One of my favourite things about living in tropical St Lucia is watching whales and dolphins in their natural habitat. Just hop on a boat, sip a rum punch and keep a keen eye for the marine show.
Catching the site of dolphins frolicking in the morning waters is a wonderful experience and I wish I could do it every day! To watch the dolphins and whales in our waters, there are two companies who arrange tours (well, before 2020). Both are fabulous. If you want to hurtle out to sea at full speed then Captain Mike’s is for you. For a larger tour on a 2 level boat, Hackshaw Boat Charters are the company to call. Both are manned by friendly staff and will not disappoint.
Boat Tours
When on a boat tour you must remember that this is not SeaWorld! The mammals are not captive for your amusement, but you are a guest in their waters. Not all trips will result in a sighting but so far I’ve seen something. The trick is to go on as many as you can, as each sighting is different and the odd trip may result in a surprise!
We have a few different types of dolphins and whales in our waters that may vary seasonally. The pods of dolphins can vary from spotted, frasers, spinners and bottle nosed. They are delightfully playful and the spinners are a particular favourite of mine. They will leap in the air as high at 10 feet with a twirl, befitting their name and provide quite a show. They can be a bit “frisky” in the waters too!
Pilot and sperm whales are a common sight but seasonally from January to March you may be lucky enough to see hump back whales too.
The experience of encountering these beautiful creatures in the blue waters with the famous pitons in the background is a pure delight and should be a must for every visitor and resident.
Get on a boat and watch them in the sea at a safe distance with the additional bonus of viewing the beautiful island from the water.
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