Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
period,approachangleetc-toensureyourpresencedoesnotstressthewhales.Takeplenty
of water, suncream and a waterproof jacket.
SNORKELLING AND DIVING
The shallows around Sainte Marie are ideal for snor-
kelling and diving, despite the inshore waters being overfished. Most of the coral reefs are
in good condition and the water is usually clear, although some of the huge table corals
have been broken off by fish traps. The best snorkelling sites are near Atafana and La
Crique, and also the west side of Ile aux Nattes.
HUMPBACK WHALES OF MADAGASCAR
Duncan Murrell
Every year humpback whales migrating from their summer feeding-grounds in
Antarctica arrive in the waters off Madagascar between July and September to mate,
give birth and nurture their young. Humpback whales, like several other species of
whale,migratebetweentheircolder,highlatitudefeeding-groundstothewarmershal-
lowwatersaroundtropicalislandsoroncontinentalshelves.Thereismorefoodavail-
able in the nutrient-rich waters of polar regions than in tropical waters but the calves
have insufficient insulating blubber to protect them from colder water. It takes 1½
months for the whales to travel the 5,000km journey from Antarctica, during which
they lose up to a third of their bodyweight. As with all of the baleen whales, the gest-
ation periodof10-12monthsisclosely linked tothetiming oftheir annual migration.
The majority of the whales end up in the relatively protected, shallow waters of
Antongil Bay but many can be observed either in transit or lingering between Sainte
Marie and the mainland, often in very close viewing distance of the shore; this is es-
pecially true between Atafana and Antsara where the channel narrows considerably.
They can also be seen passing Taolagnaro (Fort Dauphin) early and late in the season,
and a few travel up the west coast and can be viewed near Anakao and Morondava.
Humpback whales are undoubtedly one of the most entertaining of whales because
of their exuberant displays of breaching (jumping), lobtailing (tail-slapping) and pec-
slapping(flipper-slapping).Malescompetingforfemalesoftenindulgeinforcefuldis-
plays of head-lunging and slapping to create surges and explosions of water to intim-
idate their rivals. In their feeding-grounds they often deploy a unique feeding strategy
where they herd their prey with bubbles.
But probably the behaviour that the humpback whale is most renowned for is its
singing. The male produces one of the most complex songs in the animal kingdom
using sounds spanning the highest and lowest frequencies audible to the human ear.
These songs constantly evolve; as the season progresses new themes may be added
or old ones changed. Each whale changes its song to keep in tune with other singers.
