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Whales, Sharks, etc.

Great White Sharks: Guadalupe, Mexico | Farallon Islands, California | S. Africa | S. Australia

Whale Watching: Whales, Whales, Whales | Sea of Cortez Wildlife Cruise

Magdalena Bay Whale Watching Basecamp | San Ignacio Lagoon Whale Watching Basecamp

Whales: Minke Whales | Dolphins | Gray Whales | Humpback Whales | Whale Sharks

Whales, Sharks, etc.

Humpback Whales:

Dominican Republic

Researchers have estimated that from late January through late March, up to three thousand of the gentle, beloved Humpback Whales migrate from their northern feeding grounds to congregate each winter to the Silver Banks of the Dominican Republic. The Northern Hemisphere Humpback arrives here to mate and give birth. You are likely to see a variety of different behaviors, including mothers demonstrating to their offspring how to breathe, spyhop and tail slap. Underwater you will hear the male's courtship song. Above water you will witness lots of ramming, lob-tailing and fin slapping exhibited by male whales competing for females.

Frequently, young humpbacks demonstrate their newly acquired behavior right in front of your boat. Meanwhile, sexually active males compete vigorously for the available females. A dominant whale will sometimes protect its territory by ramming other males. We often see dueling fins and tail, whales blowing protective walls of bubbles, head butting, and breaching designed to show off and intimidate.

Close encounters range in duration from a few seconds to several hours, depending on the mood and inclinations of the whales. Sometimes young calves will leave their mothers sides to inspect you. You will have the opportunity to hear the wondrous, magical songs of the humpbacks, as males sing to females.

The Humpbacks are endangered due to human greed. They have been harvested almost to extinction until 1986, and their comeback since then has been slow. Humpbacks of the Northern Hemisphere are doing better than their relatives in the Southern Hemisphere. In total, it is assumed that there are 15,000 animals in the wild compared to 150,000 during the hunting days.

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 trips available to help you spend time in the water photographing the humpback whales 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.

Humpbacks in Tonga
Humpback Trips Aboard the Nai'a in Tonga

AUSTRAL ISLANDS - 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 and diving.

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!

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