For many, their soul aim in visiting Antarctica is to see whales. One cruise taken mid- to late- February, was filled with whale enthusiasts, eager to spend endless hours gazing at an empty horizon. The net result of their dedication was nearly 300 whale sightings - several magnitudes more than seen on previous and later cruises!

Under the tutelage of whale expert, Mark Carwardine, we all became experts and lovers of the personality-packed humpback whales. As the cruise came to an end, we were even able to jump in zodiacs and gain a close up view of resting humpback whales in Andvord Bay - a highlight for many!

The usual sighting of a whale
Dallmann Bay

After eight hours of spurning the panorama in favour of gazing at the featureless water ahead of the ship, this may be the only reward you will get for dedication - a puff of water vapour in the distance. If there is no wind, you may be able to discern the whale that blew - many having distinctive whale blows depending on the physical arrangement of their blowholes.

Certain herds of whales come to Antarctica to feed before heading north to breed. When they leave Antarctica, they will probably not eat for several months.

Lazing around upside down
Andvord Bay

The humpback whales have distinctive long pectoral fins which are generally black on top and white underneath. This humpback whale is floating on his back under the water, his long flippers breaking the surface. If still close to the surface when rolling back onto its stomach, it may engage in 'flipper slapping' - or hitting the water with its flippers, causing almighty splashes!

Nearly gone
Andvord Bay

Every humpback whale has distinctive black and white markings on the underneath of their tail flukes. In Antarctica, it is not uncommon to see a yellow discolouration on the white (and less obviously, dark) parts of any whale. This is caused by diatoms, microscopic unicellular organisms which live in the cold Antarctic waters, adhering to the whale. If the whale swims north, they will usually loose this yellowish coating.

Up close and personal
Andvord Bay

Humpback whales are baleen whales, i.e. they have comb-like baleen plates attached to their upper jaw which are used to filter small schooling prey, e.g. krill. When they dive, they hunch their backs, and may show their tail flukes before sinking gracefully into the dark water.