Turks and Caicos Whale Watching Adventures
From snorkeling to scuba diving, kayaking to paddle boarding, there’s no shortage of activities during your stay in Turks and Caicos. But there’s yet another activity—a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—that you surely won’t want to miss: humpback whale watching.
Witness a truly awe-inspiring event in Turks and Caicos from December to April with the unique opportunity of whale watching. This specialized charter service is offered only during this time in the Turks and Caicos islands as the whales migrate through our waters. Learn more about how you can cross off this unforgettable experience from your bucket list.
The Humpback Whale Migration
Every year, it is a truly magnificent spectacle to witness as humpback whales travel from their summer feeding grounds in cold waters of the United States and Canada to the tropical waters of the Dominican Republic and the Turks and Caicos Islands. They make this journey to the Mouchoir Bank to the southeast of Grand Turk and Salt Cay, and the Silver Bank even further southeast, to mate and give birth.
The islands of Grand Turk and Salt Cay are famous for their whale watching opportunities, as the Mouchoir Passage and Turks Passage often guide these majestic creatures along their coastlines. Nevertheless, Providenciales also provides plenty of chances to witness and interact with whales near the reefs stretching from the Caicos Cays to West Caicos.
About Humpback Whales
The humpback whale is a baleen whale, a marine mammal which can grow over 50ft long, weigh up to 44 tons and live more than 50 years. They have a distinctive shape with long pectoral fins, a short curved dorsal fin, grooves from the jaw down the belly and nodules on their heads and flippers. The tail flukes of each humpback whale are like a human fingerprint, no two are alike and the distinguishing features allow us to identify individuals.
These gentle giants feed by sifting planktonic creatures from the water through the baleen plates in their mouths. They also use bubbles to catch prey, a feeding behaviour called bubble-net feeding. This species of whale only feed during half of the year from spring to fall and will not feed during their migration to mate and calve, up to 10,000 miles of travel. Humpbacks reproduce every two years. Humpback whales reproduce every two years, with a lengthy pregnancy lasting nearly a year and their young nursing for up to a year.
Humpback whale populations are classified as least concern by CITES but they still need our protection. In the early 1900s the populations were under threat by the whaling industry and fell significantly. While they have somewhat recovered, they are still impacted by entanglement in fishing gear, boat collisions and noise pollution. Observing best practices and etiquette while whale watching in Turks and Caicos, and beyond, are small, simple steps we can make to help minimize impact and protect the species.
Whale Watching Season
Unlike most activities in the Turks and Caicos, whale watching is reserved to a specific period – the winter months of December through April, with the best chances of spotting them between January and early March. Most whale watching excursions are part of tour boat trips like snorkel and island hopping charters, and they are often observed from a distance during deep sea charter fishing charters.
A number of operators, like our sister company Panoply Sport Fishing & Luxury Charters, offer small group private charters which combine whale watching with other activities like snorkeling, allowing you the unique and memorable experience of snorkeling with humpback whales in their natural environment. Turks and Caicos is one of the few destinations in the world where such an activity is possible and we highly recommend embarking on a whale watching adventure during your winter vacation to Turks and Caicos.
Photograph by Seventy Two West on Charter with Panoply Sport Fishing & Luxury Charters.
Booking a whale watching tour on your visit to the islands is a thrilling experience that allows you to meet these enormous creatures in their natural habitat. And take it from us—Turks and Caicos is one of the best places to do it. But like any encounter that allows humans and wildlife to interact, there are rules both you and your tour operator should follow to protect your own safety and that of the whales. Here are six best practices and points of etiquette to remember when whale watching in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
