Dolphin & Whale Watching Safaris in Spain
The Strait of Gibraltar
connects two continents and two marine habitats, the Mediterranean with it’s
higher salinity and therefore more dense water and the Atlantic Ocean with its
lighter water. This causes the deep Mediterranean water masses to flow into the
Atlantic, where high massifs of the ground topography of the Strait generate
upwellings. This triggers the food chain and makes this spot unique worldwide.
Although this area is
not officially catalogued as a “Whale Sanctuary” it should be considered as one.
With ten registered species since 1998, the Strait of Gibraltar isn’t only a
migration route but also the natural habitat of four resident species.
Since 1998 the
foundation firmm has offered regular trips to observe whales off
the coast of Tarifa, the most southern point of continental Europe. When the
weather conditions allow it we have daily departures from the fishing port of
Tarifa. To find one of the rare Fin Whales (second biggest after the Blue Whale)
or a Sperm Whale (biggest toothed animal in the world) is what everyone hopes.
The sighting probability of cetaceans in the Strait is 98 % and if you belong to
the unlucky 2 % you will get another ticket for free.
We
only work between April and October. firmm (foundation for
information and research on marine mammals) has recorded all the sighting data
of every trip since 1999, as no research on the cetacean population of the
Strait of Gibraltar had been done before. We now understand a lot more about the
cetaceans of the Strait, even if there is still much more research to be done.
Before each excursion firmm gives an introduction to teach people
about the site and the animals.
A bad whale watcher will drive into
the groups disrespecting the minimal approach distance of 60m which is suggested
by international regulations. Unfortunately, the ignoring of these rules happens
frequently. Considering the growth of the whale watch activity in Tarifa over
the past few years with more than 1000 customers daily in high season this kind
of “industry” can turn into a serious threat to the resident cetacean
populations especially when disrupting their social behaviour. We endeavour to
respect the whales and dolphins and always comply with the international
regulations.
The best way to get
people involved into the
protection
of these amazing creatures is to show
them how they live in nature. Because;
“Only what we know, can we love and be willing to protect”.
14 species have been
described in the Strait. 10 of them have been sighted since 1998 and 7 we
observe more or less regularly (of which 4 are resident). To know if they are
resident or not we take pictures of their dorsal fins in order to identify as
many individuals as possible.
In the case of the Sperm Whales we take
photographs of their fluke, shown by these “best divers” when they dive down
vertically to depths of 2000 - 3000 m.
Did you know?
According to a recent study by the University of Seville .... 15 species of
cetaceans - whales, dolphins and porpoises - are to be found in Andalusian
waters.
Two of them, the Striped dolphin and the Harbour porpoise are officially
considered in danger of extinction. The latter has disappeared from much of the
Mediterranean and now found only in the Black Sea and in the Bay of Cádiz.
Common and Bottlenose dolphins live near the coast and also further out at
sea. Sperm whales, Cuvier's Beaked whales, Risso's dolphins and Long-finned
Pilot whales are found past the continental shelf, where they hunt for squid at
depths of around 3,000m.
Orcas arrive from the Atlantic in search of tuna, their main prey in the
area. Of the large filtering species, Fin whales are the most commonly seen, and
indeed seem to be making a comeback in the region. Other great whales are
present although rarely seen and they include Minke whales and even Humpback and
Blue whales. |
Pilot whales are also to be found locally. If you take a ferry from Algeciras
to Tangiers, and know what you are looking for, you can almost certainly see
Pilot whales on the surface, although they may not be close enough for a really
good look. Most years we are lucky enough to spot the occasional Fin whale,
Sperm whale and Killer whales as they feed, or migrate through the Straits. Now
and again we come across turtles and
flying fish also, but, unfortunately, you cannot expect to see everything on one
trip!
A
typical trip with us lasts about two hours, and is suitable for the
whole family, whether you have infants or aged parents. Primarily, our aim is to
find whales and dolphins for you, and everyone is welcome to help. Maybe you can
spot dolphins before our crew!
Please telephone 956 627008 2 or 3 days in advance to book your trip and then
phone the day before to make sure the weather is okay.
The above article is published courtesy of Joern Selling of
http://www.firmm.org/.
See more photos of dolphins and whales on the
Costa del Sol.
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