Supporting Whale Conservation Efforts Worldwide

Whales are beautiful animals and are found in all oceans around the world. Learning more about these animals will enhance your whale watching experience, no matter where. This articles focuses on Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

What are whales

Whales are marine mammals, with sleek, streamlined bodies that move through the water seemingly without effort. They are the only mammals, other than manatees, that live their entire life in the water, and the only ones living in the open oceans.

Like all mammals they:

- breathe air into lungs
- have hair (although a lot less than land mammals, and almost none as adults)
- are warm-blooded (they maintain a high body temperature)
- have mammary glands with which they nurture their young
- have a four-chambered heart

There are a total of 39 different species, 15 are baleen whales including the Humpback, Gray and Blue whale, and 24 are toothed whales including the Sperm whale. Baleen whales are characterized by having baleen plates for filtering food from water, which expand during feeding. Toothed whales, as the name suggests, are characterized by having teeth (rather than baleen). Read the rest of this entry »

Whale Watching in Florida and How to Make the Most of It

Whale watching is an exciting alternative to a day in the Theme Parks and there are a number of places near Orlando, Florida where you can go and attempt to spot these fantastic aquatic mammals thriving in their natural environment.

There are a number of Whale species you may get the chance to see in the area such as the Gervais’ Beaked Whales which are usually found individually or in small groups and range on average from 15 to 17 feet long.

As well as near the Florida Coast, Orca Whales are found in oceans all over the world and are one of the most popular and well known species. They can be found in many Sea Parks around the World also including Sea World Orlando, which is home to Shamu, the extremely famous black and white Killer Whale.

The waters off the coast of Florida are home to a number of endangered species including Turtles, Manatees, Humpback Whales and the Right Whale.

The endangered Right Whale is one of many whales which choose the Florida Coast to give birth to their calf. This area is particularly vital for the species as it’s their only calfing area that has been discovered to date. Getting the chance to see these Right Whales is a real treat as there are less than 300 left in the waters today. This is because the North Atlantic Right Whale has been hunted until very near to extinction. They have the name Right Whale as they have in past years been deemed the ‘right’ whale to hunt due to their attributes such as their large amount of blubber which has lead to a decline in their population. Read the rest of this entry »

Whale Watching in Puerto Piramides, Argentina

When you want to go whale watching in South America, locals know where to head out to and that is in Puerto Piramides located in the Valdes Peninsula. Also known as the gateway to marine fauna, this small yet popular town with a population of less than 200 inhabitants has been a tourist destination in Patagonia, Argentina. The Valdes Peninsula, declared a UNESCO World Natural Heritage in 1999, has the deepest salt deposits in South America and has the right features for sea wildlife to flourish.

The sea town of Puerto Piramides is known all over the world for its clear blue waters, softly undulating beaches with pyramid-like cliffs, powdery golden sands and marine fauna. Founded in the 1900s, it was the only inhabitable place in the Peninsula and its main livelihood was a salt port with adobe, wood and metal sheeting huts. All throughout the year, all kinds of sea animals can be viewed in the open waters. From June to December, the incredible southern right whales arrive in the seas and give birth. The orca whales come between February and May. And dolphins abound in the area all through the year. Other wildlife that can be seen in the area are wolves, marine leopards, cormorans and arctic doves. Read the rest of this entry »