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Marine mammal tours

St Helena's waters contain a variety of cetaceans ranging  from the ocean travelling Humpback whale to three species of resident dolphins.

Every year between June and December Humpback whales travel thousands of miles from their feeding grounds in Antarctica to St Helena to give birth to their young and mate.

 

Adult Humpbacks can grow up to 16 meters long and weighing 36 tons. Despite their size they can be seen putting  on phenomenal athletic displays including breaching, spy hopping  and tail flapping. The calfs in particular are often seen repeatedly breaching.

The Atlantic Pantropical Spotted Dolphin is always a real crowd pleaser. This abundant resident species lives in a pod of up to 1000 individuals. They are extremely energetic taking delight in riding the bows of boats and performing leaps and somersaults out of the water.

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The island is also home to both Bottlenose and Rough Toothed dolphins. The Bottlenose can often be seen chasing flying fish at the landing steps in James Bay.

Experiences typically last 2-3 hours depending on where the animals are found. Whale watching is seasonal but dolphin watching trips are year round. Trips can be combined with Bird Life tours and swimming if desired.
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