Safety

If you see a spout, tail, or a breaching whale, please slow down and post a lookout. Some whales may dive for 20 minutes or more while searching for food. If you’ve seen one whale, many more could be close-maybe too close to your boat and its spinning propellers. Proceed cautiously!

Always parallel the whale’s course and don’t approach head-on or cut off the whale’s path. Follow official approach guidelines and adhere to all approach regulations.

If there are other boats watching or traveling near whales, hail them on your VHF radio (channel 9, 13 or 16 for hailing) and coordinate your viewing efforts.

Humpback whales sometimes feed by creating bubble clouds. They blow bubbles below the surface of the water to confuse and condense schools of small fish. Bubble clouds look like light green, foamy patches on the surface of the water. Never approach, or drive through, a bubble cloud as a hungry whale is likely just below the surface.