Top Ten Places to Encounter Whales

Spanking new Masoala National Park is an 840-square-mile chunk of tropical wilderness on the roadless edge of Antongil Bay. This is a picture-pristine area of unexplored beaches and ancient forests that is filled with rare, endemic species. The bay itself is just the sort of sheltered place that many whales use for breeding. This includes the 36-foot-long humpbacks.

They're here during breeding season, which means that any responsible operator will hang back. But listen up, it's while breeding that male humpbacks "sing" their eerie wail. Want to know what it sounds like? Rent Star Trek: The Voyage Home. Esther Williams has nothing on the humpbacks in this movie.

The whale watching industry here is new and unregulated, so please be conscientious in choosing an operator.

Just the Facts

What you might see there: Humpbacks, and bottlenose, spinner and Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphins

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