THEY’RE BACK!!!
Who’s back?
The whales are back…the whales are back!!!
Whale Watching is one of our favourite things to do. Yeah I know…you’re asking yourself…isn’t wind surfing…oh wait beachcombing…oh and yeah turtle watching your favourite things to do? Well yeah you’re right we did say those are our favourite things to do. But when you live on an island paradise like we do you can’t just have one favourite thing…so whale watching is one as well…and be sure in a few weeks we’ll share some more of our other favourite things to do…our list is endless 😉
The turquoise clear waters of the Caribbean Sea surrounding our beautiful island not only adorns our picturesque beaches that we boasts to have 365 of, but during the months of February to May it is whale watching season as the Humpback Whales pass through with their families heading for cooler waters up North.
Words cannot begin to describe the truly magnificent feeling of watching the majestic Humpback Whale and the moment it breaks the surface of the water whether it is a few feet next to your tour boat or from the shoreline of the beach. You don’t have to be a whale lover to enjoy the moment of awe and excitement you feel as you hastily look for your phone debating whether you should take a picture or call someone excitedly telling them “I just saw a whale, I just saw a whale…oh my god is was so awesome…I just saw a whale…it was so beautiful…oh my god”
Well for the past two weeks there has been lots of that kind of excitement and activity on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram of daily whale sightings and photos by fans and tour operators like Adventure Antigua, Jabberwocky, Miramar Sailing and Overdraft Sport Fishing. Sightings of pods as large as ten in areas such as Shirley’s Heights, Falmouth Harbour, Willoughby Bay, Cades Reef and Green Island.
Here are some of the beautiful photos shared on Facebook Group – Antigua & Barbuda Whale and Dolphin Network.
The first sign that whales are around is usually the blow. A humpback breathes through the blow hole on top of its head and when it expels its breath the burst of air and water vapour can be seen as far as two kilometres away on a clear day. The excitement of watching a great whale as its gigantic powerful body emerges over the surface of the water is certainly a feeling worth experiencing and a once in a lifetime treat, however in all your excitement please keep in mind the following guidelines:
- refrain from touching or feeding the animals, as they may become aggressive or dependent;
- turn off their engines when approaching and should move at no more than five knots;
- leave a clear path for the animals to move through, so they are not trapped;
- avoid approaching directly in order to prevent accidental injury to the animal or human;
- avoid close approach to the animals; minimum safe distance should be 50 meters or 164 feet.
For more information see the entire set of guidelines here: http://antiguaisland.blogspot.com/2012/03/whale-and-dolphin-watching-in-antigua.html
If you’re not out on the water the Bay House Restaurant is a very enviable vantage point to do your Whale Watching. Enjoy fabulous sunsets, delicious cocktails at 40% off during happy hour from 5pm-7pm daily as you catch a glimpse of a Humpback or two.
So now that we’ve shared one of our favourite things it is time for you to click BOOK NOW and make them your favourite things too 🙂
See you soon!
Note:
- (Feature photo taken by Ryan Spence and shared from Antigua & Barbuda Whale and Dolphin Network)
