St Helena offers the chance to see dolphins in the wild and at arms length is a rarity and should not be missed. Watch them cavort and dance as nature intended!
Whales
Whales are common around St. Helena, and can often be seen from the island. If you are lucky you may be able to get close to one. The above mentioned operators also offer whale watching tours, just ask them.
We also get regular visits from Whale Sharks rhincodon typus – the largest known extant fish species, averaging nearly 10m long and sometimes weighing more than 20 tonnes. These enormous and completely harmless (to humans! animals are stunning to watch… Although normally solitary creatures, at the end of January 2013 a group of 17 Whale Sharks were spotted around St. Helena, much to the delight of ecologists and tourists alike. To protect the species he following rules were published regarding human interaction with Whale Sharks:
• Touching or riding whale sharks is strictly prohibited• The use of flash for underwater photography is prohibited
• All persons to remain a minimum of 10ft (3m) swimming distance away from the whale sharks.
Do not chase after a whale shark in an aggressive manner
Dolphin and Whale watching and other marine trips are offered primarily by these vessels:
Gannett III – Large motor launch – 20 person capacity (www.gannet3.com)
Pink Lady – Motor boat – 9 person capacity
Krystal Klear – Glass-bottomed boat – 18 person capacity
Enchanted Isle – ‘Interceptor 42’ type – 16 person capacity (www.facebook.com/enchantedislelimited)
But contact St Helena Tourism for more info ￫
AND WHILE YOU’RE OUT THERE…
Why not explore some of the islands and islets that surround our coast: Castle Rock, Speery Island, the Needle, Lower Black Rock, Upper Black Rock (South), Bird Island (Southwest), Black Rock, Thompson’s Valley Island, Peaked Island, Egg Island, Lady’s Chair, Lighter Rock (West), Long Ledge (Northwest), Shore Island, George Island, Rough Rock Island, Flat Rock (East), the Buoys, Sandy Bay Island, the Chimney, White Bird Island and Frightus Rock (Southeast). All are within one kilometre (0.62 miles) of the shore. Egg Island is visited by most of the dolphin watching trips run from Jamestown.