Seeing whales in their natural environment is an unforgettable experience. If you know where to go, it can be the highlight of any vacation. You can enjoy the tour such as the whale watching Dana Point under the supervision of a number of trained guides worldwide. According to a report, whale-watching tourism generates about $2.1 billion in revenue annually.
Do you know which is the world’s best location for whale watching?
Here are the eight best locations for you.
1. Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
Johnson Strait, Vancouver Island, BC, Canada offers one of the best locations for watching Humpback, Orca, Minke, and Grey whales in their natural habitat. In spring, about 20000 grey whales cross through the Pacific coast.
The main attractions are the Pacific Rim Whale Festival, which happens from March 17-25 every year. Then, there is spotting migrating grey whales, and close-ups with 250 resident orcas. You can find some good whale tour companies here.
2. The Azores, Portugal
In the Azores, Portugal, you can watch the blue, Sei, baleen, sperm, short-finned pilot, and humpback whales in the wild, playing with dolphins and spy-hopping.
The key attraction here is the world’s largest animal, a 200-ton weighing blue whale. From Ponta Delgado, you can avail of guided tours by boat and spot the magnificent blue whales.
3. Baja California Sur, Mexico
You can watch a variety of whale species here like grey, sperm, humpback, minke, blue, Bryde’s, and fin. Some of them can be seen singing and being human friendly also.
The breeding lagoons of the Pacific coast and the availability of food in the Cortez Sea attract them to concentrate here. You can interact with the whales in Baja.
4. Puerto Madryn, Argentina
Puerto Madryn is also a famous whale-viewing point in Argentina, South America. Here you can see mainly orca and southern right whales, including 45-50 feet long baleen.
In June through December, the whales come closer to the shorelines and the tourists can enjoy them watching from near.
5. Hermanus, Western Cape, South Africa
In Hermanus, Western Cape, South Africa you can watch Bryde’s, Humpback, and Southern Right whales from May through December.
The main attraction here is the unique pattern-headed southern right whales which can be spotted differently from the shore and clifftop. Some humpbacks also can be found here.
6. Silver Bank, Dominican Republic
The world’s largest calving and breeding ground of humpbacks is Silver Bank, Dominican Republic. Here you can literally swim with whales in their natural habitat. It is also called the ‘Sanctuary for Marine Mammals’.
7. Hervey Bay, Australia
You can see about 7000 humpbacks with their calves from July through October in Hervey Bay, Southern Queensland. The best whale-watching place here is Great Sandy Marine Park, which is a protected area by Fraser Island.
You can see here the survival skill training of baby whales by their mother before returning to Antarctic waters.
8. Kaikoura, South Island, New Zealand
In Kaikoura, South Island, some species of whales like southern right, sperm, orca, humpback, and blue whales are found. The specialty of this destination is the year-round availability of sperm whales.
The spectacular snorkeling of sperm with seals and dolphins is the main attraction here.
Summing up, everyone should visit the world’s best location for whale watching at least once in their life to make their experience more enriched.