Last year, I decided to take my Mum on a whale watching trip for her birthday (experiences over material gifts, and all that😉 ). Neither of us is passionate about sailing and being out on the water in general, but we had a fantastic time nonetheless. Here’s what I learned from this adventure 🙂
- There are different kinds of whale watching trips – pay attention to the type and size of the boat. We went on an inflatable speed boat, seating around 20 people. This is pretty small for a tourist boat, and it makes for quite an intimate experience.
- The trip out to the ocean and back takes a little bit and can get boring. This is where being on a speed boat really paid off because it’s one of the fastest ways to get out to sea. It’s also the most fun!
- Whale watching involves a lot of sitting on a boat in the middle of the ocean (for me, this is far enough so that you can’t see the shore). The smaller the boat, the more sensitive it is to ocean swell, even mild one. Be prepared for seasickness. 🙂
- I wouldn’t count on taking amazing pictures. 🙂 The photos in advertising materials are always the best of the best shots taken over the years, so adjust your expectations. While you’ll most likely spot whales on your trip, it will not be a full breach, but something a bit less spectacular. But make no mistake – seeing even a small part of these majestic animals up close is breathtaking. You don’t want to miss it because you were tinkering with your camera.
