Chasing humpback whales in Watamu

An aerial view of Mida Creek [Courtesy]

Travelling around Kenya is quite a humbling experience because each time you start to think you’ve seen it all… Magical Kenya sneaks one upon you! That’s how I felt when I discovered that humpback whales visit our Kenyan coastline annually!

It all started when a few weeks ago, my friends Mwangi Kirubi (Mwarv), Joshua Kisamwa and I got an invite from the Kenya Tourism Board to experience the Humpback Whale Migration in Watamu. Considering that I’ve dreamt of seeing Whales since I was a kid, mine was a quick, sure YES!

This expedition was a follow-up to the wildebeest migration in Maasai Mara that coincides with the humpback whale migration, hence the phrase: The Twin Migration!

Humpback whales, the biggest sea mammals at about 15 metres long and weighing 30 tonnes (5 times the weight of an elephant), migrate annually to the Kenyan Coast from the Antarctic ocean, between July and September. Swimming what’s possibly the longest journey on the planet, humpback whales travel over 5,000Km to breed in our warmer climate.

Hoping against all hope

As we left Nairobi for Malindi, the fate of our trip hung awkwardly in the balance. We had received reports from the Watamu Marine Association indicating that deep-sea conditions were pretty unstable. Yet, missing this incredible opportunity was unimaginable. So our prayers went up, and we kept our fingers crossed.

Whale watching day started out bright and early at Hemingways Watamu. There, we had a short meeting with Steve Trott, the Project Manager of the Watamu Marine Association, together with the Hemingways Watamu and KWS teams. They shared some amazing facts about the humpback whale migration and their combined conservation efforts in Watamu.

Hemingways Watamu [Courtesy]

For instance, the Watamu Marine Association (WMA) have been conducting studies on humpback whales since 2011, and the Hemingways Hotel was the first to offer Whale-watching tours in Watamu. With the growing interest, whale sighting is now a joint initiative amongst the local Watamu Marine community, with local tour and boat operators recently taking up tours.

My heart danced a mile and a half when they confirmed that we could sail! And from the joy written on the team’s faces, it was going to be a good day!

Whale Chasing

Captain Jackson and his crew were waiting to help us aboard the boat: ‘Seastorm’. He gave us a safety brief, while also pointing out: ‘Spotting Whales, though highly probable, is not always a guarantee.’ At this, I whispered a quick prayer reminding God of our agreement: ‘12 Whale sightings please…’ As the shore disappeared from view, the waves grew stronger and fuller with great assistance from the wind.

We spotted our first whale about 6 nautical miles in, but he was rather shy, swiftly disappearing in the water. Our expedition soon turned into a cat and mouse chase! We would spot one whale tail here, and another would appear somewhere else in the distance!

A humpback whale breaching off the coast of Watamu [Courtesy]

Soon enough, we realized that whale watching is a whole different ballgame, compared to a Game Drive. With wild animals, you’re on solid ground and the most they can do is trot off. Contrastingly, with whale-chasing, you are at the mercy of the ocean and the whales. Everything happens so fast and you have no idea where to look next; plus the strong waves rocking the boat play dangerously with your body’s contents…

Thankfully, just as our hearts were growing faint, we spotted two male whales breaching a distance away… Masterfully, our Captain raced the boat in that direction! And in the most remarkable fashion, the two whales breached 16 times! To crown the show, two dolphins swam by the boat ever so gracefully…  

The tail of a humpback whale swimming off the coast of Watamu [Courtesy]

That splendid afternoon, we ended up spotting 10 whales and 3 dolphins - what an answered prayer! And as Captain Jackson led us ashore, the boat fell silent, each of us possibly reflecting on the extraordinary experience we’d just had.

Towards the end of our boat ride, my body finally gave in and I got seasick. Somehow, it felt like a badge of honour because it was so, so worth it! Our Magical Kenya is like the gift that keeps on giving. We may never fully grasp the treasures it holds, so the best we can do is to celebrate them!