Marine Life & Conservation Blogs
A Guide to Swimming with Whales
A guest blog from PADI to mark World Whale Day
There’s nothing more magical than an encounter with a gentle giant underwater. Looking into their all-knowing eyes, you’ll quickly realize you are a visitor in their world! Supporting responsible whale tourism around the world is a great way to support local conservation efforts and catch a glimpse of the ocean’s largest ambassadors.
As protected species in most of the waters of the world, often you are limited to viewing whales from afar on the deck of a boat. But if your dreams of swimming with whales run deep, then PADI, the world’s largest diving organisation with over 6,600 dive centers and resorts, can make those dreams come true.
In some parts of the world, it’s possible to not just view them from the deck of a boat, but to enter the water and responsibly swim with them – often without any dive training required!
From sperm whales to humpbacks to the charismatic orcas (who are actually dolphins but definitely deserve a spot on the list), these are the places around the world where it’s possible to meet a whale underwater. Why not celebrate this World Whale Day (Feb 20th 2022) by planning your dream adventure now.
Where to Swim with Humpback Whales
Humpbacks are famous for their mesmerizing whale songs, which can be heard by other whales many thousands of miles away. Growing 50 to 60 feet long, they are strong swimmers that can propel themselves completely out of the water and into the air (aka “breaching”). Getting their name from the small hump in front of their dorsal fin, the underside of each whale is unique in its pattern and pigmentation. Perhaps the coolest thing about humpbacks (besides their crazy water acrobatics) is that they are known to blow bubbles in order to confuse and catch fish!
Their long migrations lead them from the poles to the equator, allowing whale lovers to have close encounters along many diverse coastlines. While there are pretty tight regulations against swimming with humpbacks in much of the world, here are a few where it is legal through sustainable tourism operators.
1. Tonga: July -October
Every July through October, huge numbers of humpbacks travel north from Antarctica to Tonga to mate and calf. The best places to swim with the whales from my experience are the islands of Vava’u or Ha’apai. Only a handful of boat operators receive permits to go near the whales each year, and each boat can only take a small number of people, so booking your trip early is important.
2. Tahiti, French Polynesia: August – October
From August to October each year, humpbacks travel to Tahiti to birth their calves in the calm, warm waters off the island. Today, French Polynesia is a designated shark sanctuary and exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in order to protect its incredible marine life. Tahiti and Mo’orea are the main spots to swim with whales, offering both daily swim experience that also include the extra options of swimming in waterfalls and swimming with rays.
3. Western Australia: June – November
From June to November each year, approximately 40,000 whales migrate along the coastline of Ningaloo Marine Park, including Ningaloo Reef, in order to feed at the poles. Also referred to as Australia’s coral coast, Ningaloo is the site of a thriving coral reef which is home to other marine life including dolphins, rays, and turtles. Tours here take small groups on full day excursions to swim with the migrating whales and are designed to have little to no impact on the marine environment.
4. South Africa + Mozambique: July-October
Hundreds of humpback whales travel up the coast from Durban to Mozambique each July through October to mate and calf in the Indian Ocean. The coastal town of Tofo, which is also known for its population of whale sharks, is a great home base, where you can both snorkel and dive with the whales, as well as the countless other marine creatures that call the area home. Or you can catch them off the coast of South Africa during the infamous and epic sardine run.
5. Dominican Republic: January – April
The Dominican Republic’s Silver Bank is in a 650-square-mile marine sanctuary (now expanded as part of the “Sanctuary for the Marine Mammals of the Dominican Republic”) located about 50 miles north of the island. A large population of North Atlantic humpbacks gather here each winter and spring to mate and calf from the months of January through April. Take a week-long yacht trip to Silver Bank for the chance to to swim with the whales every day during the trip.
Where to Swim with Sperm Whales
Photo Credit: Jay Clue / Dive Ninja Expeditions
Sperm whales are the largest of the toothed whales, as they can grow to be nearly 60 feet long, and are recognizable by their huge, rounded foreheads. They can dive down more than 3,000 feet (deeper than nearly all other whales) and hold their breath for 90 minutes, which helps them in their quest to eat giant squid and 2,000 pounds of fish per day. Female whales and their calves travel in groups of 15 to 20, while male sperm whales usually travel on their own. They are the loudest animals on the planet, as the clicking sounds they make reach such an intense frequency (more than 200 dB) that the whales can hear each other’s clicks from thousands of miles away. (To a human, sounds over 110 dB can be painful, so sperm whale sounds could blow out your eardrums!) They’re not just loud, though, but also highly intelligent. A sperm whale’s brain is approximately six times the size of a human brain, making it the largest brain of any animal on Earth! (Another fun fact: the whale in Moby Dick is a sperm whale.)
