what is the best time to see whales in the turks and caicos
Have you ever dreamed of swimming with whales? In Turks and Caicos yous Tin can swim with humpback whales during sure times of the year. It'southward one of the most incredible travel experiences I accept e'er had!
However, it's non every bit unproblematic as but going to Turks and Caicos and jumping in with your snorkel mask. This post is here to aid you programme your once-in-a-lifetime whale experience and ensure you have a great (and safe) time doing so!
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Snorkeling With Humpback Whales in Turks & Caicos – What to Know
1.) Salt Cay is the identify to go
Salt Cay is the best place to go in order to swim with humpback whales in Turks & Caicos! This is NOT something you do on the main island of Provo.
This is because Salt Cay is directly in front end of the Columbus Passage where the Humpbacks migrate to the Silvery Banks, so they can calve & mate.
Salt Cay is the smallest inhabited island of the main Turks & Caicos islands and has a population of only around 100 people. There are more feral donkeys than people! This island is quiet, with just a few restaurants, and no paved roads (golf carts are the transportation style of choice). I, personally, loved how quiet and serene Table salt Cay is!
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2.) January-March are when the whales are around Table salt Cay
Sometimes the whales will come a fiddling before in December and stick around a petty longer in April – merely January – March is typically when the whales are hanging out around Salt Cay. I was there at the terminate of Jan/1st week of February and saw humpback whales every time I got in the water!
In the video above, this whale swam correct up to me! It was astonishing… and likewise a little terrifying, haha.
3.) Book with a reputable whale watching company
Be sure you volume your whale experience with a reputable company that respects the whales – I highly recommend Common salt Cay Divers. (I am non compensated in any way for recommending them – they are merely a fantastic company that I love.)
Richard is the helm for these whale watching/swimming experiences at Salt Cay Divers, and his love and respect for the whales is amazing. The mode these experiences piece of work with Salt Cay Divers is Richard will scan the horizon for signs of whales (blowholes, breaches, etc.) when he sees signs of whales he will boat about them – kill the engine – and and so you lot'll slip into the water with your snorkel gear.
You are not baiting the whales in any way, and it's up to them if they experience comfortable pond past you – or if they'll simply choose to swim away.
My experiences with the whales were they were more often than not curious of u.s. and would swim around u.s. several times. (Of course, this is not always the case – sometimes the whales will exist long gone before you get out of the boat.)
The video to a higher place is of 2 whales who had cypher involvement in moving away from united states! We ended up getting tired and a little cold, so we jumped back in the boat before they swam away! (Notation, this video is best if you adjust the YouTube view settings to 4K.) They locked eyes with u.s.a. (y'all can see that at nigh a minute into the video), and swam around u.s. for a half-60 minutes – it was terrifying at outset – I hateful they're ane of the largest animals on earth, and they were pond right at me! Nonetheless, they kept a safe distance from us and just observed united states as nosotros observed them. (Don't attempt to touch the whales, though, please – this tin can be dangerous for both you and the whale.)
four.) You are snorkeling – not diving with whales
When you swim with whales in Turks and Caicos yous are snorkeling. Diving and free diving on these excursions are prohibited.
Salt Cay Divers volition provide masks and fins for you as part of the circuit fee as well as life jackets. Although, some folks prefer to pack their own snorkel gear they know they'll be comfy in.
5.) Yous're unlikely to see whales every time – plan for a few days
As with any wild fauna sighting, it's not guaranteed you will see whales. The average time people spend on Table salt Cay trying to swim with whales is 3 days. Of class, you could do a day trip from Thousand Turk to try to snorkel with whales – but if swimming with whales is a dream of yours (like it was mine), don't short yourself by taking this run a risk! Volume a few days on Common salt Cay and more than 1 whale watching/snorkeling trip! In that location are a couple of bed and breakfasts on Table salt Cay and vacation homes to rent.
Nosotros spent 5 days on Table salt Cay, and I felt that was more than than enough. Nonetheless, we were VERY lucky with our whale sightings. We saw whales every fourth dimension we got in the water! We were even fortunate enough to encounter whales on our boat ride from Grand Turk to Common salt Cay (our flight had been canceled, so we arranged to take a gunkhole via Salt Cay Divers instead). It was incredible! *Our luck is also likely due to the fact that there was less boat traffic. Cruise ships weren't running and overall boat traffic was down – with COVID affecting travel.
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half-dozen.) Conditions will affect visibility
Some other reason you would desire to book more than one day on Salt Cay is that the atmospheric condition tin also ruin your snorkel feel. If the water is as well rough you may not be able to go out, or the water may exist likewise cloudy to come across the whales… even if they're right adjacent to you lot. Give yourself a buffer of at to the lowest degree a few days to upwardly your chances of seeing whales!
7.) What you lot should pack for swimming with whales
The h2o in Turks and Caicos during whale flavor is similar bathwater. You won't be needing a moisture adjust! Y'all'll be perfectly comfy in your favorite bathing suit. However, these are a few other things to consider packing for your whale experience.
- Snacks! When you caput out to swim with whales, you are going to be on the water for around 3 hours (maybe longer if things are going well). Bring your preferred snacks and beverages. (Richard volition take some water and sodas on the boat too, though.)
- Reef-safe sunscreen. Please protect the frail reefs of Turks and Caicos and wear reef-safety sunscreen.
- Lip balm with sunscreen in it. I can't tell you how many times I forgot to apply this while in Turks & Caicos and burnt my lips to a crisp. Don't be similar me – bring your SPF lip lotion with you lot.
- Consider a rash guard. If you're bad about remembering to reapply sunscreen, wearing a rash guard is a proficient idea!
- Sunglasses that stay on your head. Y'all tin can help Richard expect for whales – and this is much easier to do with a skillful pair of polarized sunglasses that stay deeply on your head. (My husband and I are both fans of these Maui Jim glasses.) Consider attaching glasses to a strap to avoid them bouncing into the water if information technology gets rough!
- A towel. You'll probable get in the water a few times and desire to dry out off as yous gunkhole to the side by side location.
- Your own snorkel gear. Not a must, simply some folks are more comfortable with their own gear (especially with COVID at present). Click hither to shop snorkel gear.
- A GoPro. Again, non a must, but information technology'due south super absurd to exist able to document your swimming with whales feel! I bought the GoPro Hero nine for this, and it was AMAZING. If you lot watched the kickoff video in this post, y'all tin hear that the GoPro even picked upwardly on the whale "talking." Super cool! My married man used our older GoPro Hero four, and even this older GoPro Model does a slap-up job, in my opinion. (His video is the last ane with the immature whales playing.)
8.) Book AT LEAST a yr in advance
Given that Common salt Cay is not a large island, and Table salt Cay Defined is ane of the few companies yous tin volume this snorkeling with whales experience with… they book up apace! You lot're going to demand to plan this one time-in-a-lifetime experience at least a year in advance. We lucked out and were able to book but a few months out because there were a lot of cancellations with COVID.
Karen of Salt Cay Defined will help yous with booking and annihilation yous demand on Table salt Cay – she is FANTASTIC. She and Richard volition make sure your fourth dimension on Salt Cay is nothing curt of magical. (Over again, we're not sponsored and get zero if you volume with Common salt Cay Divers – nosotros just dearest these guys!)
- Click here for the Salt Cay Divers website.
If anyone has any questions at all about swimming with whales in Turks and Caicos, please feel gratuitous to achieve out in the comments section at the stop of this mail. I'm happy to answer any questions!
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Source: https://www.have-clothes-will-travel.com/swimming-with-whales/
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