Whales
Grey Whales, Humpback Whales, Whale Sharks and more...
Gray Whale
Baja Mexico
These Gray Whales travel the farthest of any whale, 5000 miles from their feeding grounds in the high Arctic. Magdelena Bay is home to the thousands of whales from end of January through February. Here you will observe the sights of baby whales at play, or the resounding splash of single males and females in their dramatic display called breaching.
Humpback Whale
Rurutu, Tahiti
Rurutu is the most northerly of the Austral Islands, located 355 miles southwest of Tahiti. A very pretty and hilly island with a circumference of 20 miles. Rurutu's main village is called Moerai, and home to the islands 2000 inhabitants.
Rurutu does not have the wide lagoons found in the Society Islands. Limestone grottoes with stalactites and stalagmites invoice explorers. This is great for snorkeling, diving and watching whales.
The most special attraction and most important to divers are the arrival of the HUMPBACK whales from July through October! Here you are able to get very close on snorkel. This is a very remote place and the accommodation is very basic. Who cares when you have the whales to yourself!
Silver Bank, Dominican Republic
Silver Bank is an area in the Atlantic Ocean north of the Dominican Republic and southeast of the Territory of Turks & Caicos. It covers an area of 1680 km². It is separated from Mouchoir Bank in the west by Silver Bank Passage, and from Navidad Bank in the east by Navidad Bank Passage. It is a shallow underwater area that almost reaches the ocean's surface in most areas (60 feet deep in the shallow parts), but is mostly submerged. In its northern reaches many coral heads reach the ocean surface, especially at low tide. Also, amongst the coral heads is the wrecked freighter Polyxeni, most of which is above the surface. Persons can board the Polyxeni only with governmental permission.
Because the Silver Bank is shallow, it is not suitable for large ships to use the area for passage. In fact, any boats in the area should obtain permission before entering the bank.
This area is considered a part of the Dominican Republic, as is Navidad Bank east of it. On Oct. 14, 1986, the Dominican Republic established the Silver Bank Sanctuary to protect this area as a safe haven for sea mammals. On July 5, 1996, a Dominican presidential decree enlarged the area and declared it the Sanctuary for Marine Mammals. The Silver Bank has long been a breeding and calving area for humpback whales.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tonga
Each winter nature calls the magnificent humpback whales to return to the pristine waters of Vava'u (part of the Kingdom of Tonga) to frolic, mate and breed. Humpback Whale season is late July through October. We have liveaboard, land-based or kayak whale watching trips available to help you spend time in the water photographing the humpback whales, watching or just reveling in the awesome grandeur that will stay with you for the rest of your life. From the sight of the first breach at day break to the silhouette of whales resting at sundown will surely fill you with unbridled emotion and wonder at the magic our oceans hold for us.
The Vava'u group comprises over 60 picturesque little islands, palm trees and white sand beaches. Just up the harbor a few minutes away lies a magnificent wreck dive the "Clan McWillian" with decks and that are covered in these wonderful flower like clumps of soft coral. Impressive cave dives, wonderful valleys of gorgonian fans, swim throughs, pristine hard coral reefs of all varieties, drift diving on walls and reefs, colorful soft corals, outcrops and a myriad of fish.
Whale Shark
The whale shark inhabits all tropical and warm-temperate seas. Primarily pelagic, seasonal feeding aggregations occur at several coastal sites such as the southern and eastern parts of South Africa; Gladden Spit in Belize; Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia; Great Rann of Kutch in India; Útila in Honduras; Southern Leyte. Donsol, Pasacao and Batangas in the Philippines; off Isla Mujeres and Isla Holbox in Yucatan, Mexico; Ujung Kulon National Park in Indonesia; Nosy Be in Madagascar Off Tofo Reef near Inhambane in Mozambique, and the Tanzanian islands of Mafia, Pemba, Zanzibar and, very rarely, Eilat, Israel.
Although typically seen offshore, it has been found closer to land, entering lagoons or coral atolls, and near the mouths of estuaries and rivers. Its range is generally restricted to about ±30° latitude. It is capable of diving to depths of at least 1,286 metres (4,219 ft), and is migratory. On 7 February 2012, a large whale shark was found floating 150 kilometres (93 mi) off the coast of Karachi, Pakistan. The length of the specimen was said to be between 11 and 12 metres (36 and 39 ft), with a weight of around 7,000 kilograms (15,000 lb).
In 2011 the largest aggregation of whale sharks ever recorded was reported from the Yucatan coast of Mexico, in which more than 400 animals gathered in one place to feed on spawn from the little tunny, Euthynnus alletteratus.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Whale Article: Whales ... We owe them an apology
By Philip Hoare
Article URL: http://www.slate.com/id/2246776/
Philip Hoare is the author of The Whale: In Search of the Giants of the Sea.
