Diving / snorkelling with whales
Discussion
... or other large charismatic megafauna.
Anyone done this? What and where and when?
I fancy going to the Azores and looking for big stuff motivated by what I have read about people snorkelling with Sperm Whales, or off Baja "blue diving" to see what swims by.
Smutty innuendo is expected, but any useful experiences preferred.
Anyone done this? What and where and when?
I fancy going to the Azores and looking for big stuff motivated by what I have read about people snorkelling with Sperm Whales, or off Baja "blue diving" to see what swims by.
Smutty innuendo is expected, but any useful experiences preferred.
Shaolin said:
... or other large charismatic megafauna.
Anyone done this? What and where and when?
I fancy going to the Azores and looking for big stuff motivated by what I have read about people snorkelling with Sperm Whales, or off Baja "blue diving" to see what swims by.
Smutty innuendo is expected, but any useful experiences preferred.
If you wanted to go to the Azores, the best time to visit for whales is May - October. The islands are primarily known for their sperm whales, but you can also see humpbacks, orca, minkes etc, though don't bet on it. There are also lots of doplhins and porpoises there. Anyone done this? What and where and when?
I fancy going to the Azores and looking for big stuff motivated by what I have read about people snorkelling with Sperm Whales, or off Baja "blue diving" to see what swims by.
Smutty innuendo is expected, but any useful experiences preferred.
Another place to consider would be the Silverbanks (part of the Dominican Republic) from late January - mid April. This is when the humpbacks come in to shallow water to give birth.
A lot further afield, Rurutu in Tahiti (july - October) and also Tonga (August & September) are good, but expensive to get to.
In ALL cases you cannot dive with the whales, you can only snorkel with them. This is not only because in most places it is illegal to dive with them, but also the bubbles spook the whales and send them packing. If you happend to be diving and you see a whale that is not usually a problem, but they certainly won't go searching for whales and let you drop in with scuba gear on.
If I can be of assistance, drop me an email via my web site (on my profile!)
Edited by Fezant Pluckah on Wednesday 9th September 10:50
Don said:
Whales: big boring f
kers. Honestly - they are NOT charismatic in the flesh. They have apalling halitosis. Once you've see the tail go up and a dive you've seen it.
Dolphins on the other hand are absolutely superb.
You've clearly not been in the water with a 45ft humpback with a 12ft calf, Don kers. Honestly - they are NOT charismatic in the flesh. They have apalling halitosis. Once you've see the tail go up and a dive you've seen it.Dolphins on the other hand are absolutely superb.
Given the choice of snorkelling with a whale or watching a few dolphin play on a bow wave, I know what I'd prefer.
Fezant Pluckah said:
You've clearly not been in the water with a 45ft humpback with a 12ft calf, Don
Actually, I have. Not the calf. I stand by my earlier assessment.Fezant Pluckah said:
Given the choice of snorkelling with a whale or watching a few dolphin play on a bow wave, I know what I'd prefer.
I swam with some Dusky Dolphins off the coast of Kaikoura (South Island, New Zealand). Ace. They swim about splashing the tourists, cartwheels, somersaults - the lot - simply wonderful beasts. And they do it just for FUN. No-one's feeding them. They just happen to find the silly humans entertaining to splosh. 
I've dived and snorkelled with dolphins on numerous occasions, and I've snorkelled with mother & calf humpback in Tahiti in water only 80ft deep with 200ft viz, and for me this was a much better experience. Thanks for the replies guys - interesting looking site FP - I'll look at it properly later, "it never rains but it pours" and I'm currently going through a bit of a cloudburst, can't complain though 
)
I'd be planning to go to the Azores next summer if I do, as I understand the season is more to do with weather and sea-state than what is around to see.
I haven't dived with dolphins, but have dived quite a few times when I've been joined by Southern Fur Seals which must be at least as amazing underwater. I've been spinning on the spot and failing to keep up with a seal that was swimming around me at arms length in about 5m of water. They also hang upside down and peer into your mask like some curious dog with nose about a foot from yours before zooming off with a casual flick of the flipper. That's all a bit long ago now though and I want to catch-up again.
As it happens I've been contacted by a film company to help promote a dvd they are releasing about whales, that was the final stimulus to give me a "project" to occupy me for a while - that and after buying Philip Hoare's "Leviathan" at Gatwick before going to Greenland last month where I saw some Humpbacks albeit a bit further away than I'd prefer. I'll put the promotional stuff on my website when I get around to it, the early pics I've seen are deeply impressive.
)I'd be planning to go to the Azores next summer if I do, as I understand the season is more to do with weather and sea-state than what is around to see.
I haven't dived with dolphins, but have dived quite a few times when I've been joined by Southern Fur Seals which must be at least as amazing underwater. I've been spinning on the spot and failing to keep up with a seal that was swimming around me at arms length in about 5m of water. They also hang upside down and peer into your mask like some curious dog with nose about a foot from yours before zooming off with a casual flick of the flipper. That's all a bit long ago now though and I want to catch-up again.
As it happens I've been contacted by a film company to help promote a dvd they are releasing about whales, that was the final stimulus to give me a "project" to occupy me for a while - that and after buying Philip Hoare's "Leviathan" at Gatwick before going to Greenland last month where I saw some Humpbacks albeit a bit further away than I'd prefer. I'll put the promotional stuff on my website when I get around to it, the early pics I've seen are deeply impressive.
havoc said:
Whale Sharks in the Indian Ocean?!?
Well Martin, a good place to seem them in the Indian Ocean would be Baa Atoll in the Maldives, between August and November. There is a good whale shark spot at the bottom of Ari Atoll as well, they seem to be there all year round, but it is quite highly dived and snorked. You can seen them in Mozambique at a place called Praia de Tofu between September and February. Also in the Seychelles between August and October.
Another good place to see them, away from the Indian Ocean, is Utila in Honduras, from February to May.
The best place by far to see them, anywhere in the world, is Wolf & Darwin Islands to the north of the Galapagos Islands. They are there in their dozens between July and early November. But it is an expensive place to get to, and you would have to go on a liveaboard dive boat. You'd be looking at £4000 or so for an all-in trip to get there.
Hope that assists!
Cheers
Jim
marine boy said:
On a more relevant note what about the Sea of Cortez off the Baja Pennisula
Yes - that's another possibility. I've read about blue-diving there. Drop in and see what comes by (a bit more to it than that in reality!).All sorts of big stuff maybe - or just a dive bobbing about at 20m looking at your depth gauge trying not to sink or float, conserving air and scanning the blue just in case. But what's the chances of an encounter? and would it be worth a few dives of seeing nothing?
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