If last season 2021 is anything to go by then it is entirely understandable that all our guides are thinking about only one thing now and that is the whales.
That is because last season was epic. From our very first whale sighting in early January, right through February and March, our team had numerous unforgettable encounters, both on the surface and in the water spread around the entire Caicos Islands and very often not far from our base in Leeward.
That said, many factors must play their part not least of which is the weather on Turks and Caicos. Winter in the tropical Atlantic is predictably unpredictable with cold fronts often sweeping in with wind and waves from the North and the West making any kind of boating extremely difficult and whale watch almost impossible – needless to say, mild weather is a must.
Considering we only ever see whales outside the reef, we also change the way to run all our trips, whether, full day, half day, dive, snorkel or private. Essentially we ‘bend’ our trips and charters to maximize the possibility, weather permitting, of seeing whales. That means we focus on ‘running’ in the blue as much as is possible and is comfortable in order to increase our chances of finding these magnificent whales.
Crucially, our in-house training, is spearheaded by Turks & Caicos local whale expert and captain, Philip Shearer. With over 25 years of experience guiding in these waters and almost a decade working on the whale sanctuary of the Silver Banks, Philip has emphasizes the soft in water approach. These tried and trusted techniques, are now well adopted and continually refined by our senior captains to increase our guests’ chances of getting close to whales in the water.
It is not easy, however. It often requires massive amounts of time, patience and skill, something few other operators have. The rewards can be incredible. Awe inspiring. And sometimes life changing. No two days are the same. Likewise, every whale and whale encounters are different. So are the seasons. We never really know what to expect but always expect the unexpected and we are thus ready for whales and action as soon as the new year rolls arrive.
We can’t wait.
See you on the water!