whales . . .

Whales were once hunted to near extinction; today they are watched by over ten million people every year.

There are two types of whales you'll see on a whale watching trip - toothed whales and baleen whales. As the name implied, toothed whales have teeth and hunt for larger prey - large fish and sometimes even a seal or small dolphin.

Dolphins are actually classified as 'toothed whales'. As a group whales and dolphins are known as 'cetaceans'.

Baleen whales don't have any teeth. They feed with the help of thin flexible plates attached to the roofs of their mouths called 'baleen'. These act like strainers, catching small animals - like krill - while letting the seawater pass through their giant mouths. It's rather funny that the largest creatures on earth eat some of the smallest ones!

... and watching whales

Whale Guide is about watching whales ... and dolphins too. You'll find hundreds of whale watching trips described, plus hundreds of fabulous photos! You'll find these in the 'directory' section.

Whales and Dolphins can be found in every ocean of the world. So finding a place close to you to see a whale isn't very difficult. You need to know where to go and when the whales can be seen. That's the kind of information you will find in this directory.

So if you have ever dreamed of getting close to a whale or a dolphin, to see them with your own eyes in their natural habitat, it's time to think about going on a whale watching trip.