Given that they dive down so deep and can be shy, the best way to swim with them is to find a group of ‘standing’ sperm whales, which is how they sleep. Through and through, sperm whales are gentle giants who sometimes even take interest in interacting with humans.
1. Dominican Republic: Winter Months
In the winter, females and their calves can be spotted off the shores of this Caribbean island nation, which is located halfway between the islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique. Swimming with these whales requires some pre-planning: permits are required, only snorkeling is allowed, and you must be accompanied by a licensed operator.
2. Sri Lanka: February – April
Off the northern coast of Sri Lanka, sperm whales can be spotted from February to April. Tour operators need to obtain a permit from the Sri Lankan government, with the majority of tours organised as a whale watching tours. But if you get lucky enough, there are a few that focus on actually swimming with these mystical creatures.
(*fun fact: Sri Lanka is also one of the only countries in the world where you can swim with the biggest mammal in the world, the blue whale. They aren’t particularly interactive, so your best bet is to jump in the water as it passes by, like a freight train, underneath you.)
Where to Swim with Orcas
Photo Credit: Pelagic Life
Often called killer whales, orcas are actually in the dolphin family, but they deserve a spot on this list because they’re beautiful, amazing and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to swim with. While known to be some of the deadliest creatures in the ocean, they are equally some of the most intelligent. They can even hunt great white sharks! Orcas travel in pods of up to 40, so if you see one, there’ll be dozens more close by.
1. Norway: October – February
From the end of October to the beginning of February, the Tromsø region in the far north of Norway is perhaps the best place to see killer whales in their natural habitat, thanks to the high concentration of herring which brings thousands of orcas (and humpbacks, too) all to one geographical location. Scuba diving typically is not necessary, as the whales remain pretty close to the surface, but snorkeling and swimming are common each winter. Luckily, the orcas are not on the hunt for anything but fish, so they won’t take any interest in you. Because an adventure like this must be so tightly planned and regulated, spots are few and planning ahead is important. Booking online is easy, though, and there are many tours and excursions to choose from.
2. Baja California Sur: All Year Long
Baja California Sur’s magical waters offer an incredible array of opportunities to swim with all sorts of marine life, including orcas. You can easily hop on an exploratory trip with PADI Dive Center Dive Ninja Expeditions with the goal of finding resident pods of orcas that live and hunt off the coastline. There are on average, three core pods of orcas that swim through these waters, making an encounter with them highly likely!
Header Image: Jay Clue / Dive Ninja Expeditions
The Ocean Cleanup, the global non-profit project, has removed a verified all-time total of ten million kilograms (22 million lbs.) of trash from oceans and rivers around the world – approximately the same weight as the Eiffel Tower.
To complete its mission of ridding the oceans of plastic, The Ocean Cleanup uses a dual strategy: cleaning up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) to remove the plastic already afloat in the oceans, while stopping the flow of plastic from the world’s most polluting rivers.
Through cleaning operations in the GPGP and in rivers in eight countries, the cumulative total of trash removed has now surpassed ten million kilograms. This milestone demonstrates the acceleration of The Ocean Cleanup’s impact, while underlining the astonishing scale of the plastic pollution problem and the need for continued support and action.
While encouraging for the mission, this milestone is only a staging point: millions more tons of plastic still pollute our oceans and The Ocean Cleanup intends to continue learning, improving and innovating to solve this global catastrophe.
This announcement comes as governments from around the world meet to continue negotiations to develop a new legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution at INC4 in Ottawa, Canada. Representatives of The Ocean Cleanup will be in attendance and the organization will be urging decision-makers to collaborate towards a comprehensive and ambitious global treaty which addresses plastic at all stages of its life cycle and in all marine environments worldwide, including in areas beyond national jurisdiction.
It is encouraging to see that the need for remediation is reflected in the various options for potential treaty provisions. It is essential that the final treaty contains clear targets for the remediation of legacy plastic pollution, and reduction of riverine plastic emissions.
Tackling plastic pollution requires innovative and impactful solutions. The treaty should therefore incentivize the innovation ecosystem by fostering innovations that make maximal use of data, technology and scientific knowledge – such as those designed and deployed by The Ocean Cleanup.
