Whales abroad and while traveling: are they dangerous, where do you encounter them, where can you see them?

What are whales?

• When people go whale watching in nature, they usually mean the so-called baleen whales (from fin whale, the 'pirates', to the pygmy whale).
• Well-known whale species are the Blue whale, the Northern and Southern Right whale, the Greenland whale and the Humpback whale.
• Whales often live in the open sea, because they have baleen instead of teeth, they only eat plankton and small crustaceans.
• The whale shark is not a whale but a shark, which resembles a baleen whale in its way of eating.
• The different whale species often live in the open sea, but in certain periods they come closer to the coast or have their young in shallow coastal zones. These are the moments when many travellers try to spot a whale from the coast or from a boat.

Where can you encounter whales in the wild while travelling and abroad?

Argentina

• Puerto Madryn: September and October in particular are fantastic for seeing Southern Right Whales.

Canada

• Vancouver:
  • in the long summer you can see blue whales (fin whale), humpback whales (humpback whale), minke whales (minke whales), orcas (killer whales).
  • in the spring 10 to 20,000 gray whales pass by every year.
• Québec: in the somewhat shorter summer you can see blue whales, humpback whales, minke whales, right whales, orcas and white dolphins (belugas).

Colombia

• Places like Nuqui, Solano and Málaga are on the route of the annual humpback whale migration.
• Dominica (island in the Caribbean).
• Sperm whales (winter), humpback whales (spring), false killer whales.

Greenland

• Humpback whales at Disko Bay.

Iceland

• Reijkjavík and especially Húsavík: humpback whales, minke whales, pilot whales, orcas, sperm whales and fin whales in various species.

Mexico

• Baja California Sure and Bahia De Banderas: in spring you can see humpback whales, blue whales, humpback whales, minke whales and sperm whales.

New Zealand

• South Island: humpback whales (in summer), orcas (winter), sperm whales (all year).

Portugal

• In the Azores, in the nutrient-rich waters in spring and early summer, blue whales (fin whale), humpback whales (humpback whales), minke whales (minke whales), orcas (killer whales) and sperm whales all year round.

Scotland

• In West Scotland you can encounter a whale all year round, but during the migration in the long summer you have the best chance on humpback whales, sperm whales, orcas at the Shetland Islands and minke whales at the Hebrides.

Sri Lanka

• In the south of Sri Lanka you can spot blue whales, humpback whales and sperm whales in early spring.

South Africa

• Western Cape: at Hermanius is a humpback paradise where you can see humpback whales from May to December.

Are whales dangerous?

• Fortunately, there are few accidents with whales, but whales can be dangerous.
• This is especially the case if you get close to the whale or its calf and it does not feel like it or feels threatened. They can then hit with their gigantic tail, or even bite.
• There is also a small chance that you will get diseases and parasites if you come into contact with whale saliva or urine.
• Conversely, people are also a danger to whales. For example, the chemicals in sunscreen are bad for whales and other marine life. Disruption by overly enthusiastic tour guides still occurs regularly

Where can you work, volunteer or intern with whales abroad?

• Counting, observing and protecting whales is a possibility to work with whales as an intern researcher or volunteer abroad.
• There are opportunities in Canada, Australia and Scotland, among others.