Sailing Aboard A Whale-watching Yacht: A Sea To Discover

The Som Mar, a ten-metre sailing yacht, departs from nan bluish breakwater pontoons of Denia successful astonishing silence: its motor is electric. This deficiency of sound is perfect for spotting cetaceans, which are highly delicate to acoustic pollution. Additionally, without diesel, nan yacht emits nary fumes that could disturb dolphins and fin whales arsenic they aboveground to breathe.

At nan helm, Sophia O’Flaherty López recounts nan communicative of nan Som Mar, owned by WeWhale, a institution founded by Janek Andre pinch bases successful nan Canary Islands and Cadiz. For 2 years successful Denia, nan yacht has offered trips combining tourism and conservation, taking passengers connected journeys to observe nan region’s whales and dolphins. Part of nan income is donated to marine preservation associations and technological projects, pinch nan yacht besides made disposable for investigation purposes.

WeWhale, founded by Janek Andre, offers nan world’s first silent, CO2-neutral whale and dolphin watching fleet, designed to observe cetaceans without disturbing them aliases polluting nan ocean. By utilizing remodelled, emission-free vessels, nan institution provides eco-friendly tours successful mini groups, combining acquisition astir marine life pinch responsible tourism. A information of each booking supports conservation efforts done nan WeWhale Association, ensuring that each travel contributes straight to protecting whales, dolphins, and their habitats.

Sophia explains that nan institution runs 2 regular trips, from 9.00 to 13.00 and from 18.30 to 21.00, equipped pinch binoculars truthful each passengers tin return portion successful nan sightings. From shore, they person support from Eucrante astatine Torre del Gerro and nan Cabo Rorcual project, which uses telescopes and drones to place individuals, grounds blows, and people migratory routes pinch GPS. This three-pronged monitoring strategy sets WeWhale isolated from different charter operators, and their licensed position allows them to attack cetaceans much closely.

“Our squad is motivated to bring nan world of whales and dolphins and nan beauty of nan water person to quality understanding, taking our guests retired to sea, successful mini groups, and explaining astir nan water and nan value of its habitants”, said WeWhale.  

Denia plays a cardinal domiciled successful nan migration of fin whales travelling from nan Ligurian Sea to Gibraltar, and location is grounds of a imaginable section organization that remains year-round. Hydrophones installed by Eucrante person recorded whale sounds moreover successful winter. This summer, nan highest play was mid-June, pinch nan past individual spotted successful mid-July. So far, 120 fin whales person been recorded, astir 50 of them observed from nan Som Mar.

The yacht follows elastic routes depending connected nan winds, passing Cape Sant Antoni and nan bay of Javea, and pursuing 30-metre extent lines wherever dolphins feed. Sophia blends subject and tradition, sharing stories of nan larboard and coastline while marking each sighting connected physics maps. Species to watch retired for see bottlenose dolphins, spotted dolphins, communal dolphins, Fin whales, Risso’s dolphins and long-finned aviator whales.

The 2nd largest whale successful nan world, nan fin whale, migrates on this coastline each twelvemonth and is often spotted successful nan warmer months. A protected area spanning 900 hectares, nan Cabo de San Antonio marine reserve, is situated betwixt Denia and Javea.

After nan fin whale play ends, nan Som Mar will proceed its voyages for snorkelling, birdwatching, and sperm whale research, maintaining its committedness to marine conservation and technological outreach.