WHALE-WATCHING

Africa has long been a cradle where intricate relationships between humans and the nature exist. Tanzania with its unparalleled biodiversity attracts travellers from all over the world. Among the country’s fascinating natural wonders this beautiful country has to offer is the Great East African migration across the Serengeti, but we also have an equivalent in the marine realm. The annual migration of humpback whales is a spectacular event that can be witnessed in Tanzanian waters.

These majestic marine nomads cover thousands of miles from high-latitude summer feeding grounds, where they take advantage of the food resources of vast swarms of krill that feed on the phytoplankton blooms, to low-latitude winter breeding grounds, where they mate, give birth, nurse, and then return.

From June to December fishermen, marine enthusiasts, and anyone with a sharp eye can see the ocean surface being broken by powerful blows of migrating humpback whales. A huge puff of mist in the air, which can reach three metres in height, is a whales’ explosive exhalation which forms vertical streams of vapour due to difference in temperatures in the animal’s lungs and outside air. It can be seen hundreds of metres away and is a main clue for locating whales on the water.

If you’re looking for these gentle giants, don’t wait for a tail or a dorsal fin to appear on the surface as it’s not that easy to get so close to the animals and splashes may just be a wave breaking in the wind or against the cliffs.

There may also be other cetaceans that are feeling jumpy or fish leaping out of the water creating splashes, which may be mistaken for the whale’s presence. But the blow is unmistakable and once you have seen it many more wonders will follow. You’ll see the famous humps – the whale’s arching back when it’s deep diving – the raised flukes, the pectoral fins slapping and the spectacular breaching. These extremely acrobatic species are utter joy to watch.

Since 2017 I have been trying to get a tiny bit closer to humpback whales in order to understand more about their lives: which sub-population do they belong to, what exactly they’re coming here for, when, for how long and which routes they use. When the first sighting of a season is being announced my heart always skips a beat.

The months in between the seasons seems to drag until I hear precious news from the fishermen’s network. Then the boat is loaded, equipment checked, and fingers tightly crossed for good weather. Off we go to get a tiny bit closer to the magic of these marine nomads’ lives, which we know so little about.

After a couple of hours of intense searching we see a spout. “There she blows!” – a call that links present with the dark past when this excited cry would doom the creatures to a painful death from whalers.

The whaling industry severely depleted numbers of humpbacks by hunting, prompting a hunting ban in 1966 and their inclusion on the endangered species list in 1970 by the International Whaling Commission. Arguments against whaling, however, have been mostly (and shockingly) based on economic grounds, rather than humanitarian notion of intrinsic animal rights. Illegal hunting continued up to 1973, and as a result some of the sub populations had plummeted to less than 5 per cent of the pre-exploitation population size.

According to the IUCN Red List Species data the current global humpback whale population size is estimated to be 135,000 individuals, with a mature population size of approximately 84,000. These numbers sounds optimistic, but still present just a tiny fraction of the initial abundance. Conservationists around the globe are striving to understand whether populations of humpbacks are bouncing back from the brink. But given many uncertainties of historical records, including underestimated pre-whaling population sizes and under-reported and incomplete catch data from industrial whaling it is hard to determine the success of the overall population recovery, which, moreover, may not represent the recovery of each of the sub-populations individually.

Relatively recently the same whales that were loved and appreciated by Tanzanian fishermen, and only considered as a resource of meat and oil when washed onto the shore, were hunted and killed in their far-south feeding grounds in Antarctica. If whales think, and they probably do, they may be wondering what is going on in the minds of humans.

Nowadays, countries worldwide outline their Blue Economic strategy, an economic emphasis is being placed on the concept of sustainability, replacing commercial whaling with whale watching.

Whale watching is generally on the increase worldwide with more people getting captivated by whales and asking more questions. Marine enthusiasts and ocean lovers want to know when is the best time to see them in Tanzanian waters and when chances of an encounter are higher.

Well, humpbacks’ migration patterns are quite sophisticated. When southern hemisphere humpbacks are in tropical waters (southern hemisphere winter), the northern hemisphere whales are feeding at high latitudes (northern hemisphere summer).

This situation reverses after 6 months, when the seasons invert. Each year from June to December humpbacks are observed around the archipelago of Zanzibar, along Tanzanian coastline in the Zanzibar and Pemba channels. Sighting suggest the migration peak is usually is between August and September, however migratory timing varies with age, sex and reproductive status, so migration peaks may be different for different reproductive classes. While there is no dedicated and well-regulated whale watching industry in Tanzania yet, there are chances of sightings with most marine tour operators (and even from the ferries – keep your eyes peeled on your journey today!)

Almost all diving and fishing boats may potentially encounter a whale while out in the water. Some operators, like Scuba Fish Dive Shop, can provide additional value to their guests through their collaboration with marine conservation organizations. Safari Blue is another famous operator which is lucky to take its guests to the beautiful conservation area of Menai Bay where whales are a regular sight.

It is also possible to watch whales without leaving dry land (perfect for those who want to avoid seasickness), and is actually the best way as it reduces the likelihood of whales being disturbed. And Zanzibar provides some great locations where whales may stay for few days allowing guests enjoying their playful behaviour from the comfort of their own hotel. Properties such as Fumba Lodge and Promised Land Lodge provide unique viewing opportunities from the shore.

Whale watching could potentially be very beneficial for both people and whales. It allows the viewing of whales in their natural habitat and learn more, may serve as a platform for scientists to collect data and provides economic benefits to operators and local communities. However in order to maintain sustainability it is crucial that this activity is well regulated and is of high international standards where safety (of both humans and whales) and good ethics are paramount.

While regulations and guidelines governing whale watching in Tanzania have not yet been developed, there is a simple internationally recognized code of conduct that anyone who have been lucky to encounter a whale should observe. This includes keeping your distance (at least 200 metres from the boat to the whale), never approaching whales head-on, not moving between or separating individuals, maintaining a steady direction and slow speed,never swimming with whales or trying to touch them and being very careful while mothers with calvesare around as they are particularlysensitive to disturbance.

To increase the value of whale watching it is essential to educate the public, from a scientific perspective, about whales and their ocean habitat. Despite, our human tendency to anthropomorphize whales, we probably under estimate the complexity of their lives. Very few of us understand how highly cognitive and social these sentient emotional beings are with their complex social bonds and culture.

As the season starts, I can’t stop automatically scrutinizing the horizon in the hope of seeing the first blows that signal the hump-backs’ return. I hope you join me onthe lookout.