Go Whale Watching

The adventure

First you see the blow: a puff of mist on the horizon, then another, and the boat turns towards it. You glimpse a long dark back rolling through the surface, then the tail lifts high, water pouring off its edge, and the whale dives. Everyone waits, cameras ready, trying to guess where it will come up.

Then, without warning, a humpback hurls itself almost clear of the water, twists in mid-air and crashes back down in an explosion of spray. In Húsavík, whales feed in a fjord ringed by snowy mountains; in Hermanus, southern right whales come so close to shore that you can watch them from the cliff path; in Kaikōura, sperm whales surface beside the boat between deep dives into an underwater canyon. Wherever you go, the sheer size and power of them stays with you.

Why it’s epic

Húsavík in north Iceland is known as Europe's whale-watching capital, with humpbacks and minke whales most summer days.
Hermanus has some of the best land-based whale watching in the world, with southern right whales from around June to November.
In Kaikōura, a deep undersea canyon close to shore brings sperm whales within reach all year.
Blue whales, the largest animals that have ever lived, can be seen off Mirissa in Sri Lanka and in Monterey Bay.

What it is

Whale watching is a chance to see humpbacks, orcas and blue whales in the wild.

How to do it

Popular places include Húsavík in Iceland, Hermanus in South Africa and Kaikōura in New Zealand.

Top tip

Take seasickness tablets.

Need to know

Timing matters, as whales migrate; check the season for the species you most want to see.
Seas can be rough, so take seasickness tablets before you sail and stay on deck in the fresh air.
Choose operators that follow local whale-watching codes on speed and distance.

Do it yourself

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My experience

Ticked off, but the full story is still to be written up.