
Sperm Whale
October 2001
Nigel Mcgrath, UKSource: |
As whale watching tours go, Nigel had incredible luck and saw about 4 or 5 whales all within 25m of the boat. From my interview with him..."I didn't see any jumping out of the water. In fact most of the time we just saw the head or the back flip up and that was it. We didn't get a good view of the whole body - it was either the head or the tail sticking out. It was pretty good. The only problem was it was a bit choppy, so a few people got a bit seasick. It really wasn't the best day but they did their best and we did see the whales so I think everyone was pretty happy, but the sea was rough. Must have been offshore about 4 hours minimum. It took an hour just to get out there, then the boat was kind of hanging around a while, an hour to come back."He rates the tour as a 7 out of 10. |
Destination:
Albany
Tour Operator:
Silver Star Cruises
Species Seen:
Southern Right Whales
September 2008
Tim Turner, UK
Rating: 10/10
Source: Review submitted
Photo
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"I recommend Silver Star who was an excellent operator, friendly knowledgeable people determined to find the whales, but careful in their approach when they succeed. They were very laid-back and matter-of-fact, but full of information.
The boat was about 20m long with about 20 people on the trip, though more could comfortably have been accommodated. It leaves the pier at Albany and then traverses the water between the mainland and the islands around Albany. Ironically, the best views were a group of whales quite close to one of the main swimming beaches. We were out at sea for 3 hours. Tea & coffee were included.
We had a fantastic time, saw several groups of whales very close up (including babies) and learned a lot about them. Australian law prevents boats from getting too close, but there is no problem if the whales choose to swim close to the boat. We'd sit in the bay with the engines off and a whale would pass very close. On one occasion, a whale was about 20' from the boat, sticking its head out of the water from side to side. We also saw juveniles breaching, leaping out of the water.
We stayed at The Beach House at Bayside - very stylish and welcoming guest house with fabulous made-to-order breakfasts. Albany itself is a bit dull, but the restaurants are great, particularly the Earl of Spencer pub with a fine range of beers and great value pie-and-a-pint deal… what more could you want?"
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Destination:
Exmouth: Cape Range National Park
Species Seen:
Humpback
September 2007
Zini and LuluSource: Travel Pod
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Zini and Lulu snorkelled at Lakeside, Turquoise Bay and the Drift Loop at Ningaloo Reef roughly 13km from Exmouth. Here they saw a great variety of aquatic life and sensationally colourful reefs before going on one of the sunset whale watching tours.
They saw a great many humpbacks in the water, as well as a calf and mother which they tracked up to right near the beach, through the glass bottom of their boat.
Zini opted for a dive as well, enabling her to hear the calls of the whales sound into the distance. Among the other underwater life they saw were black-tip reef sharks, turtles, a manta ray and parrotfish.
Apart from the beautiful scenery and wonderful encounters in the sea, they found the Exmouth locals to be some of the friendliest people they have come across.
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Destination:
Hervey Bay, just south of the Barrier Reef
Tour Operator: Blue Dolphin
Species seen:
Humpback whales
2 October 2008
Anne-Sophie Michaut, CanadaSource: Review submitted |
Recently Added Review!!
Sophie-Anne joined a full day trip on a comfortable catamaran on the east coast of Australia.
Out of her whale watching hattrick (in 3 different locations), she rates this one the best...
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Destination:
Near Port Douglas
Boat: Undersea Explorer
July 2008
Sharon Drabsch, AustraliaSource: Review submitted |
Recently Added Review!!
Sharon's visit to the Great Barrier Reef was somewhat different to the norm. General diving and snorkelling was fantastic she says, with visibility up to 20m.
The absolute highlight of her live aboard trip however was snorkelling with dwarf minke whales.
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| Hawaii |
 = Trip Summary  = Full trip report  = Video clip |
Destination:
Oahu island
Species Seen:
Humpback Whale
Trip Operator:
Go Fish Hawaii
March 2008
Grant Olsen, USASource: Review submitted |
Recently Added Review!!
Grant saw between 40-50 whales during the day which sounds hard to beat! He also loves sea turtles and seeing a few of those on the same trip was a bonus.
Although the operator wasn't very memorable or friendly, at the end of the day it's about the wildlife and Grant was satisfied with the outing as he writes in his Hawaii whale watching review.
