The channel between Nosy Boraha and Madagascar is known for whale watching. Substantial groups of humpback whales (Megaptera) migrate from the Antarctic to this breeding ground. The whales find conditions here that are well suited to their courtship and favourable for the growth of their young and before their annual migration to colder water. Although scarce, souther...

Churchill is known for its Beluga whale watching from mid-June through August. Thousands of beluga whales move into the warmer waters of the Churchill River estuary during this time to calf. Beluga whales are majestic, sociable creatures that patrol Arctic and sub-Arctic waters above the 50th parallel. These playful whales have few natural predators, and populations ...

The beluga or white whale, Delphinapterus leucas, is an Arctic and sub-Arctic cetacean. It is one of two members of the family Monodontidae, along with the narwhal. This marine mammal is commonly referred to simply as the beluga or sea canary due to its high-pitched twitter. It is up to 5 m (16 ft) in length and an unmistakable all-white color with a distinctive protu...

Does your bucket list include seeing the world's largest animal? At 30 metres (98 ft) in length and 180 metric tons (200 short tons) or more in weight, it is the largest known animal to have ever existed. Blue whales were abundant in nearly all the oceans on Earth until the beginning of the twentieth century. For over a century, they were hunted almost to extinction ...

Busselton Jetty is the longest wooden jetty (pier) in the world, stretching almost 2 km out to sea from the town of Busselton, Western Australia. Because the shallow waters of Geographe Bay restricted ship movement, a long jetty was required so that cut timber could be transported to ships. The jetty construction commenced in 1853 and the first section was opened in 1...

From June to September breaching humpback whales join the likes of fin and minke whales feasting on plankton.

The gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus), also known as the grey whale, gray back whale, Pacific gray whale, or California gray whale, is a baleen whale that migrates between feeding and breeding grounds yearly. It reaches a length of 14.9 meters (49 ft), a weight of 36 tonnes (40 short tons), and lives between 55 and 70 years. The common name of the whale comes from th...

The Interpretive Center opened in 1984 with a mission to present and interpret the unique features and history of the Palos Verdes Peninsula. The almost 10,000 square foot newly expanded Interpretive Center, re-opened on July 15, 2006, features exhibits on the natural and cultural history of the Peninsula, with a special emphasis on the Pacific gray whale. This premie...

Bahía Magdalena (Magdalena Bay) is a 50 km long bay along the western coast of the Mexican state of Baja California Sur. This bay is particularly noted for the seasonal migration of the California Gray Whales that come here during winter to mate. The bay is also popular for commercial and sports fishing. Nearby mangrove swamps provide sanctuaries for sea birds...

Each winter from December through April gray whales go on the longest known mammal migration to San Ignacio lagoon in Baja California, Mexico. Not only is San Ignacio lagoon a gray whale sanctuary, but it is the last and only undeveloped nursery and breeding ground in the world of the Pacific Gray Whale. The El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve, created in 1988, is lo...

Haro Strait, often referred to as the Haro Straits because it is really a series of straits, is one of the main channels connecting the Strait of Georgia to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, separating Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands in British Columbia, Canada from the San Juan Islands of Washington state in the United States. Haro Strait is a critical part of the ro...

The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary is one of the world's most important whale habitats, hosting thousands of humpbacks (Megaptera novaeangliae) each winter. The sanctuary encompasses 1,400 square miles (3,600 km2) in the islands' waters. It was designated by United States Congress on November 4, 1992, as a National Marine Sanctuary to protec...

Located in Kīhei on the south shore of Maui, the visitor center is an ideal spot to learn about the marine environment and even see humpback whales breaching. This scenic beachfront location at the foot of Haleakalā has views of Kahoʻolawe, Lānaʻi, and West Maui looking across the waters of the sanctuary. The visitor center features exhibits, interactive displays, and...

Hervey Bay is a city in the state of Queensland, Australia. The city is situated approximately 290 kilometres (180 mi) or 3½ hours' highway drive north of the state capital, Brisbane. It is a natural bay between the Queensland mainland and nearby Fraser Island. The local economy relies on tourism which is based primarily around whale watching in Platypus Bay to...

The Navidad Bank and Silver Bank area two area in the Atlantic Ocean north of the Dominican Republic and southeast of the Territory of Turks & Caicos where North Atlantic Humpback Whales have long used the banks as a breeding and calving ground. Along with Humpback Whales the banks have a wealth of corals and is a safe haven for other marine mammals. The breeding ...