Virginia Beach Prepares to Welcome Whales!

Virginia Aquarium whale watching boat tours begin late December showcasing humpback and fin whales migrating off the coast.

It moves through the water with amazing grace, in search of its next meal. It plummets toward the depths of the deep sea throwing its fluke upward out of the water with great force. Then in a flash, it’s gone. It’s wintertime – the humpback and fin whales are returning to Virginia Beach.

Virginia Beach invites you to observe these mystifying sea creatures up close. The Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center offers 2 – 2½ hour whale watching boat trips from late December through mid-March, narrated by a trained Virginia Aquarium educator. Whale watching packages also will be available from December through March through the Virginia Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau’s site at www.vbfun.com. The packages will include accommodations, and admission aboard a whale watching boat trip, the Virginia Aquarium and its 3D IMAX® Theater. Visitors to Virginia Beach can also enjoy a range of winter activities, including, holiday lights along the boardwalk and ice skating at Neptune’s Park through February.

Thanks to the food-rich mouth of the Chesapeake Bay and warm Atlantic Ocean waters, surprisingly acrobatic humpback and fin whales can be seen diving, breaching, spyhopping and lobtailing off the coast each winter. These massive creatures can weigh up to 70 tons, range up to 79 feet long and consume an impressive 1 ½ tons of food each day. With speeds up to 23 mph, humpback and fin whales display amazing behaviors when in search of food and when communicating with other whales. The characteristic “singing” of humpback whales produces long, complex songs that are language between these animals. Interestingly, whales of the Northern American Atlantic have their own song, while whales of the Pacific carry their own tune. A typical song lasts up to 20 minutes and can be repeated for hours. Fin whales, otherwise known as the “Greyhounds of the Sea” are among the fastest of the great whales, and can travel in groups of three to seven.

I found a video on YouTube that was posted in January of 2009 by some visitors who ventured out on one of these Whale Watching excursions. Enjoy!