Snorkeling with Whales

Approaching Whales

Keeping a safe distance

Approaching whales will always be done cautiously, at a low speed towards the side of the pod. Only one boat can go in the snorkeling zone (20-50 metres from the whales) at any one time. Other boats must wait their turn at least 50 metres away from the whales.
When the guide descides it's safe to go snorkeling, the participants go into the water slowly. When in the water, snorkelers should keep visual contact with the crew member on their boat so they can quickly respond to signals. Snorkelers have to keep a distance of at least 20 metres between them and the whales and must stay with the group at all times. Touching the whales and opproaching them to make contact is strictly forbidding and diving, splashing and making noise should be avoided as much as possible. 

We cannot guarantee that all activities will take place as we’ve outlined in advance. We deal with wild animals in open water and unpredictable weather conditions. We ask all our guests to set realistic expectations and be flexible to make this experience a success. The captain and crew are in charge and decide whether it's safe to go into the water or not. There are many reasons why the crew might not approach the whales. A few examples are:

• There are too many other vessels close to the whales
• Another group of snorkelers is already in the water
• The whales show signs of stress, evasive behaviour or seem to be disturbed
• The whales are in an area where a lot of marine traffic is passing through
• There is a working fishing boat close to the whales
• The whales are not feeding but underway to another location
• Weather conditions are not suitable