HOW TO SPOT WHALES BEFORE ANYONE ELSE!
Be the expert of your trip with these interesting points on how to spot whales before anyone else!
Tips and tricks
Scanning Technique
Slowly scan from left to right and back again. Keep an eye both near the shore and out toward the horizon. Look for anything breaking the water’s surface.
Spotting Boats
Look for boats, especially if they’re stationary. Often, the best way to find marine mammals is by finding the people already watching them.
Log or Whale?
Whale-watchers often mistake floating logs or driftwood for marine mammals. Remember, real marine mammals are on the move—they surface, dive, and reappear in different spots. If what you see stays in one place for a long time, it’s probably not a whale.
Spouts or Blows
These water plumes form when whales exhale at the surface, resembling puffs of smoke on the horizon. Each species has a distinctive spout shape and size due to their unique blowhole configurations. For instance, gray whales have heart-shaped spouts from their double blow-holes, humpbacks have tall column-like spouts, and orcas have bushy-shaped blows. If you think you see a blow, keep watching, but remember whales can dive for over 10 minutes, so be patient.
Dorsal Fins
Every cetacean has a dorsal fin or ridge, but they vary in size, shape, and location. Gray whales have small dorsal ridges, while male orcas sport prominent triangular fins up to six feet tall.
Tail Flukes
Cetaceans’ powerful tail flukes are crucial for propulsion and are unique in shape and size for each species. Humpbacks, for example, have distinctive tail fluke markings that help identify individuals. Spotting a whale’s tail often means it’s diving, so you might need to wait a few minutes for it to resurface.
Behaviors
Cetaceans exhibit a variety of surface behaviors. A huge splash might mean a whale has breached, while a large area of splashes and ripples could indicate a pod of Pacific white-sided dolphins. Sea otters rarely come ashore, unlike river otters, which spend about half their time on land. So, an otter on shore is likely a river otter.
Come along for a sea of surprises!
Want to learn more about different whale species and see the rareities for yourself? Join us for the Adventure of a lifetime!
Recent Comments