Whale-watching holidays

Many tour operators include a half-day, full-day or multiple whale-watching trips as part of a short activity break or longer holiday package – for example a long weekend in Iceland or a three-week cruise around the Antarctic Peninsula. A week-long holiday might include two or three whale-watching trips combined with various other activities, such as wildlife-spotting on land.

You can expect there to be a naturalist on board, and while out at sea there are other things to look for – seals, dolphins, seabirds, icebergs – depending on which part of the world you are in. It’s worth pointing out that no whale-watching trip can 100% guarantee sightings, but if you’re in a prime location at the right time of year your chances are good - around 90-95%.

Most holidays will be based on land, with one or more excursions out to sea to look for whales. Accommodation and meals will generally be included, but some itineraries will be half-board or B&B. A few – certainly in the case of Antarctica – will involve cruising at sea for several days.

WHERE AND WHEN TO GO
Everywhere that has a whale-watching industry will have a season, where there are reliable sightings. The Azores is one of the best places in the world for year-round sightings, but even here some months are better than others – and certain species can only be seen at certain times of year. Blue whales migrate in these waters in May and June, but other species such as sperm whales can be seen all year.

Iceland is another premier destination, with large numbers of orcas (killer whales) and other species including minke and humpback: late spring and summer are the best times. Western Scotland is a great option closer to home, with reliable sightings of minke whales in the summer, and sperm whales off the Outer Hebrides. There are fantastic whale-watching conditions in Norway (especially Svalbard in the high arctic), Greenland, Canada, Alaska, west coast USA, Hawaii, Mexico, South Africa, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and Australia.

And last, but certainly not least, is Antarctica: it’s expensive, but there’s nothing else quite like a voyage to the world’s coldest, remotest and emptiest continent. Most trips are 1-3 weeks in duration and whale-watching is just one part of an incredible experience: penguins, seals and other wildlife, plus scenery like nothing you have ever seen. Many trips will stop by at the Falklands and South Georgia en route.

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