Between July and September each year the Humpback Whales effortlessly pass through &Beyond Vamizi Island on their epic voyage from East Africa to Antarctica. They bring their new-born calves with them and the whale families absolutely relish frolicking in the deep water channels around the island. One of the lengthiest migrations in the world! The migration to the warmer climate ensures the safety of these gentle giant’s calves, from their natural predators the Orcas, as well as increases their baby’s survival rate in the warmer environmental conditions-baby whales how adorable! The whale watching trips offer the perfect opportunity to see these incredible animals up close- what a wondrous sight to behold! Plan a whale watching excursion and our guides will help you explore the waters for these magnificent creatures.
Witnessing Humpback Whales showcasing their exciting acrobatic displays- throwing their huge bodies around, hitting the water with huge slaps and crashes! Humpback whales aptly get their name from the way their body arches as they emerge effortlessly out of the water to prepare to dive back down again!
Introducing… the magnificent migratory Southern Right whales and the Humpback whales miraculously majestic as they swim past the East African coastline!
Both of these tranquil species are baleen whales - which use their baleen or filter-feeder system inside their mouths to feed on their only food source of microscopic krill and plankton. Their baleen system is similar to bristles and made of keratin, the same substance found in human fingernails and hair. This incredible system works when a whale opens its mouth underwater and the whale takes in a big gulp of water. The whale then pushes the water out of the stout on top of its head and animals such as krill are filtered by the baleen and remain as a food source for the whale.
Humpback and Southern right whales have peaceful-yet playful temperament when not being threatened. Your whale watching experience on one of the many boats -used to glimpse these gentle giants- will put you in a front row seat to showcase the awesome aerial antics of these magnificent creatures and oh how they defy the laws of nature! Whale watching in Mozambique at its very best!
Step off the shore and into a specially designed Whale Watching boat-Vamizi Island lodge’s boats are brought to you for a comfortable unforgettable whale spotting experience. These wondrous whales have a friendly and a curious nature. They are known to approach whale-watching boats or even spend a few minutes around the boat showing off their dancing on the surface- they might even glide right underneath these boats-feeling small in comparison to these graceful giants!
Humpbacks are considered the acrobats of the great whales and can breach pushing their massive upper bodies above the sea surface- as high as 10 meters!
The survival of this stunning species is being threatened. Climate change is currently impacting on the whales as sea levels rise and temperatures change. The Arctic and Antarctic habitats are facing threats right now which could affect our whales sooner than we realize… Maybe you will feel their truly gentle nature so tune into these giant sea mammals to contribute to their on-going survival!
The humpback whales sing stunning magical songs. The male makes the long, loud, complex “songs” for which the species is famous and which can last up to 20 minutes long! Take a listen while out on the boats- a sound not to be mimicked!
Did you know that the Humpback whale uses a very clever technique to catch food- known as bubble net feeding? A group of whales swim in a circle, getting closer and closer inwards as they keep blowing bubbles below a school of krill or plankton encircling in a shrinking ring of bubbles and then the prey is trapped in a cylinder shape that keeps getting smaller! This ring can begin at up to 30 meters wide and several Humpbacks can be involved. The whales then suddenly swim upwards through their own made “net”, mouths agape, swallowing thousands of fish in one gulp. Spectacular!
The Southern Right Whale has two blowholes so when they blow, the water makes a particular shape in the air above them- a stout of spectacle!
It’s common to see Humpback mother whales teaching their young calves to breach, tail slap and spy hop -a sight not even the imagination can expect!
Spy-hopping is when whales push their heads right out of the water as if they are spying on you.
Baleen Whales can produce sounds of high volume in the infrasonic range which can be heard hundreds of kilometres away- echoing in the distance! The Humpback Whales produce unique songs with complex sequences - the reasons for this remain a mystery to scientists alike.
It is possible to spot up to 30 Whales in a day during the season!
These baleen Whales have stocky, fat bodies with extremely long flukes and grow up to 15 metres (50 feet) in length.
Mozambique offers majestic whale watching experiences, guaranteeing you attractive and affordable holiday activity package deals -where you get to be up close with the whale on ocean cruises and diving.
Witness the protection of a magical marine wonderland!
The Neptune’s Arm dive site off Vamizi Island provides the most sublime moments to swim with protected Grey Reef Sharks, carefully monitored by the island’s Marine Conservation and Research Centre.
The Vamizi’ research team has begun a Grey Reef Shark Monitoring Project and established an acoustic and satellite monitoring project of a population of Grey Reef Sharks, the last known population of this species in the country!
A very rare phenomenon regularly happens here, with aggregations of up to 30 female sharks spotted on a single dive! Grab that underwater camera!
