Whale watching
Whale Watching in Mauritius.
The Friendly Dodo offers two whale watching trips in Mauritius. The first trip starts at 6 a.m. and the second trip, depending on the season, starts at around 8:30 a.m. The tour lasts approximately 3 hours. Whale watching in Mauritius is only allowed from 6 a.m. to noon.
Sperm whales can be observed all year round. About 30 - 40 animals live in the waters off the west coast. Humpback whales usually arrive in Mauritius from June and come here to calve. We follow their breath, which we can observe from a distance, or use a hydrophone to locate them, for example, for sperm whales. Patience is needed to spot whales. Often, we stay at a spot for up to an hour to take advantage of a good opportunity to observe. We will never harass or disturb the animals. Sometimes, however, they deliberately approach a boat out of curiosity.
Information about whales that live or occur in Mauritius:
Sperm Whale: In the deep sea off Mauritius, sperm whales dive to find their food (giant squid). These can weigh up to 500 kg. Females with calves and young males live together. When the males mature and become adults, they roam the waters alone. A mature male can easily reach 15 meters, rarely larger, but in rare cases up to 18 meters in length and weigh more than 45 tons. The sperm whale is known as the largest toothed whale on earth and is the largest predator. They easily dive more than 1500 meters deep and can stay there for over an hour. The International Whaling Commission has now placed sperm whales under protection.
Humpback Whales: Humpback whales come to Mauritius' warm waters to mate and give birth to their young. The males are known for their unique songs, especially during the breeding season. They seek the proximity of the coast where the females find shelter with their babies. Humpback whales travel several thousand kilometers over the course of a year. They have no teeth and filter their food from small crustaceans and fish. In Mauritius, they can only be found from about June to October. Humpback whales have been hunted for a long time, and their population has declined significantly. After several conservation agreements, scientists estimated in 2020 that about 75,000 individuals exist on our planet.
Pilot Whale: The pilot whale in the Indian Ocean off Mauritius has a shorter pectoral fin than the common pilot whale. It was long believed that this whale species is led by one individual, hence the name "pilot whale." Moreover, "whale" is not entirely correct as they belong to the dolphin family, second only to the orca. The older females usually lead the groups.
The females and males weigh between 2.5 and 4.5 tons, diving 10 to 15 minutes almost 800 meters deep to find squid and fish. They have far fewer teeth than dolphins and essentially suck in their food. We often see them together with other dolphins or near them.
On this tour we take up to 6 guests on the new 26ft Legend Regulator, NOV 2022 and offer small snacks and drinks. On our bigger Boat Legend 28 we can take up to 9 Guests on request. We would like to emphasize that no guarantees can be given on this tour.
Bookable all year round ( Sperm Whales / June to October Humpback Whales )
Bookable all year round
| Duration |  |
from / to La Balise 3h |
| Price |  |
Exclusive charter 390,00 € / boat up to 4 persons 30,00 € for each additional guest Transfer from / to hotel can be booked |
| Food |  |
drinks and snacks |
| Fitness |  |
whale watching only |
| Language |  |
English |
| Climate |  |
sun protection is mandatory |
| Hygiene |  |
toilets before and after the trip |
| Pictures |  |
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| Booking | Book now |