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Destination:
Maui, Hawaii
Species Seen:
Humpback Whale
Trip Operator:
Ultimate Whale Watch Company
08 March 2006
ElizabethSource: TravelBlog |
There are dozens of boats and whale watching tours operating out of Lahina that offer two observation decks, free drinks and narration by a naturalist. Elizabeth chose the Ultimate Whale Watch Company because they take you out in an environmentally friendly yellow ocean raft where you can actually dangle your legs into the water. The show started soon after they left the harbour with a mother and baby whale rising from the depths spouting water and air. A little later they ran across three male whales fighting for a female by leaping from the water, banging heads and trying to scrape one another with the barnacles on their body. The female, floating about 20 feet away, rolled onto her back and started flapping her huge flippers in the air...
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Destination:
Kona, Hawaii
Species Seen:
Humpback Whale
19 February 2006
Francesca RevisSource: TravelBlog |
Francesca went out on an uncharacteristically overcast day in Kona (whale watching tours normally take place in brilliant sunshine here) and the first half of the day was spent snorkelling where they spotted a huge variety of fish in the brilliantly clear water. After lunch they headed back to the dock still not having the success you want on whale watching tours but then fate intervened and they saw a huge shape in the distance. When they got closer a mother and baby Humpback whale emerged for a few minutes before diving down again. Fortunately they kept coming up in different places for the next hour to the delight of Francesca and her family...
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Destination:
Maui, Hawaii
Species Seen:
Humpback Whale
Trip Operator:
Body Glove
18 January 2006
TerrySource: Realtravel |
Terry chose to use Body Glove for his whale watching tours and found the man doing the commentary to be very knowledgeable. The boat itself has a powerful outboard motor to track the whales and a comfortable bar. Whale watching is thirsty work. There were about 40 people on board that day and they found a number of Humpback whale, one of them coming so close that Terry could see the way it breathed in air before diving. Then one of the whales breached (jumped clear of the water) to the delight of everyone watching. Terry highly recommends a trip like this. He says he will never forget it...
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Destination:
Kleinbaai at Gansbaai
Whale Watching Operator:
Dyer Island Cruises
Species Seen:
Southern Right Whale
16 October 2010
Nitasha Singh, IndiaSource: Review submitted |
Recently Added Review!!
The trip was more extensive than some other whale boat trips in the area with a focus on other sealife too and they were accompanied by a marine biologist.
The boat was clean and they even had a lifejacket for Nitasha's 2.5 year old.
She saw quite a few whales on her Dyer Island whale tour, including a mother and baby, and some breaching behaviour.
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Destination:
Gansbaai, South Africa
Whale Watching Operator:
Dyer Island Cruises
(make an enquiry)
Species Seen:
Southern Right Whale
19 November 2007
Graham Bath, South AfricaSource: Review submitted |
Graham lives in Cape Town and on the recommendation of a friend, booked a whale watching trip with Dyer Island Cruises in Gansbaai, which he thought was very well run and he could see that they knew what they were doing. Apart from the good boat and crew, they also showed a video and gave a talk about the whales.
"About 20 of us were on the boat. We went first to a bay where we spotted a great white shark, then continued to Dyer Island to see penguins, seals and lots of birds. During the three hours we were out at sea, we saw 12 whales, the closest of which was about 20 meters away.
We were lucky with the weather, have heard that the weather can be a problem and people need to be aware of this.
Most useful items were my camera and some snacks.
It was an amazing, fun trip and I would definitely recommend them [Dyer Island Cruises] for whale watching tours. I rate my experience 10/10." Photos
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Destination:
Hermanus, South Africa
Species Seen:
Southern Right Whale
December 2006
Helga Hauck, South AfricaSource: |
Helga spent four days in Hermanus and the surrounding area. She didn't need to go out on a whale watching tours boat because the whales get so close to land that you can just watch them with your feet on terra firma.
She stayed in a self catering cottage and found her own way around town. » Full Hermanus South Africa report
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Destination:
Hermanus & Die Kelders South Africa
Species Seen:
Southern Right Whale
Early November 2005
Bruce WhittakerSource: Review Submission |
I was privileged to see a mother Southern Right whale and her calf very close to the rocks (about 15 metres) at Die Kelders in South Africa. We spent about an hour watching the whales and it seemed like the calf was drinking from its mother but it was hard to be sure. I managed to get a video of this amazing event. I also saw a group of three whales from the main viewpoint in Hermanus and one of them breached about seven or eight times in a row.
