Whale watching involves traveling to see whales, either by boat or onshore. It is popular along the west coast of the US and Mexico. Whale spouts and above-water behaviors can be observed, and lucky sightings of active pods can occur. Researching the best times to see whales and preparing for a boat trip is recommended.
Whale watching is a form of tourism that involves traveling in search of whales. Most commonly, a whale-watching trip requires boarding a boat and sailing offshore to see whales, but people can also simply go to the seashore when whales are expected. Whale-watching trips are especially popular along the west coast of the United States and Mexico, where annual migrations of gray whales are very predictable, although people also watch whales in other parts of the world.
Some people find whales very interesting. These cetaceans are among the largest living organisms on Earth and are often used to symbolize the plight of marine mammals and the world’s oceans. Whales have historically been hunted by numerous civilizations, and have also been the subject of fascination and sometimes horror, as in the case of MoDick, when a whale destroys a whaler and her captain sets out to seek revenge.
On a well-organized whale-watching trip, people will at least have the chance to see whale spouts, created when whales surface after a trip and clear their blowholes to breathe. If people are lucky, they may be able to witness some of the above-water behaviors exhibited by whales, such as spy-hopping and fluking. When a spy whale, it literally pokes its head above the water to get a view of the surrounding area, resembling a groundhog emerging from its burrow. Fluking consists of lifting the tail completely out of the water and slapping it; some whales can also slap their fins.
Sometimes, a whale-watching trip passes through a particularly active pod of whales, and the whales can snap, flinging their bodies out of the water for a moment. In regions where whales are protected, curious animals may also approach the ship for a closer look, which can be exciting, although if the whale blows out of its blowhole to free it from the water, people could being faced with a smelly shower.
People interested in whale watching should research the best times to see whales in the areas they would like to travel to. Booking a trip on a whale-watching boat is the best way to see whales, since the boat can go out to see the whales offshore; such journeys can last a few hours or a few days. It’s a good idea to prepare for a boat trip with many layers of clothing, along with binoculars and a camera, and people who get seasick should take precautions. For those who don’t feel like boating, going out on cliffs or headlands to wait for whales can sometimes pay off.
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