‘After many tough years of trial and error, it’s amazing to see our work is starting to pay off – and I am proud of the team who has brought us to this point.’ said Boyan Slat, Founder and CEO of The Ocean Cleanup. ‘While we still have a long way to go, our recent successes fill us with renewed confidence that the oceans can be cleaned.’
The Ocean Cleanup was founded in 2013 and captured its first plastic in 2019, with the first confirmed catch in the GPGP coming soon after the deployment of Interceptor 001 in Jakarta, Indonesia. After surpassing one million kilograms of trash removed in early 2022, the non-profit project has since progressed to the third iteration of its GPGP cleaning solution, known as System 03, and a network of Interceptors currently covering rivers in eight countries, with more deployments set for 2024.
About The Ocean Cleanup
The Ocean Cleanup is an international non-profit organization that develops and scales technologies to rid the world’s oceans of plastic. They aim to achieve this goal through a dual strategy: stemming the inflow via rivers and cleaning up the legacy plastic that has already accumulated in the ocean. For the latter, The Ocean Cleanup develops large-scale systems to efficiently concentrate the plastic for periodic removal. This plastic is tracked and traced through DNV’s chain of custody model to certify claims of origin when recycling it into new products. To curb the tide via rivers, The Ocean Cleanup has developed Interceptor™ solutions to halt and extract riverine plastic before it reaches the ocean. Founded in 2013 by Boyan Slat, The Ocean Cleanup now employs a broadly multi-disciplined team of approximately 140. The foundation is headquartered in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
For more information, visit: theoceancleanup.com and follow @theoceancleanup on social media.
In this series, the Shark Trust will be sharing amazing facts about different species of sharks and what you can do to help protect them.
This month we’re taking a look at the Dusky Shark, a highly migratory species with a particularly slow growth rate and late age at maturity.
Dusky sharks are one of the largest species within the Carcharhinus genus, generally measuring 3 metres total length but able to reach up to 4.2 metres. They are grey to grey-brown on their dorsal side and their fins usually have dusky margins, with the darkest tips on the caudal fin.
Dusky Sharks can often be confused with other species of the Carcharhinus genus, particularly the Galapagos Shark (Carcharhinus galapagensis). They have very similar external morphology, so it can be easier to ID to species level by taking location into account as the two species occupy very different ecological niches – Galapagos Sharks prefer offshore seamounts and islets, whilst duskies prefer continental margins.
Hybridisation:
A 2019 study found that Dusky Sharks are hybridising with Galapagos Sharks on the Eastern Tropical Pacific (Pazmiño et al., 2019). Hybridisation is when an animal breeds with an individual of another species to produce offspring (a hybrid). Hybrids are often infertile, but this study found that the hybrids were able to produce second generation hybrids!
Long distance swimmers:
Dusky sharks are highly mobile species, undertaking long migrations to stay in warm waters throughout the winter. In the Northern Hemisphere, they head towards the poles in the summer and return southwards towards the equator in winter. The longest distance recorded was 2000 nautical miles!
Very slow to mature and reproduce:
The Dusky Shark are both targeted and caught as bycatch globally. We already know that elasmobranchs are inherently slow reproducers which means that they are heavily impacted by overfishing; it takes them so long to recover that they cannot keep up with the rate at which they are being fished. Dusky Sharks are particularly slow to reproduce – females are only ready to start breeding at roughly 20 years old, their gestation periods can last up to 22 months, and they only give birth every two to three years. This makes duskies one of the most vulnerable of all shark species.
The Dusky Shark is now listed on Appendix II of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS), but further action is required to protect this important species.
Scientific Name: Carcharhinus obscurus
Family: Carcharhinidae
Maximum Size: 420cm (Total Length)
Diet: Bony fishes, cephalopods, can also eat crustaceans, and small sharks, skates and rays
Distribution: Patchy distribution in tropical and warm temperate seas; Atlantic, Indo-Pacific and Mediterranean.
Habitat: Ranges from inshore waters out to the edge of the continental shelf.
Conservation status: Endangered.
For more great shark information and conservation visit the Shark Trust Website
Images: Andy Murch
Diana A. Pazmiño, Lynne van Herderden, Colin A. Simpfendorfer, Claudia Junge, Stephen C. Donnellan, E. Mauricio Hoyos-Padilla, Clinton A.J. Duffy, Charlie Huveneers, Bronwyn M. Gillanders, Paul A. Butcher, Gregory E. Maes. (2019). Introgressive hybridisation between two widespread sharks in the east Pacific region, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 136(119-127), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2019.04.013.
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