Kenya is best known for its terrestrial wildlife – a dream destination for safaris to see the ‘Big 5’ in the iconic landscape of savannah lands dotted with Acacia trees. Few tourists associate Kenya with marine life or dolphin watching, but the country does, in fact, have an active and growing dolphin watching industry and a burgeoning whale watching industry.
Humpback whales are the most majestic animals in the ocean, and can be seen in the Watamu Protected Area on the Kenyan Coast, as well as several other species of whale.
Since 2011 helped by Watamu Marine Association (WMA) research in recent years local fishermen are combining fishing trips with dolphin and whale watching for their guests. WMA have therefore developed good dolphin and whale watching guidelines in an effort to protect marine mammal populations.
Every year, humpback whales migrate north from Antarctica to warmer climates, congregating in Kenyan waters between July and August to calve and mate. After spending two months breeding and nursing their calves, the whales then make their journey back to Antarctica around September.
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