Whale watching tours offer glimpses of the largest mammals to inhabit the Earth. Whether it’s a humpback’s tail or a fin slapping on the surface of the water, a gray’s big solemn eye gazing up at you or an orca breaching out of the water like an acrobat, you won’t soon forget your first encounter with a whale. A whale-watching cruise can depart from nearly any ocean in the world, but some places are better than others. You also have to know when the “whale watching season” begins and ends in certain regions, as whales are largely migratory opportunists. In this article, you will learn about some of the best places to take your next cruise.
Visit Iceland, Britain, Norway or the Arctic Circle to take whale watching tours based out of Europe. Grays, humpbacks, orcas and minkes are the most common varieties found regionally, but you will also see puffins, harbor porpoises, white-beaked dolphins, Arctic terns and giant fish as well. Hvalalf based out of Reykjavik, Iceland is one of the more popular operators of whale watching cruises in European waters, with a 100-person restaurant boat renowned for its fresh-grilled cod.
Hawaii is the most popular playground for more than 6,000 humpbacks from November through May, so check out operators like the Pacific Whale Foundation, Aloha Hawaii Vacations or Hawaiian Discount for more cruise information.
Popular tour operators in the Northeast include 7 Seas Whale Watch, Cape Ann Whale Watch, Yankee Fleet and Captain Bill and Sons based out of Massachusetts. In New York, try Acadian Whale Adventures or Whales R Us. In Maine, look up Bar Harbor Whales, Captain Fish’s Whale Watch or Odyssey Whale Watch. Rhode Island offers cruises by Frances Fleet and New Jersey offers whale watching by Cape May Whale & Dolphin Watch.
For more information you can visit www.whalewatching.com, where you’ll get a great overview of different whale watching cruise opportunities. Here you can read descriptions of each local operator’s services, read about the latest whale sightings and learn which places are in season for spotting the most whales.
Whale watching cruises offer travelers the opportunity to observe whales in their natural environment. Click here to discover some of the best places to go on a whale watch cruise.