Few people know that in Italy it is possible to do whale watching thanks to the famous Pelagos Cetacean Sanctuary, which includes the waters of Italy, France and the Principality of Monaco. So if you are between Liguria, Tuscany and upper Lazio, you can be sure that you will see the tail of a humpback whale, the back of a grampus or killer whale, a herd of striped dolphins swimming a few meters away from you in the Tyrrhenian Sea.
If you whale watching a day of sighting will never be the same as the other, first of all, much depends on the weather conditions, it is certain that to benefit the view in a cetacean sighting, it is always better to go out in the boat when the sea is calm or not very rough and there is no wind.
1. Whale watching is for everyone
It is certainly an unforgettable family experience in which both adults and children of all ages can participate, but it is especially your children who are going to be amazed at being able to spot the breath of a whale or while listening to anecdotes about the lifestyle and habits of whales, dolphins and other cetaceans that you can see between the months of March and October, between the Tuscan archipelago, Genoa and northern Lazio. Whale watching is an experience suitable for all families and during the hours of waiting for the sighting, a marine biologist will tell you about the interesting life of cetaceans, and more.
2. Learn the importance and beauty of the cetacean world
At last, the money that will be obtained from this experience does not originate from the killing of these wonderful creatures, as in some corners of the world where this terrible practise is not penalised. It comes instead out of curiosity and the awareness that protecting the marine environment of cetaceans is fundamental and that during a whale watching tour we are the "guests" of their natural environment, not the other way round. So we must always be careful to behave in a way that will not disturb these animals, making noise or disturbing in any other way.
3. The show is never the same
Between the end of April and the beginning of October, there are several organised tours available in Italy to go cetacean watching and you can be sure that the experience will be unique and exciting every time. For example, on an open boat the wind is stronger so on some occasions the operators will provide you with a warm and windproof suit with boots. You can choose to go out in a roofed or cabin motorboat or in a dinghy or raft boat, where the emotions and adrenaline will be much more intense. Each new sighting will create an unforgettable moment of euphoria and adrenaline in the group. Are you ready to live a unique experience with the biggest giants of the sea?
4. Lunch with the whales
Most boats, when whale watching, are very comfortable and spacious and since a tour can last from 4 to 8 hours it is always better to have a bar on board to enjoy a snack during those brief moments, a galley where your children can spend time colouring and a video and a sound system that you will find on most boats suitable for this experience. On some boats, lunch is also included in the tour. Imagine eating a sandwich in the middle of the ocean while a 15 metres sperm whale jumps a few miles away!
5. Make it unforgettable with a photograph
Seeing the giants of the sea is a unique and unrepeatable experience, that's why you need to keep your eyes as open as possible sighting points and the cetaceans that are sighted frequently are very fast and unpredictable in their movements so the secret is to be able to predict the right point and not forget your camera at home to make it unforgettable, even if you will almost certainly go home taking with you a photograph of a humpback whale’s tail or the back of a common whale that, moving quite slowly, will give you time to take more pictures.
When can you go whale watching?
For whale watching it is important that the sea is calm and there is no wind. Whale watching tours are organised between the end of April and the beginning of May, it is advisable to reserve your tour well in advance so as not to risk postponing the experience as it is becoming increasingly fashionable in Italy to take a whale watching trip.
