Whale Watching Holidays
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In Madagascar
If you fancy an exotic whale watching destination, Madagascar offers unsurpassed opportunities to watch humpback whales in large numbers as they make their annual migration from the Antartic to the Madagascan Islands.
Whale Watching in Madagascar
The channel between Ile Ste Marie and the Malagasy mainland is a whale-watching hotspot. Humpbacks also pass Ifaty and other areas on the western coast of Madagascar when swimming up the Mozambique Channel. Large groups of several hundred humpback whales make their annual migration from the Antarctic to the sheltered waters around Ile Ste Marie where they calve, nurse their young and engage in their spectacular courtship rituals between the end of June and September.
Humpback whales remain endangered, despite the current ban on commercial hunting. The reputable hotels on Ile Ste Marie can arrange whale watching excursions that both adhere to the regulations to avoiding stressing the whales and contribute to our understanding of these majestic marine mammals. You will be invited to collect data about the behaviour, whale songs, diving length, location, etc. for the world data base. Alternatively, you can just observe the awe-inspiring spectacle of a breaching humpback whale or a mother nursing her calf, and listen to their mysterious songs and the amazing sound of “flippering” - when a whale strikes its pectoral fins on the surface of the water.
By June, the first whales to arrive after a five thousand kilometre voyage are the breastfeeding mothers, followed by their offspring from the previous year. The whale watching period then extends to September. It is all the more spectacular as the humpback whales are the most gifted in the art of jumping, called “breaching”. They have the peculiar capacity to get out of water entirely, and fall down with impressive flurries of foam. Taking photos are indispensable for the identification of each individual.
The whales may be watched in the waters of Nosy Be, Tuléar, Fort-Dauphin or Morondava, but there are two major outstanding spots:
- The Bay of Antongil is an important spawning zone. There the Wildlife Conservation Society works in collaboration with the local operators to optimize the initiatives with a view to enhancing value and preserving the whales. A Whale Festival was organised for the first time in 2004.
- Sainte Marie, where whale watching as a trade is well organized, with experience going back to 1994. The Association Megaptera and the Group of Tourism Operators (GOT) offer a scientific supervision of cruises for whale watching, with explanations on board followed by conferences in the evening.
The new Masoala National Park is an 840-square-mile chunk of tropical wilderness on the road less edge of Antongil Bay. The National Park is a picture-pristine area of unexplored beaches and ancient forests that is filled with rare, endemic species.The bay itself is just the sort of sheltered place that many whales use for breeding. This includes the 36-foot-long humpbacks. They come here during breeding season, when you can hear the male humpbacks "sing" their eerie wail.
People visiting Madagascar have the chance to help with data collection on board a research boat to aid conservation. Volunteers will be briefed in the morning and will then be part of the team for a day on the boat. Each will have responsibilities ranging from locating the whales blowing, using the hydrophones or noting down the position of a group of whales using GPS. Not only will the data collected help with the research but also the cost of the trip will help finance the scientists and material involved.
The Great Sardine Migration
The Great Sardine Migration starts every year in June when billions of shimmering sardines gather in the cool waters south of Africa before beginning the ‘run' northeast along South Africa's rugged Wild Coast towards the Mozambique Channel. What makes this event truly spectacular is the appearance of the ocean's predators, including dolphins, sharks and birds, who gather to feed on the fish. The run coincides with the annual migration of humpback whales whose breaches are a daily phenomenon easily viewed from the shore.
Fishing is as easy as dipping a bucket into the seething waters, and it is possible to scuba-dive or snorkel too.
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