Whales

Imagine a 45’, thirty-ton humpback whale propelling itself clear out of the water in front of your boat. Or a blue whale - believed to be the largest animal that has ever lived on this planet - surfacing in the distance. Maybe you’ll even see the scarred fluke of a Sperm Whale as it prepares to dive more than 3,000 feet below the surface for a little giant squid snack. Usually whale watching trips have no shortage of dolphins either. Hardly the worst way to spend an afternoon.

There are 78 species of whales that can be found the world over, which is a relief considering how mercilessly they were hunted from the 17th to mid-20th century*. There are two distinct types of whales, toothed and baleen. Toothed whales are hunters, preying on fish, squid, marine mammals, and even other whales. Baleen whales have fringe-like “teeth” extending from their upper jaw that enables them to capture small fish, plankton, and crustaceans. Despite their diet of microorganisms, baleen whales are the largest creatures on earth.

*Frustratingly, whales still are routinely hunted in some parts of the world. We’re looking at you Japan, Norway, and Iceland.

Making it happen:

Each species of whale has it’s own habitat and migrational patterns, but whale watching tours are offered in coastal communities all over the world. Tour guides on each boat will be able to differentiate between species just by looking at the spout pattern, dorsal fins, or speed of the whales you are following. In some cases, guides can even identify individual whales that have been cataloged just by looking at the markings on their tail fins.