Encounter whales (and whale sharks, too) in quiet, relaxing destinations

Discovering your zen certainly has different meanings for everyone, but the one thing most can all agree on is that a feeling of zen goes hand-inhand with a peaceful emotional state, being present, calm, aware and, most of all, relaxed and filled with happiness.

It’s a state of mind that is often hard to find in the hustle and stress of everyday living, which is why we think making an escape now and then to an all-new, less-traveled place, especially one that immerses you in nature, is so important.

Since the ocean fills so many with peace, this winter (and beyond) we’re chasing unique experiences with whales, those huge marine mammals of all types, as well as with whale sharks, the largest fish on the planet.

You may need a map to figure out where some of our favorite off-the-beaten-path places are for finding some bliss with these incredible ocean creatures, but that’s the beauty of truly escaping and being far from that madding crowd.

FARAWAY ADVENTURES

You’ll need to take a long plane ride to get to these places, but they are worth the time, so grab your eye mask, noise-canceling headphones and sleep aids for these big getaways.

Near India

Americans will recognize the Maldives, at least by name – found literally on the other side of the globe, south of India – and made up of 1,192 islands in the Indian Ocean. This remote country is a favorite playground of whale sharks, especially in the South Ari Atoll.

The luxurious St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort offers trips to that atoll’s renowned Whale Shark Point, where their PADI dive shop will take you diving (or snorkeling) with those gentle, plankton-eating giants. Or choose Nova Maldives, which sits on the edge of Maamigili Beyru, the protected marine park where whale sharks gather all year round; that resort offers scientific experts who lead trips for snorkeling or diving. Expect to see huge manta rays near the plankton, too.

Sri Lanka, an island country even closer to India, is where blue, pilot, sperm and fin whales migrate past its southern coast from December to April. Stay at Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle Resort near Mirissa to watch the heart of that incredible migration; or, but only in March to April, follow the blue, sperm and Bryde’s whales that head to the northeast coast to breed. Reef & Rainforest Tours takes you snorkeling in that limited window with those whales, for a slightly surreal in-the-water experience that exudes peace.

Near Africa

Head to an African destination by going the eastern air route from the West Coast to find places completely off the grid, with no crowds and plenty of chances to see whales and whale sharks.

St. Helena Island is one of those places, the remote island where Napoleon was exiled, died and buried. This British Territory off the western coast of Africa in the South Atlantic Ocean is also the only known place in the world where whale sharks congregate in large groups to mate from December to March. Scuba or snorkel with them, and stay in Jamestown at the Mantis St. Helena boutique hotel to see marine life at almost any time of year. Humpback whales come here to give birth and stay a while with their babies from June to December and you can watch dolphins frolic all year round.

A bit further north on Africa’s west coast is São Tomé and Principe, a tiny equatorial island nation, where the Sao Tomean people embrace the idea of “leve leve,” or savoring life at a slow pace. Get there via Lisbon on TAP Air and you’ll also find humpback whales from June to September, there to mate or give birth. Keep your eye out for orcas and blue whales, too, especially spotted right from the beach at Bom Bom Resort, the recently reopened and fully renovated and sustainably focused haven on Principe Island.

Near the Polar Ice Caps

If going to cooler climates is your idea of the best way to relax and recharge, there are lots of whales that agree with you. From up in the Arctic Circle to down in Antarctica, you’ll want parkas and wool socks on these whale-watching adventures, even in the summer.

Svalbard is Norway’s high Arctic Archipelago, where summers are sunny both day and night, and the perfect jumping-off point to see Arctic whales from a very small cruise ship. Join a 12-guest Secret Atlas ship from June to September to see the Arctic whales — beluga, bowhead and narwhal — as well as humpbacks, blues, northern bottlenose, white and Minke whales as you meander through the fjords toward the Arctic polar ice cap. That’s a seriously serene trip of a lifetime, that just might include polar bears, into a place that only a lucky few get to experience.

Antarctica is famous for the many cruises that explore that faraway continent, but to see the Ross Sea, one of the remotest places of all (and where some of Shackleton’s men famously got stuck in 1915), is a special trip because of the whales that love it there. Leave from New Zealand with Heritage Expeditions in January and February (summer down under) and you’ll likely see a dazzling array of whales, from the Southern right whale to humpbacks, orcas, Minkes (even dwarf Minkes), fins, blues, sperms and whales you may have never encountered like sei, Arnoux’s beaked, strap-toothed and more. Plus, penguins!

CLOSER-TO-HOME WHALE ENCOUNTERS

The West Coast itself offers opportunities for whale sighting, as the Pacific Ocean corridor from Alaska to Mexico is like a freeway at times, as many humpback, gray and blue whales travel south every year to winter in Mexico’s warm waters. That’s where they mate – or over a year later – give birth, then head back up north to spend their summers in Alaska.

So, take a short flight from LAX or a cruise out of Long Beach to Mexico’s Puerto Vallarta, where from December to March thousands of humpback whales arrive in Banderas Bay to do their mating dance, which is truly a sight to see from a small boat.

During those same months, pregnant female humpbacks are on their way to the Sea of Cortez in Baja California to give birth, using that protected sea to spend months training their new babies to be able to survive the journey back up north. See them near La Paz, as small boats get very close to the whales, who are accustomed to stopping to say hello to visitors. You’ll find whale sharks in La Paz from November to March, so pack your snorkeling gear to get up close and personal.

Or go further north to wonderful Loreto in that same sea to see huge blue whales with their newborn babies from January to March; that lovely, quiet town is also the home of the first of the Spanish missions built in the Californias, circa the late 17th century. Other whales that like the so-called Pueblo Mágico of Loreto and come to its warm waters during that time are orcas, grays and humpbacks. We like it too, and love that it is a two-hour nonstop flight from Los Angeles to a place where whales are happy to help us all to reset, reboot and find that sense of zen.

-Jenny Peters

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