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Watching
Whales
There's nothing quite like watching
whales out in their natural habitat doing what whales do. A lot of people
have asked me questions over the years about whale watching, what to bring,
and where to go. For that reason, I made this page which offers info and
advice for picking a good whale watching company and pointers on how to
make your whale watch enjoyable and memorable.
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Choosing
a Whale Watch Company
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Choosing
the right whale watch company can make or break your whale watching experience.
Here are some guidelines to help you choose a good company.
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Respectful
of the Whales Safety - Companies that intentionally put whales in danger
or continuously harrass whales is not only being disrespectful, but they're
also irresponsible! Most whale watches will simply go on looking for a
different whale if the one that they found doesn't co-operate or is showing
signs of being bothered.
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Affiliated
w/Research - It's best to pick a whale watch who either donates a portion
of their profits or is affiliated in some way with a research and conservation
organization. This is to ensure that they are promoting conservation.
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Sightings
Guarantee - Most companies will say 'sightings guaranteed', but because
whales are wild animals and able to roam wherever they choose, it's nearly
impossible to really 'guarantee' sightings. It's important that they also
offer rainchecks (which is the most poplular) or your money back when they
don't find whales.
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Quality
Time with Whales - You'll definitely want a whale watch company who
spends quality time with individual whales instead of just trying to make
their numbers increase. In other words, wouldn't it be better to get several
really nice looks at an individual whale as opposed to getting a quick
glimpse at 10 different whales?
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Tips
For a Successful Whale Watch
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Take
Some Dramamine: The boat is constantly in motion. Rocking from side
to side on the waves. I've seen a lot of people get really sick while on
the boat because they suffer from motion sickness. Taking Dramamine ahead
of time would most likely have helped them. Wristbands may also be available
at some places.
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Dress
in Layers: Because the ocean is about 10-20 degrees cooler than the
temperatures inland, you should always dress in layers. I always get a
kick out of people who show up wearing sandals, a pair of shorts, and a
tank top without a sweater or jacket. More times than not these people
end up sitting in the cabin because they're to cold to be out in the air.
I always (even when it's supposed to be hot and humid) dress in a pair
of sneakers (sometimes the boat is wet and sneakers help if you have to
move around to see the whales), a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and either
a rain coat or a sweater. In all of the trips that I've been on, I can
only remember not needing the sweater a few times. It's much better to
be prepared.
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Bring
a Camera With a Decent Zoom: You never know what you're going to see
while you're out on the water. You may be unfortunate and only get a quick
glimpse of a whale or you may get extremely lucky and have a whale or two
come to within feet of the boat!! Since whales are wild animals and you're
seeing them in their natural habitat you may be able to see some unexpected
behavior (open mouth feeding, breaching, etc.). These are the things that
you should definitely try to catch on film!! I know I couldn't imagine
going on a whale watch without my camera. Keep in mind thought that these
are wild animals and more times than not, they will stay pretty distant
from the boat. A good zoom is normally required in order to get good pictures.
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Watch
the Young Ones: If
you're going to bring your young children on a whale watch, please be sure
to pay attention to them. I can't say how frustrating it is to be trapped
on a boat with screaming kids running around and/or climbing on the railings/benches
(which is a safety hazard). It's definitely not fair to the other paying
passengers or the crew on the boat to have to watch your kids.
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Don't
Give Up: If you've gone on your first whale watch and was disappointed
due to the weather/ocean conditions or lack of sightings, don't give up
thinking that all trips are like this!! If I based my whole whale watching
experience on my first sighting I never would've went again. My first trip
out was a cold and windy day. The ocean was rough and we only had one short
sighting. It was a humpback whale named Pinball, but she was swimming very
erratically and stayed far ahead of us so we didn't get a very good look.
It was disappointing, but I knew that this was just "one of those days"
and that I should give it another shot. As you can see by the galleries
my patience and persistence has paid off as I've been able to see so many
unforgettable things.
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Pictured Above
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An adult Fin Whale
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at the surface.
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7/21/07
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