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Destination:
Hermanus, South Africa
Species Seen:
Southern Right Whale
30 November 2005
Deb MexSource: TravelPod |
The whales come in close enough to shore in Hermanus that it is not necessary to go on whale watching tours to spot them. Deb was busy walking to the backpackers where she was staying when she saw a whale surface about 20 meters from the main viewpoint with a baby alongside it. She watched them for about 45 minutes as they slowly moved further away. A little later some more whales showed up and they started jumping clear of the water as they staged an amazing show...
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Destination:
Knysna, South Africa
Species Seen:
Southern Right Whale
Trip Operator:
Ocean Safaris
September 2003
LeovilleSource: Fodors Forum |
In Knysna whale watching tours, you launch from the beach in your whale boat and the captain soon had them alongside some huge Southern Right whales. One of the larger whales began to breach near the boat and amazingly the skipper had to judge where the whale would surface to get out of the way. The whale breached a total of 4 times, each one closer and closer to the boat so that the last one was so close it wasn't possible to get the whole whale in the camera frame, only its head (about 40 metres away)...
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Destination:
De Hoop Nature Reserve,
South Africa
Species Seen:
Southern Right, Brides Whales
Trip Operator:
The Whale Trail (hiking trail)
July 2003
Diane Anderson, South Africa
Rating: 10/10
Source: Review submitted |
Diane recommends the 5-day Whale Trail hike within the De Hoop Nature Reserve near Hermanus, not only for the beautiful scenery and bird life but as she says lots and lots of whales.
The "wonderful accommodation" is at cabins with wood and hot water showers provided. You don't need to carry your own bag as these are carried/transported for you.
As it is an unguided trail there were no briefings about the whales but Diane and her friends took their own books along to read up about the mammals. They saw the whales from land at a distance of about 300m. Binoculars are essential.
She recommends you book well in advance and go in July as the weather was "perfect - not too hot".
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Destination:
St Lucia, South Africa
Species Seen:
Humpback Whale
Trip Operator:
Advantage Tours
Trip Rating:
9 out of 10
26 September 2008
Nikki Sinclair, South AfricaSource: Review submitted |
"I read about whale watching in an airline magazine and arranged a long weekend camping (at Sugarloaf camp site - beautiful) with the kids.
I would recommend Advantage who was very helpful and answered any questions. They're the only operators doing whale watching in St Lucia. I phoned before, but booked when we got there. They were adaptable with regards to the weather. The day we wanted to go was very rough and windy and they advised against going.
The weather was clear and fairly calm on the day. The boat took 10 people and 3 crew. We were taken by the crew on an open vehicle from the meeting place to the launch place. The crew was efficient and professional. We were given life jackets, pushed out, did beach launch through waves safely, cruised for 2 hours looking for and watching whales (we got very close), then back to shore - easy landing, taken back to the departure point by the same vehicle. We were out at sea for 2 hours.
My children (aged 8 and 12) had an amazing experience they will never forget. We took drinks & snacks, but too busy watching to think about them. Sucking sweets helped my 8 yr old with a bit of nausea.
After the holiday, pics were sent to me by Bien, from Advantage Tours who was the skipper and was taking photos of our tour. He kept his word and sent them without me having to remind him… impressive!
The trip was expensive (for local South Africans) but well worth it."
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Destination:
St Lucia, South Africa
Species Seen:
Humpback Whale
Trip Operator:
Advantage Cruisers & Charters
August 2008
Nadine Merritt, UKSource: Review submitted |
"I found Advantage Cruisers, operator for whale watching tours, through advertising in town and would recommend them to others. They gave a good briefing before 8 of us left for sea to spend 2 hours on the boat. The weather was sunny and we saw 5 whales, as close as about 10 metres.
I stayed at Bibs Backpackers in St Lucia, and would recommend it to others.
I rate my trip 6 out of 10 (but only because I got very seasick). Whale watching is so beautiful and you can't come to St Lucia and not do it!"
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Destination:
St Lucia, South Africa
Species Seen:
Humpback Whale
Trip Operator:
Advantage Cruisers & Charters
August 2008
Tom Willemse, The NetherlandsSource: Review submitted |
"It was a great experience to see the whales and we enjoy the spectacular boat trip very well.
We have seen the DVD already several times.
We will everybody recommended to do this boat trip, it was for us one of the highlight of our vacation."
