Who hasn’t dreamed of swimming with dolphins or whales? While this experience is exhilarating, it is crucial to respect certain rules. With increasingly strict regulations and dwindling practice locations, here are some tips to optimize your observations while preserving the tranquility of the animals.
Approaching by boat
- Approach gently: Adopt a calm navigation, avoiding sudden changes in speed or direction. Take a parallel course to minimize disturbance.
- Avoid crossing: An approach from the side is often perceived as aggression, especially in the presence of young cetaceans, which can lead to defensive reactions. Sperm whales and orcas, in particular, can be dangerous.
- Limit your speed: Within 300 meters, reduce your speed to 1-2 knots. When you are at 100 meters, it is up to the cetaceans to decide whether to approach. Therefore, maintain a low speed, or even stop if local regulations require it.
Stay calm
- Avoid sudden movements: On the boat, do not shout and minimize your movements. Cetaceans react to noise and human agitation could drive them away.
- Observe their behavior: Take the opportunity to identify species and analyze their behavior: playing, hunting, moving. In the presence of juveniles, it is often advised not to enter the water.
Entering the water
- Do not force if cetaceans move away: If the animals flee your boat, do not attempt to immerse yourself, as it would be doomed to failure.
- Be aware of signs of agitation: Avoid immersing yourself if whales are jumping or striking the water’s surface.
- Gentle entry into the water: When cetaceans are nearby, enter the water slowly, avoiding noise. Slide down slowly, either via the ladder or along the boat.
- Stay close to the boat: Once in the water, wait for the animals to approach naturally. If they do not approach, move slowly towards them while remaining attentive to the adults accompanying the calves.
Approach in PMT
- Calm and serenity: Follow the instructions of your guide without overtaking them.
- Swim calmly: Avoid making noise with your fins. Keep your arms along your body to reduce splashing.
- Stay vigilant: Observe not only in front of you but also underwater and around, as dolphins can appear from anywhere.
- Stay still: When you see your cetacean, remain immobile. The animal will decide on the interaction. Maintain a distance of at least ten meters from the calves for their safety.
Observation
- Avoid sudden movements: This can be perceived as a threat.
- Stay calm on the surface: Do not touch the animals, even if they pass close to you. Their skin is fragile and they can carry transmissible diseases.
- Be attentive to sounds: Listen to the clicking of dolphins or the songs of whales and open your senses to the spectacle of nature.
- Limit your observation time: If other boats are present, stay for about fifteen minutes so that everyone can enjoy the experience.
When and where?
Entering the water is prohibited in many places, but some still allow cetacean observations. This is particularly the case in Réunion Island, where whales migrate to give birth, as well as in French Polynesia and the island of Dominica. In Egypt, Sataya Lagoon is ideal for watching dolphins.
Keep in mind that nothing is guaranteed in nature. Be understanding towards suppliers who cannot always meet your expectations. It is the animals that decide, and depending on their mood, the season, and the state of the sea, it may not be possible to swim with them or even observe them from the boat. Accept these uncertainties as an integral part of this beautiful adventure.
This article, initially written by Antoine Mettra for the print edition of PLONGEZ!, has been adapted for the web.
Illustration © Franck Girelli