Without a doubt, the 1970s Save the Whales campaign has been the most successful ever and it took something like that to save these majestic creatures that were almost hunted to extinction. All whale species are increasing in numbers, with the majority already off the ‘critically endangered’ list. The public interest in whale conservation is high and an entire whale-watching industry emerged all over the world, and with that in mind, here is out top 5 list of the best whale watching destinations.
- Kaikoura, New Zealand – This venue is the home to several whale species; Humpback Whale, Orca, Pilot and Blue Whale, depending on the time of the year. This is a deep-water region with protected bays, making it ideal for watching the whales; June and July for the Humpbacks, while the Orca frequent the area from December to March.
- Sydney, Australia – All along the NSW coast there are Sydney whale watching tour operators, as this is a major migration route for Humpback Whales, as they move from the feeding grounds in Antarctica up to the tropical waters off northern QLD. You can book online and the best time is between May and November, when you are virtually guaranteed close-op encounters with whales.
- Maui, Hawaii, USA – From November to April is the whale watching season in Hawaii, where the Humpbacks are making their migration from the North Pacific and with crystal clear water in this sheltered area, you can watch the incredible surface behaviour of the Humpback Whale and other species.
- Seattle, Washington, USA – There are some great Orca spotting areas off Whidbey Island and along the San Juan Islanda, where pods of Orcas hunt Harbour Seals and if you are there between May and October, this is along the route of the annual northern Humpback migration.
- Hermanus, South Africa – There is actually a stretch of coastline where you can observe the Southern Right Whale, with benches and telescopes, although there are whale watching vessels that go out each day. The Hermanus Whale Festival occurs in late September/early October, when the locals celebrate the arrival of the whales.
Prior to making any booking, you can learn a lot about the whales and their amazing surface behaviours, oh, and when you do set off, make sure you have a camera and a lot of memory space for awesome videos and stills, which you can post on your Facebook page.