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Destination:
St Lucia, South Africa
Species Seen:
Humpback Whale
Trip Operator:
Advantage Cruisers & Charters
July 2008
Dr Dirk Ubbink, The NetherlandsSource: Review submitted |
The second of Dirk's whale watching tours in St Lucia was as great as his first. He did get nauseous (if you're prone to seasickness it's wise to take precautions) but it didn't spoil his experience.
He was amazed that whale sightings were guaranteed by his operator, and, as hoped, they got really close to these huge animals.
He recommends a day or two extra in the town of St Lucia which is set within a world heritage site...
» Dirk's humpback whale tour review
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Destination:
St Lucia, South Africa
Species Seen:
Humpback Whale
Trip Operator:
Advantage Cruisers & Charters
(make an enquiry)
3 October 2005
Chris Cameron and Julie Dawson, EnglandSource: Chris & Julie's website |
After a rough boat ride leaving the estuary, birders Chris & Julie enjoyed identifying the bird life out at sea. Next they saw bottlenose dolphins and of course the trip wouldn't be complete without the whales of which they saw several different individuals.
The party returned to the shore by beaching onto dry land, very exciting for those not used to boats and the sea. They also got a DVD of the outing.
The trip report will be especially interesting to you if you're a birder, but also to pick up tips on other activities and accommodation in the area.
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Destination:
St Lucia, South Africa
Species Seen:
Humpback Whale
Trip Operator:
Advantage Cruisers & Charters
2004
Cindy du Plessis, South AfricaSource: |
Despite cold, wet weather Cindy found the whale watching tours at St Lucia her best wildlife adventure activity yet.
Their skipper was excellent at spotting the whales and their boat got very close to the huge mammals and she even saw them breach... » Whale watching cruise review
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Destination:
St Lucia, South Africa
Species Seen:
Humpback Whale
Trip Operator:
Mr Bennett (Advantage Cruisers & Charters)
2004
Klara, MozambiqueRating: 10/10Source: Review submitted |
Klara has been to St Lucia before and when she wanted to see whales, it was the obvious choice also because it's the closest place to Maputo where boat based whale watching tours are offered.
She was very happy with Mr Bennett's operation, especially his knowledge of the whales. She highly recommends him to others.
The weather was terrible, with very high waves which meant they could not use the cameras and videos (Advantage sent her a nice DVD about whale watching afterwards). She did take seasick pills and did therefore not get seasick, but others didn't and they had to return early to get those girls to shore.
They saw lots of humpback whales, swimming near the boat, and 10 jumps (or breaches) a bit further away but very well seen.
She recommends others book their boat trips in advance and to take the seasick pills.
Klara says it was an amazing experience which she will never forget, despite the heavy wind. Other than the bad weather, the trip completely satisfied her hopes and expectations.
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Species Seen:
Grey whale, orcas/killer whales
Trip Operator:
Eagle Wing
26 July 2010
Anne-Sophie Michaut, CanadaSource: Review submitted |
Recently Added Review!!
For a 10/10 orca watching experience, Anne-Sophie recommends Vancouver Island. They saw lots, even a mother with baby, as well as some other marine wildlife.
She also went on whale watching tours in Quebec and Australia - read all about it in this whale watching hattrick report...
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| Destination: Victoria, BC
Species Seen:
Grey Whale
Trip Operator/Boat:
Prince of Whales
Trip Rating:
8 out of 10
1 day
Jo-Ann Marlow, CanadaSource: Review submitted |
"Friends bought a gift certificate for us to go whale watching on a zodiac boat which takes about 20 people. Our tour guide was great - he was very knowledgeable about both the grey whales, orcas and the sea life of the area, knew the area and was funny. I would recommend this operator to others.
Seeing the grey whale was amazing - we watched it surface and blow. I guess we were about 100 yards away. The captain was careful to stay at a safe distance away. We unfortunately did not see orcas, but saw lots of other sea life.
The weather was clear and cold however we had on survival suits so were quite warm.
The day was wonderful. Great experience! Definite must if you visit Victoria."
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Destination: Nuchatlitz and
Johnstone Straits
Species Seen:
Minke, Humpback & Killer (Orca) Whales
Trip Operator:
Out For Adventure
August 2005 & July 2006
Andy Lopez, USASource: Review submitted |
If you like nature in its pure form, like Andy and his wife, this is the kind of trip you will like too... sitting around the camp fire reminiscing about your day spent kayaking.
They saw three different kinds of whale and some other wildlife.
