IberiaNature

Whale and dolphin watching in Spain

Planetwhale.com is a new concept in ecotourism, reconnecting people with their natural world through guided, all-inclusive, fun holidays.

Planet Whale specialises in encounters with whales, dolphins and other wildlife in some of Earth’s wildest places. Sailing onboard the Brittany Ferries flagship vessel Pont Aven across the Bay of Biscay between Plymouth and Santander, Planet Whale runs three-day whale watching cruises onboard an exclusive viewing platform. The ship sails through some of the richest waters in Europe for cetaceans, with between 6-8 species and several hundred animals seen on a typical trip. As part of their commitment to conservation, Planet Whale and Brittany Ferries donate a proportion of each booking to UK-based charity ORCA – Organisation Cetacea (www.orcaweb.org.uk), which has done much to raise the profile of marine mammals in the region. Iberianature comment. Note. Check out their fantastic guide to whale watching in the Bay of Biscay here on iberianature (lovely photos too!)

Whale and dolphin sightings are regular occurrences when you take a Mediterranean cruise with Celebrity Cruises.

Gibraltar Dolphin Trips

Sail first class with the Original Dolphin Safari to see the wild Common, Striped and Bottlenose dolphins of Gibraltar in their natural habitat.  Observe, connect and have eye to eye contact with them as they leap, surf and play.  With over 42 years experience we have the highest success rate with a 98% guarantee of seeing dolphins.

Firmm ( Foundation for Information and Research on Marine Mammals ) Whale-watching in Southern Spain, Canary Islands and Azores. Two hour trips up to two-week programmes of whale-watching from Tarifa, Cadiz

“3 species of dolphins can be seen throughout the year: common dolphins , striped dolphins and bottlenose dolphins . Sightings of pilot whales are also possible all the time. 5-8 families have their feeding grounds in the Strait of Gibraltar and thus we encounter them regularly. From April to July sperm whales can be observed in the deeper waters of the Strait. During July and August, we can also watch orcas near Tanger, where they are hunting tunas (or rather snatching them off the hook from fishermen). Fin whales can also be seen, however, not quite as often. It is important for us to treat the animals always with the demanded respect in order to minimize any disturbance. Therefore our skippers are specially trained to drive the boat in a careful manner. For watching animals in the wild you always need a little luck, so we cannot guarantee encounters with the whales. Thanks to our five-years experiences of photo identification, however, we know about the migratory behaviour of the pilot whales depending on the tides. Thus we have been successful in 98 % of our trips. “

Basque Asociation of Friends of Dolphins and Whales is a non profit association founded as a result of the need to establish a programme for the study and preservation of cetaceans off the Basque coast. To achieve our aims, we have planned and developed several programmes, in which anyone who is interested in cetaceans and in the sea has the possibility of taking part.

The Company of Whales has been running whale, dolphin and bird-watching holidays since 1996. We are now firmly recognised as the largest and most experienced company operating in one of the world’s premier wildlife-watching locations – the Bay of Biscay. You will travel onboard the cruise-ferry Pride of Bilbao, through the rich, deep waters of Biscay in search of whales, dolphins, seabirds and sharks.

Whale Watch España , established in 1996, is a non-profit making association. Its aim is the protection of cetaceans, by getting to know more about them while observing them in their natural habitat. Whale Watching is a tourist, as well as educational activity. It consists of sailing in the Strait of Gibraltar , looking for and identifying the different types of whales and dolphins that live in or migrate through this area. Three different types of dolphins inhabit the recently established Natural Park of the Strait of Gibraltar: Common, Striped and Bottlenose , and they share the habitat with Pilot Whales. Furthermore, Killer Whales, Sperm Whales and Fin Whales migrate through the Strait from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea, and back again.

M.E.E.R is dedicated to the conservation of whales and dolphins and their natural habitat in the Canaries. In the Canary Islands there has been a rapid and alarming expansion of the whale watching industry. Off Tenerife, hundreds of thousands of whale watchers participate in sea-going excursions every year. The populations living here are considered to be the most intensely watched cetaceans world-wide. The sea Southwest of the island of La Gomera also is one of the most outstanding places in the world, where humans can meet cetaceans in the wild. In the relative vicinity of the coast an incomparable high cetacean species diversity has been recorded. With tourism growing rapidly on La Gomera it is foreseen that whale watching will expand, too, bringing additional negative effects to the regional ecology and marine fauna. With its project M.E.E.R. La Gomera, the German non-profit association M.E.E.R. wants to guarantee that the encounters of humans and cetaceans happen with respect and consideration. This is done through the combination of ecological whale watching tourism, research and public work.

whale watching in Andalusia; whale watching in Catalonia, whale watching in the Mediterranean, whale watching in Balears; whale watching in Basque Country; whale watching in the Bay of Biscay; whale watching in Canarias; whale watching in Taifa; whale watching in the straits of Gibraltar; whale watching in Cantabrian sea; whale watching in murcia; whale watching in Valencia; whale watching in Andalucia

whale trips in Andalusia; whale trips in Catalonia, whale trips in the Mediterranean, whale trips in Balears; whale trips in Basque Country; whale trips in the Bay of Biscay; whale trips in Canarias; whale trips in Taifa; whale trips in the straits of Gibraltar; whale trips in Cantabrian sea; whale trips in murcia; whale trips in Valencia; whale trips in Andalucia

whale tourism in Andalusia; whale tourism in Catalonia, whale tourism in the Mediterranean, whale tourism in Balears; whale tourism in Basque Country; whale tourism in the Bay of Biscay; whale tourism in Canarias; whale tourism in Taifa; whale tourism in the straits of Gibraltar; whale tourism in Cantabrian sea; whale tourism in murcia; whale tourism in Valencia; whale tourism in Andalucia

dolphin watching in Andalusia; dolphin watching in Catalonia, dolphin watching in the Mediterranean, dolphin watching in Balears; dolphin watching in Basque Country; dolphin watching in the Bay of Biscay; dolphin watching in Canarias; dolphin watching in Taifa; dolphin watching in the straits of Gibraltar; dolphin watching in Cantabrian sea; dolphin watching in murcia; dolphin watching in Valencia; dolphin watching in Andalucia

A directory of Spain

The Iberianature guide to Spain