Top 10 whale-watching destinations

By Editorial Staff

Ahab pursued one. Jonah was swallowed by one. Nowadays, millions of people gather on shore or hop on a boat just to see one. Indeed, whales, those mammoth sea creatures that roam the ocean deep, continue to capture our imagination, filling us with fear and awe. Our ten favorite whale-watching destinations will help you spot the best of them all year long, and have a whale of a time doing it, too.

Azores
An isolated island chain in the midst of the Atlantic Ocean, the Portuguese-owned Azores find pods of sperm and short-finned pilot whales in their midst between June and September.

Cape Cod
There are such frequent whale sightings in the Atlantic waters surrounding Cape Cod, that the World Wildlife Fund named Massachusetts one of the top ten whale-watching spots in the world.

Dominica
Scuba divers already know this remote Caribbean island thanks to its brilliant coral reefs, magnificent sea life, and bubbling underwater hot springs. But the island recently earned a new title, as “Whale Watching Capital of the Caribbean,” which launched this eco-friendly destination to a whole new level.

Hawaii
Each winter, droves of visitors migrate to the tropical paradise of Hawaii at the same time as the state's animal, the humpback whale, also makes its way to the Aloha State from the northern Pacific.

Kaikoura, New Zealand
Located on the east coast of New Zealand’s South Island, the small seaside town of Kaikoura enjoys international acclaim as an eco-tourism center.
While the town is widely celebrated for its offshore whale population, it is the giant sperm whales that are sighted all year long here that give the town its claim to fame as one of the world’s most likely places to spot the mighty sea mammal.

Hermanus, South Africa
There’s no need to stretch your sea legs to glimpse a fluke or spout in Hermanus. Located in

Punchstock This may not be Moby Dick, but this whale sure knows how to flaunt it.

Walker Bay, at the southernmost tip of Africa, and often referred to as the Riviera of the South, Hermanus offers, hands-down, the best shore-based whale-watching opportunities in the world.

Los Cabos
As if the brilliant beaches, luxury resorts, and near-perfect year-round climate weren’t enough incentive to visit Los Cabos, there’s the added spectacle of spouting whales between January and March.

Orcas Island
No list of whale-watching destinations would be complete without a nod to Orcas Island, the largest of the islands off the coast of Washington state. Often touted as the “gem of the San Juan islands,” this nature-lovers' paradise also bears a name reminiscent of the killer whales that gather off its 125 miles of coastline.

Quebec
Quebec is home to two types of whales you're unlikely to see anywhere else. Not only might you spot a nearly-extinct North Atlantic right whale here – only about 250 remain, making for an especially exciting sighting if you do see one – but you're very likely to see beluga whales cruising down the St. Lawrence River.

San Diego
Sure, you could visit Shamu and entourage at SeaWorld, like everyone else, or you could opt to encounter gargantuan gray whales, in their natural element, out in the great blue yonder.

ShermansTravel is a guide to top travel deals and destinations. Sign up for Sherman's Top 25 e-newsletter which features the best editor-screened deals from hundreds of travel providers and is delivered to over 2.5 million subscribers, free, each week. ShermansTravel also publishes trip ideas and travel features to inspire, guide, and go.

Copyright © 2005 ShermansTravel

MORE FROM TRAVEL

Travel Section Front

Best American towns to visit by car A taste of the Obamas at Japan’s July 4th party Sears Tower set to open ‘Ledge’ to thrill seekers The Statue of Liberty then and now Dollar-saving strategies for summer travel Images: Polynesian paradise America's best summer getaways 2009 Hey, that’s not the hotel I booked Cheers! World’s 10 most legendary bars $2,850 to spend a night in a tent? You betcha Travel Section Front   Add Travel headlines to your news reader: