Is Whale Watching a Hobby?

It was the most amazing whale encounter I’d ever experienced. Everyone on that 24-foot Kodiak Hurricane™ boat was in awe. Even the captain. He’d never seen anything like it. 

It was a beautiful September day in the Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick, Canada. The Fundy Tide Runners of St. Andrews advertised that guests would “embark on the adventure of a lifetime,” and they didn’t disappoint. After an exhilarating ride, we arrived in an area where the captain had seen whales the day before - and soon, we all spotted the familiar spray nearby. It was a humpback. 

Humpback whales are massive and found in every ocean. They are famous for their singing (which is a form of communication) and their nearly 5,000-mile-long migration, the longest of any mammal. We’ve been on plenty of whale watching excursions - from the east coast to the west, including Alaska. It’s always exciting to scan the horizon for the spray, to wonder what kind of whale it is, and if they’ll breach. I was so excited that it was a humpback, a personal favorite. They are usually so playful and curious. 

And this humpback was curious. He was heading straight for our boat.

The captain immediately turned off the engine as we watched that huge whale pass right under us. It was so quiet and graceful. Apparently, he was just as interested in us as we were with him because he stayed in the area. He was so close that you could smell the spray and almost touch him if you dared to lean over the side of the boat and reach. 

As if this wasn’t incredible enough, a second whale approached the boat. Then a third. Then a fourth. They lined up side by side facing the boat just looking at us. 

For about 25 minutes, we watched them watching us. Occasionally, they would dive below. As their tails came out of the water, the crowd would “oooh and aaah” each and every time. Once or twice, one of them would slap the water with its fin. They would raise their heads out of the water, seeming to get a better view of this group of people with eyes wide with disbelief. Our boat was small in comparison. It would have been so easy for one of them to topple us into the ocean. Yet, no one was concerned. There was nothing to fear.

Here’s a short two-minute clip of the experience. You’ll be amazed at how close they were to the boat.