Andy thinks getting the right operator to go on such a trip is key to the success and enjoyment of this kind of adventure... » BC whale watching adventure
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Destination:
Johnstone Straits, Vancouver Island, Canada
Species Seen:
Killer Whale (Orca)
Trip Operator:
Northern Lights
August 2005
Diane C RossSource: DCR Images |
Diane went on a six day kayaking with Killer Whales trip and had the time of her life. There were 6 double kayaks of tourists and two single kayaks for the guides. The sight of a six foot dorsal fin heading right for your kayak and then glide down into the water less than 12 feet from you and then appear on the other side of your kayak at the same distance is something that has to be experienced to be believed. Diane will also never forget the sound of a Killer Whale breaking the surface and exhaling nearby which is often the first indication that they are close...
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Destination:
Johnstone Straits, Vancouver Island, Canada
Species Seen:
Killer Whale (Orca)
Trip Operator:
Great Pacific Adventures
August 2004
KimSource: Bootsnall |
Kim chose the perfect time for whale watching tours because the 3 resident killer whale pods had joined to form a "super pod". The whole pod of 20 - 30 orcas swam past them at about 30 - 40 metres distance from the boat and they spent about an hour in the area which was amazing. The tour took about 3 hours and they travelled in an ocean cruiser which proved to be better than the zodiac boats when on the trip back they encountered rough seas...
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| East Canada |
= Trip Summary = Full trip report = Video clip |
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Destination:
Les Ascoumins, Quebec
Species Seen:
Blue rorquals, beluga whales
Trip Operator:
Les Écumeurs du Saint-Laurent
28 August 2010
Anne-Sophie Michaut, CanadaSource: Review submitted |
Recently Added Review!!
Despite the cold and some discomfort on the boat, Anne-Sophie had a great time on a 3-hour whale watching cruise.
Whale watching hattrick »
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| Destination: Nova Scotia
Species Seen:
Blue Whales
Katherine Boucher, Montreal, CanadaSource: Review submitted |
"I visited my gran and we went on one of the whale watching tours as a family. Our tour operator provided a little bit of info on the whales themselves but not overly so, to the 20 people on our boat.
We must have seen about 5 blue whales up close (right next to the boat) and others further away. It was fun and exciting. There wasn't much waiting time - as soon as we headed out, we started seeing them.
Life jackets were supplied and as we headed out to sea a guy was on the speaker telling us where to look. People were taking photos. We spent a little over an hour at sea.
I recommend whale watching but not necessarily with the tour I took, which I rate 7 out of 10."
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Destination:
Reykjavik, Iceland
Species Seen:
Minke
27 July 2007
Michael & Kelley Turner, USASource: TravelBlog |
Michael and Kelley went exploring in Reykjavik at a time of year when this area is famous for the appearance of puffins and whale watching tours, so they joined a half day boat trip.
The puffins were flying away from the island at the boat's appearance, making the only fascinating aspect of this sighting their low flight across the water before heading for the sky.
The boat ride left Michael a little queasy, and got Kelley soaked in water before long which led to the two of them seeking shelter and calm below deck. Michael says that they were laughing about the possibility of a whale surfacing to dance for them on their side of the boat while the rest of the group were keeping their eyes peered at the front when suddenly, that is exactly what happened as a minke whale jumped out of the water and stunned them with some apparently unusual acrobatics…
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| Tonga |
= Trip Summary = Full trip report = Video clip |
Destination:
Ha'apai, Tonga
Trip Operator:
Fins n Flukes
Species Seen:
Humpback
August 2011
Jennifer Edwards, New Zealand
Source: Review submitted |
Recently Added Review!!
Jennifer went out to sea on 3 different days and saw plenty of humpback whales, displaying all sorts of behaviour.
Apart from boat based viewing, she got to swim with the whales on each occasion - although she warns it will not always be possible for everyone because the whales' space and temperaments are respected.
Share in her magical experience with whales »
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Destination:
Ha'apai, Tonga
Trip Operator:
Fins 'n' Flukes
Species Seen:
Humpback
July 2011
Amber & Brett, USA
Source: Review submitted |
Recently Added Review!!
Amber & Brett chose this operator because of other positive reviews on the internet, and has only praise for the work Fins 'n' Flukes does and the way they do it.
Apart from watching and swimming with a humpback whale calf they saw dolphins as well and also did a day of scuba diving with the same operator.
