A graceful tail fluke slipping beneath the surface, a mist of spray hanging on the horizon, a vast shape sliding into view beyond a ship’s bow — there’s no denying the appeal of whale-watching.
While the activity is usually associated with long-haul destinations, it can be enjoyed close to home. Orcas can be seen as locally as the Shetland Islands, as Sir David Attenborough’s Wild Isles series on BBC One showed. Sightings of humpbacks, meanwhile, once a rarity in UK waters, have been increasing, with more than 75 recorded by Cornwall Wildlife Trust since 2019. A humpback was also spotted off the Kent coast earlier this year.
With more and more companies around the world offering boat trips to catch a glimpse of the elusive creatures, whale-watching has become a multi-billion-pound industry. But not all offer a responsible experience. Poor practice can lead to a stressful experience for the marine mammals, altering their feeding patterns, separating calves from their mothers or forcing them to dive unnecessarily and swim more quickly.