Animal Spotting Cruises
For some travellers, their main motivation for taking a cruise is to experience the amazing wildlife that the world’s oceans and islands have to offer
STINGRAYS AND MANTA RAYS
Some cruises will offer excursions to see local wildlife while at port, with passengers able to enjoy trips to see stingrays – which frequent shallow sandy areas – up close. It’s also not uncommon for passengers to see large rays such as manta rays while at sea or as their ship leaves port. If you’re keen to swim with rays, try a cruise that takes in the Caribbean’s Cayman Islands or to the tropical islands of Fiji. There, from May to October, the stingless and gentle manta rays gather in the warm tropical waters to feed on – and be cleaned by – plankton.
FLYING FISH
They may sound too fantastical to be real, but flying fish do exist and many cruise passengers report seeing them. Despite their name, they can’t really fly, but they are equipped with large wing-like pectoral fins that enable them to propel their bodies out of the water and glide for distances up to 200 m – more if they use the updrafts from waves. Some types of flying fish also have a second set of ‘wing’ fins and most have a long tail they can dip into the water to help prolong ‘flight’. You’ll find them in deep tropical open ocean waters, rather than close to port. Ranging in size from 14-46 cm, they can be hard to spot, but if you keep an eye out, you may just see one.
WHALES
If you’re keen to watch these giants of the oceans in their natural habitat, there’s no better place than Antarctica. From November to March a handful of specialist cruising companies offer Antarctic expeditions departing from Argentina or New Zealand. Antarctic waters are home to eight species of whales: fin, humpback, minke, orca, sei, southern right, sperm and the largest mammal ever known to live, the rare blue whale. But you’ll also get a chance to view other wildlife, such as Adélie penguins, elephant seals, sea lions and albatross.
TAKING OFF
While flying is a quirky evolutionary safeguard that keeps the fish out of reach of predators such as marlin and tuna, they need to watch out for hungry birds while gliding.