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Destination:
Vava'u, Tonga
Trip Operator:
Melinda Sea Adventures
Species Seen:
Humpback
September 2007
Stella & Juergen Freund, AUS
Source: Review submitted |
Imagine being serenaded to sleep at night by the siren song of a humpback whale as you drift lazily in the swell on board a yacht around the Tonga islands.
For Stella and Juergen it became a reality on their whale watching holiday where they could interact with these amazing creatures...» Whale watching Tonga trip report
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Destination:
Vava'u, Tonga
Trip Operator:
Melinda Sea Adventures
Species Seen:
Humpback
September 2007
Bruce Watkins, USASource: Review submitted |
Swimming with whales must be one of the most enthralling ways to watch these leviathans of the deep and it's possible to do it in Tonga.
Bruce managed to spend up to an hour swimming with the whales and some of them came to within a short distance and looked him straight in the eye...» What swimming with whales is like
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| Boston, USA |
= Trip Summary = Full trip report = Video clip |
Destination:
Boston Harbor, USA
Species Seen:
Humpback, Fin
August 2007
Massimo Marengo, USASource: Massimo's blog |
Massimo and his friends saw humpbacks that swam rather close to their boat, and they also spotted fin whales including a mother and her calf.
He says that watching these great creatures roam free in the water always has quite an effect on him, evoking emotions that he cannot quite explain and a sense of belonging to nature in a way that we seem to take for granted as humans.
They were lucky to have been out at sea on a day that offered near perfect weather conditions and although he was not always this fortunate with previous whale watching tours, this time round all came together to make the trip truly worthwhile…
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Destination:
Boston Harbor, USA
Species Seen:
Humpback
July 2007
Anoop, IndiaSource: Anoop's blog |
Arriving at Boston Harbour with only minutes to spare before their whale watching tours activity commenced at 12:30 pm, Anoop and his friends did not manage time for a meal, but he says that this turned out to be a good thing since the rough waters can make one feel quite queasy. He says that they did purchase some food onboard, but that the quality left much to be desired.
For him, the remarkable thing about whale watching is that he got to see these creatures on their turf, a place where man has no power over what happens and where this mammal's true glory can be appreciated.
He says that the surest way to spot one of these beauties is to keep one's eyes peeled for blows, a process where the air released from their blow-holes makes for a watery mist to rise above the water as they surface to catch their breath.
They saw a few different humpbacks, distinguishable from each other by unique patterns on their fins. To Anoop, probably the most amazing sight was that of their tails lifting out from the water as they dive back in…
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Destination:
Magdalena Bay, Baja California
Trip Operator:
Dolphin Dive Center
Species Seen:
Grey Whales
March 2011
Zachary Hoover, USASource: Review submission |
Recently Added Review!!
Zachary saw about 6-7 "friendly" gray whales including a mother with calf.
He was very happy with Dolphin Dive Center, whom he says obviously had a lot of experience and knowledge about gray whale watching...
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Destination:
San Diego, CA
Trip Operator:
Hornblower Cruises
Species Seen:
Grey Whales, dolphins
12 February 2009, 1 day
Irving Elson, USASource: Review submission |
"A friend referred us to Hornblower for a whale watching trip. They did a great job. The guides were very informative and customer service oriented. I would definitely recommend them. They even give you a "return trip" guarantee if you don't see any whales. The boat was very large, and perhaps this was the only down side, about 120 people!
It was a beautiful San Diego day, temps about 60°F. We saw two grey whales and several species of dolphins. The boat came to a complete stop and we observed the whales swim by (about 50 yds off).
Boat left at 9:30 am (a light jacket for the trip out is handy - it was still cool in the am) and after a 55 minute ride, we encountered the first pod of dolphins and eventually the whale. During the entire period, a naturalist gave a talk about San Diego, the whales and their migrations. We were out at sea for 3 hours.
It's a once in a lifetime experience!! It was great value for money and we were very satisfied. I rate it 9 out of 10 - I only wish we could have spent more time "on station". Don't forget binoculars."
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Destination:
Puerto Madryn, Argentina
Species Seen:
Southern Right
June 2007, 3 days
Mike Scoones, UKSource: Review submission |
As part of his 9-month worldwide trip, Mike spent a bit of time in Patagonia. At Puerto Madryn, he stayed at a hostel which also arranges whale watching tours.
As his whale tour feedback (with photos) shows, it was very successful and even the sightings from land were excellent...
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