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This page: A loggerhead

This page: A loggerhead turtle, found in oceans all around the world quiet areas of the ocean, there is still life. Much of it might be below the surface but, occasionally, some of it surfaces. Whales, dolphins, sharks, seabirds, turtles or large fish could be passing through on migration or searching over vast areas for food, so it is always worth keeping your eyes open. So, where are the best places to see whales and dolphins? And which cruise should you reserve? The answers depend on which species you would most like to see and what time of the year you wish to travel. In summer and early autumn, North Atlantic itineraries are good for spotting minke, humpback, sei, fin and even blue whales, as well as many dolphin species. Seabirds such as gannets, fulmars, kittiwakes and puffins are also favorites in this part of the world. Even in UK waters, the Sea Watch Foundation has recorded nearly 30 species of whales, dolphins and porpoises. Striped and common dolphins inhabit warmer waters such as the Bay of Biscay, which usually features on voyages heading from Northern Europe to the Mediterranean, Azores and Canary Islands, all of which provide great opportunities to see many of the above species too. The Azores is also good for sperm whales and is easier to get to than the famous whale hub of Kaikoura, a town on New Zealand’s South Island. Meanwhile, the eastern seaboard of the US and Canada, from Massachusetts northward, draws humpback, sei, fin and, occasionally, blue whales, as well as the critically endangered northern right whale. Hot spots include the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, off the coast of Boston; the Bay of Fundy; and the St. Lawrence Seaway, which has the world’s only non-Arctic population of belugas. In the winter months, the Caribbean and Central American waters provide feeding grounds for migrating humpback whales, but year-round, Atlantic and pantropical spotted dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, pilot whales and sperm whales can be seen. Seabirds such as brown and masked boobies are amazing sights here too, often chasing the abundant flying fish. Around South America, Península Valdés in Argentina is renowned for sightings of orcas hunting close to shore in March and April, and October and November, and is also home to other species, including southern right whales from June to December. The Beagle Channel, Strait of Magellan and Chilean fjords are full of whales, including minke, humpback, sei, fin and blue whales, as well as Chilean, Commerson’s, Peale’s and dusky dolphins. From here up to Peru and Ecuador, the cold Humboldt Current ensures marine life is rife, with various species of albatross and giant petrels among the many seabird encounters. Hawaii is home to breeding humpbacks in the winter, but in the summer, they start heading to Alaska to feed. Gray whales join them here after migrating along the western seaboard of the US and Canada from the lagoons and coastal waters of Baja California, where they breed. If it is orcas you want to see, the Inside Passage between Vancouver Island and the mainland is undoubtedly the best place to go, although Iceland, Norway, Alaska and Antarctica are other places to spot the species. Further afield, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa are brilliant for marine life encounters, especially humpback and southern right whales in the summer and early autumn, and various dolphin species year-round. New Zealand is famous for the sperm whales of Kaikoura and is the the only place to see Hector’s dolphins and the critically endangered Māui dolphins. Similarly, Heaviside’s dolphins can only be seen off the coasts of Namibia and western South Africa. 116 VIKING.COM EXPLORE MORE

CULTURE & SCIENCE Clockwise, from above: Explorers’ Lounge on Viking ships, an ideal spot for wildlife watching; one of 40 known flying fish species; a humpback whale breaching in the Beagle Channel; a wandering albatross spotted in New Zealand EXPLORE MORE VIKING.COM 117