Sperm whale diving: where and when
Females and young live year-round in resident clans in tropical and subtropical waters, while mature males range to high latitudes and dive to 2,000+ m. 4 known encounter sites across 4 countries: Dominica, New Zealand, Portugal (Azores) and Norway. Best single site: West coast (Roseau), Dominica — very high reliability, peak nov-mar. No certification is required at the easiest sites — some are snorkel or freedive only.
- Sites
- 4
- IUCN status
- Vulnerable
- Min. certification
- No certification
- Typical depth
- Varies by site
4 countries
Every known sperm whale site
Very high reliability
West coast (Roseau)
Dominica
Peak Nov-Mar · n/a
No certification needed
Very high reliability
Kaikoura Canyon
New Zealand
Peak Year-round · n/a
No certification needed
High reliability
Pico & Faial
Portugal (Azores)
Peak Jun-Sep · n/a
No certification needed
High reliability
Andenes (Andoya)
Norway
Peak Jun-Aug · n/a
No certification needed
Other whale encounters
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