Great Whale and Dolphin Watching around the World

Good morning, Live Better than a Billionaire-a-Holics!

Are you feeling motivated this morning? I certainly hope so.

I estimate that less than one percent of the world's people have taken a sea trip solely for the purpose of watching whales and dolphins. I assume that the 99 percent who haven't includes at least some billionaires -- possibly either ones who work very hard . . . or those who get seasick easily. That's a shame because such a trip is among the greatest adventures you can have.

What's the attraction? First, it's delightful to be out on the water on a nice day. It's soothing for the nerves and soul. If you are concerned about seasickness, I recommend Bonine for adults and Dramamine for children. Take each a half hour before you go on board. I've never seen become sick who had taken these over-the-counter medications. Dramamine can make some people a little drowsy, and Bonine isn't recommended for children.

Second, there's a beauty to see whales and dolphins in their natural habitats that's unmatched in my experience. Dolphins are full of play and make me feel like a child again. They tend to race along with the boat, springing through air ahead of the prow in graceful arcs. Whales are usually indifferent to boats and go about doing their thing -- whether resting, eating, traveling to a new food source or mating. And most whales are quite large . . . making you feel quite small in comparison. It's a nice sort of humbling experience that's tinged with awe.

Third, most of the Earth is covered with water . . . but most of us are obsessed with the land. Watching our fellow mammals at sea provides a sort of enforced perspective shift that brings things back into focus.

Fourth, most people find that it's a spiritual experience to come into contact with these delightful creatures. They remind most people of the power of God's creativity.

Fifth, you'll learn a lot about the needs of dolphins and whales and how our bad habits have been harming these forms of sea life.

I was reminded of all this recently when I chose a hot afternoon to escape from the muggy weather by whale watching at sea. I've been whale watching on special trips since 1980 and have observed whales at sea in New England, California and Hawaii. It's no exaggeration to say that I never know what to expect, and that each trip is unique and delightful in its own way.

On this trip, I hoped to see frolicsome humpback whales. These whales usually put on a bigger show than other types. I was just in the mood for that. In our area, humpback whales in summer are like crab grass in my yard . . . they're everywhere. But today, there was not a humpback whale in sight. Okay. I would enjoy the trip anyway. The boat was almost empty because the ocean was a little rough and passengers with queasy stomachs had been advised to stay on shore. We immediately began seeing lots of finback whales, which are larger than humpbacks. Then these finback whales began behaving in a way I had never seen finback whales act in 25 years. They began twisting as they dived to feed in such a way that one of their dorsal fins emerged from the water for a good view. Well, now, I thought, this is better.

But the best was yet to come. The smallest baleen whale (whales that feed by straining food and water through plates hanging from the roofs of their mouths rather than using teeth) is the Minke whale. They are great fun to watch because they are very active and swiftly change direction. Normally, I would not see more than three Minke whales on a trip . . . but today they were everywhere. We must have seen thirty of them. It was a delight to see them pop up unexpectedly as we waited for a larger whale to surface.

Now, I felt like I had a great whale watch. And then, it happened. A mother-calf pair of Right whales swam into view and stayed with us for an hour. This was very special because you can go on whale watches frequently for ten years and never see a Right whale. I had only seen two before in 25 years, and neither of those had been close up.

North Atlantic Right whales are an endangered species. Our naturalist said that the current estimate is that there are only 300 of these animals left. They were once so common that early colonial sailors in New England joked that you could have walked from Boston to Provincetown across Cape Cod Bay without touching water by simply stepping from the back of one Right whale to another. These were the first whales hunted commercially in New England because they float after being killed, and you can easily harvest the carcasses. What was good for the whalers wasn't so good for the whales.

And then, the impossible happened. A third Right whale swam into view in close proximity. I felt like I had just received a message from God to share this remarkable experience with you. I was now seeing one percent of all the North Atlantic Right whales at one time. Unless we protect them better, you'll never see one. Yet left to their own devices, they would be everywhere to delight all from shore.

While I cannot promise you'll have such a remarkable experience on your whale watch (we didn't see any dolphins this trip . . . although we usually do), I'm sure you'll have the time of your life . . . especially if you haven't seen whales and dolphins in mid-ocean before.

