- Humpback Whales in Amami Oshima island
Whale-watching & swimming with whales
by chartered boat - Kagoshima , Japan
- Price
- from JPY 253,000
- Duration
- 5nights 6days
- Date
- 25th Feb, 2024
Highlights
- Spending 5 nights 6 days in Amami Oshima (UNESCO World Heritage site) observing humpback whales from a chartered boat;- Plenty of room for contingency planning catering for sea & weather conditions;
- Sea conditions permitting, you will also have the opportunity to dive in the ocean and swim with the humpback whales.
Humpback Whales in Amami Oshima
Humpback whales migrate seasonally. During the summer, they migrate to the cold waters of Russia, the Aleutian Islands, and Alaska, where they forage for food and accumulate nutrients. In February and March, Amami Oshima is in the season of rearing, and we can observe mothers, calves and male whales called "escorts" who are trying to mate with female whales. The whales are also known for their active behavior on the surface of the sea such as -spectacular breaching - i.e. jumping out from sea surface. The pec slap and tail slap, slapping their pectoral fin and tail onto the sea surface, are also quite spectacular. The chartered boat that we arrange for 4 days gives you the opportunity to see a wide variety of behavior patterns humpback whales may display.
Swimming with Humpback Whales
During the four days of whale watching, you will have the chance to swim with humpback whales if sea conditions permit. The excitement of seeing those big whales in the water will certainly becomes a memory of a lifetime. You may also hear humpback whales singing underwater. This is known as the humpback whale song, and only the males sing. It is thought to be a form of courtship behavior that male whales engage in for females, as it is heard only in the southern seas, where mating and rearing of the young takes place. A special microphone can be placed in the water and the whales' song can be heard through the speakers.
■Rules for Swimming with Whales
・Reserving swimming with whales is limited to 6 people and is on first-come-first-served basis. Early booking is recommended due to limited availability.
・Swimming with whales is an open ocean swim, so only scuba diving license holders with good swimming skill are allowed - contact us for more details. If you cannot present to us your license or are not confident, please choose whale watching plan without swimming.
・If you choose "Swim with whales" at the time of registration and change to Whale Watching on site, the difference
will not be refunded.
・Swimming with whales is not guaranteed, as is any wildlife encounter. Even if there isn’t a chance to swim with whales, no refunds will be made as long as boat is operated.
Itinerary
| City | Summary | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amami Oshima | Meet with our tour leader at Amami Oshima airport at 15:00. We will head to our hotel in Nase Town by private vehicle. **Please choose a flight arriving in Amami Oshima before 15:00. ** We can arrange separate private transfer according to your flight arrival with extra cost. Overnight at West Court Hotel | Meals included : none |
| 2- 5 |
Amami Oshima | On Day2 to Day5, enjoy whale watching and swimming with whales around Amami Oshima by chartered boat. In summer, groups of Humpback whales forage in the Aleutian Islands and the Bering Sea, and in winter they come to the warm waters around Amami-Oshima for giving birth and parenting. From late January to early March is the season when the population of whales is at its highest in the surrounding waters. Since we use a chartered boat, we can adjust flexibly according to the sea conditions and whale observation status. Overnight at West Court Hotel | Meals included: Breakfast only |
| 6 | Amami Oshima | Around 10:00am, transfer to Amami Oshima airport by by private vehicle. Tour will end at airport around 11:00am. **Please choose a flight departing Amami Oshima after 12:00. **We can arrange separate private transfer according to your flight arrival with extra cost. Meal includeds: Breakfast only |
Price
| Price per person | |
|---|---|
| Departure on Feb 25th, 2024 5nights 6days |
Swimming with Whales：JPY283,000 (limited to 6 people per trip) Whale Watching only： JPY253,000 |
| Single room supplement | JPY15,000 |
Optional Meals |
JPY 3,000 per dinner **Our tour leader will take you to dining pubs serving local island food. Most likely it will be in Japanese style variety of dishes including seafood, meat and vegetables can be enjoyed and served so-called family style, i.e. shared with others. Alcoholic beverages, soft drinks are extra. |
**Offered only in a small group of 5 to 10 people.
**Swimming with whales is limited up to 6 people（on first-come-first-served basis）Early booking is recommended due to limited availability.
Inclusions:
5 nights of hotel accommodation | English speaking tour leader（Intermediate level; not fluent） | Chartered boat fee for 4days | Private vehicle transfer between Amami Airport and hotel for specified flights |Meals (5 breakfasts, 0 lunches, 0 dinners) | All entry fees to sites and activities listed in the itinerary hereabove except optional onesExclusive of:
Domestic or international flights | Travel & Medical Insurance (recommended to be arranged on your own) | Any meals not mentioned in itinerary or optional dinner | Personal Expenses (souvenirs and beverages, etc.) | Rental gears for swimming with whales | Rental gears fee per day (Please pay on spot in Japanese Yen cash) | Wet suites JPY1,320 | Snorkel and Mask JPY1100 | Fin JPY550 **Rental gears fee may change.Climate / weather
On land, a long-sleeved shirt is sufficient on warm days, but a fleece or jacket is necessary on cold days. On board the ship, it can get very cold due to wind and rain. Please be sure to bring a good raincoat (top and bottom).Important Notes
**This tour is open to both Japanese domestic customers and foreign visitors. Hence all the explanations will be made in Japanese first, followed by English. Please be aware of this nuance, an unavoidable inconvenience compensated by affordable cost per participant we offer.**The boat may be cancelled or turn back earlier than scheduled due to bad weather or sea conditions. All decisions regarding the boat operation are made by the captain. In case the boat is cancelled by boat company, we will refund boat fee in Japanese yen cash. Refund amount is depending on the number of participants. No refund will be made in case the boat returned to the port earlier than schedule due to bad weather or sea conditions.
**Please note humpback whales are wild animals and there is no guarantee to observe them. Swimming with whales is also not guaranteed.
Contact us about this tour
3rd floor, Kyodo Bldg. jimbocho, 2-2, Kanda, jimbocho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0051, Japan ｜Travel Agency Registration No. 607
