For some reason, I waited to go whale watching until my early thirties, but after experiencing the top-notch thrill of spotting a whale in the wild, I was hooked. From spotting sperm whales in Iceland to swimming with humpbacks in French Polynesia , the range of experiences you can have is remarkable. Here are some of the best places to see whales around the world. Vibes: Iceland is the picture of Nordic beauty, with more waterfalls than can be counted, epic volcanic landscapes and plentiful geothermal springs , to name just a few of its natural wonders.
And all sorts of wildlife can be spotted here, including regal arctic foxes, puffins and many species of whales. You can join a tour on a larger, schooner-style boat, or suit up in a windproof jumpsuit for a small-group Rigid Inflatable Boat RIB adventure. These speedboats will get you much closer to the action, with a lower vantage point close to the surface of the water. Yes to all of the above. You might even spot some puffins too. On my tour, I saw humpback whales swimming next to our boat and hit the jackpot by witnessing an incredible whale breach, which spawned a whale-sized gasp from me, too!
Species you'll see: Iceland's waters are home to blue, humpback, minke, fin, sperm, sei, long-finned pilot, and northern bottlenose whales, as well as orcas. When to come: May to September is the peak whale-watching season, but operators follow their own schedules. Vibes: If orcas are on your whale-viewing bucket list, Antarctica is one of the best destinations to spot these distinctive two-tone whales.
They thrive in cold northern waters, and it gets pretty darn cold on the White Continent. I was mid-pancake when an announcement sounded through the ship's dining room that a pod of orcas could be spotted from the deck.
I dropped my fork and rushed outside to watch several of these magnificent creatures swimming next to the boat while I shivered in my slippers. Simply an incredible experience. Antarctica is a bountiful feeding ground for orcas, so their numbers and the chances of viewing them are high.