Whale watching is best in certain locations and during specific months of the year.

From May - October, we have great whale and dolphin watching grounds in New England from Provincetown north to the mouth of the Saint Lawrence in Canada. My favorite place to travel from is Gloucester on the North Shore of Boston where Captain Bill's Whale Watch (http://www.captainbillswhalewatch.com/ and 800-339-4253 or 978-382-6995 for reservations) provides good value. You can see a whale skeleton and great photographs next door to Captain Bill's office at the Whale Center of New England. The most plentiful whale watching grounds are closest to Gloucester so you don't have to travel very far. You will often see boats from Boston and Cape Cod up off Gloucester, and the Boston prices are higher for whale watches.

From December- March, the New England humpbacks can be found mating and calving in the Caribbean.

There's a similar migration pattern among Pacific humpbacks between Alaska in the summers and Hawaii (especially between Maui and Lanai) in the winter. I have followed the winter migration to Hawaii and especially recommend the sailboat trips from Lahaina. They are remarkable! You will often see humpbacks offshore from each of the Hawaiian Islands, but Maui is the best place.

Grey whales have a migration pattern from Mexico's Baja California to Alaska that provides plenty of room for watching either the stays at either end or the migration in between.

There are also special places where unusual whale watching can be enjoyed. One such place is off of Cape Cod where Sperm whales can be seen. This requires either a boat charter or joining a scientific whale expedition. Another example is the Blue whale (the largest creature on Earth) which can be seen in the Galapagos Islands off Ecuador. Trips to the Galapagos normally don't include whale watching but if you charter a yacht during the right season, you can this to your itinerary.

I haven't done any whale watching except on commercial tours, with the exception of one scientific whale study off the Big Island of Hawaii many years ago. And I have done no whale watching outside the United States. So I cannot give you all the ins and outs of whale watching in other parts of the world. But commercial trips are available in over 40 countries on all continents of the world. So you are probably no more than 3,000 miles from a place where you can take a whale watch (and there will probably be dolphins on the same trip).

If you want to check out sites for information about whale watching near where you are or could travel to, please visit http://www.helsinki.fi/~lauhakan/whale/#World/. Some of the links connect to sites that don't say much about whale watching so you may have to send an e-mail to get more information.

If you have taken great whale watches outside the U.S., please add your comments along with Web site addresses to the comments section of this blog. I edit the blog to include the information you share.

On Friday, I'll update you on my thoughts about the first week's worth of public practices by the Patriots. In doing this, you'll find out what the busy billionaires are missing as they cosset their money . . . rather than enjoy life! I'll also reflect on the lessons of Bill Belichick's remarkable coaching for how to live better than a billionaire on five dollars extra a day.

On Saturday, I'll share my expanded thoughts on what freedom means and how you can enjoy it responsibly . . . and better than a billionaire.

Sunday, I'll reflect of how to keep your spiritual values strong even in places where God isn't as apparent as He usually is. I will be in the Las Vegas area for a meeting, and this environment should provide plenty of inspiration for this blog entry.

Monday, I'll start sharing some of the lessons I learn at Jack Canfield Success Principles seminar. Don't miss it!

On Tuesday, I'll continue my report from the Jack Canfield Success Principles seminar based on what I learn on Monday.

On Wednesday, I'll provide more insights from the Jack Canfield Success Principles seminar based on what I learn on Tuesday.

Next Thursday, I will add information learned at the Jack Canfield Success Principles seminar on Wednesday.

Please feel free to let me know what else you would like to learn, and I'll do my best to help in future blog entries. I plan to address the question of how to be an Amazon.com top reviewer with integrity in a future blog based on kev's comment on my earlier blog entry. I partially answered his questions in a comment that follows his comment to that entry on July 29.

If you are new to this blog, be sure to check out the updated table of contents entry that was posted on August 3. It will help you find earlier entries that may be of interest. I'll update this table of contents every week or so for your convenience.

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May God bless you.

Donald W. Mitchell, Your Dream Concierge

Copyright 2005 Donald W. Mitchell