Whale Watching : See Dolphins, Orcas, Bottleneck and other cetaceans in the strait of Gibraltar, between the tarifa and Morocco coasts

Whale Watching in Tarifa

Whale watching in Tarifa dolphins
Whale watching in Tarifa killer whales
Whale watching in Tarifa boat trips
Whale watching in Tarifa on Spanish coasts
Whale watching in Tarifa in the Gibraltar strait
Whale watching in Tarifa bottlenose whale
Whale watching in Tarifa research and conservation
Whale watching in Tarifa is it hot?
Whale watching in Tarifa family excursions
Whale watching in Tarifa on dirt tracks
Whale watching in Tarifa in Morocco
Whale watching in Tarifa in Africa
Whale watching in Tarifa and other cetaceans
Whale watching in Tarifa day trips
Whale watching in Tarifa orcas

Tarifa has become known as 'the Wind Capital' for many different reasons. Its wind reliability probably tops them all. It is very difficult to have two consecutive non windy days, as the detailed comparative chart shows.

When two large water recipients such as the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea meet in just one and only place and with just a mere 14km dividing it, it is no surprise that there must be something special going on.

The sheer diversity between temperatures, salt contents, currents and natural environment of these two water stretches, generate two distinct animal habitat which, curiously enough, need each other to survive.

So many species on land and water use this connecting point to enter new environments for breeding feeding or simply protection and Tarifa's strategic position is ideal to see all this happening.

If you want to know more about Whales and other cetaceans or even better organise a trip to see them for your self please visit Firmm, a Swiss foundation based in Tarifa that dedicates itself just to that.
The Swiss foundation firmm® dedicates its work to the research and conservation of marine mammals, especially the whales and dolphins in the Strait of Gibraltar. Our locations serve as platforms for acquisition and exchange of information. Scientists and everyone else interested in whales and dolphins are invited to help us reach our goal. Only together we can achieve that people care more about the oceans and that future generations of animals and mankind will still find an environment worth living in.
On our virtual platform we'd like to give you an insight in our work and provide you with some pieces of information on the animals we study. You will also find information about our courses and excursions to the whales and dolphins in the Strait of Gibraltar and you are invited to discuss relevant issues in our forum.

About our scientific research
Since 1998 our research team has recorded and documented every sighting of whales and dolphins. Besides collecting information about the status of the different populations of cetaceans we want to improve our knowledge on the spot and finally emphases our demands for protection.
By means of ecological tourism we try to finance our research. We employ a marine biologist and have students of biology, marine and environmental studies working as volunteers. Our scientific work is supervised by professor David Senn, who besides being in the foundation's board is also a member of the scientific committee of the 'International Whaling Commission' (IWC).
See the following pages for more information:
? The Strait of Gibraltar
? Insight in our Research Projects
? Why Regulations
Courses and daily boat trips
From April to October we give you the opportunity to meet the whales and dolphins in the Strait of Gibraltar during our courses (1 or 2 weeks). On our daily excursions you are invited to study pilot whales and dolphins real close. With a little luck it is even possible to see sperm whales, orcas, or fin whales. Our marine biologists have also prepared some interesting lectures, which will provide you with valuable information about these threatened animals and the oceans in general.
From March to October we also offer daily boat trips of 2 to 2 ½ hours each.
firmm® has two main objectives: to support research on whales and dolphins in the Strait of Gibraltar and to provide information about the importance of protecting the oceans and their inhabitants. We hope you will leave us full of enthusiasm for both of these goals.
For further information, have a look at the following pages:
? Whale and Dolphin Observation Courses 2004
? two-hour boat trips
Whales and Dolphins in the Strait of Gibraltar
If you want to find out more about the whales and dolphins in the Strait of Gibraltar, this is the right section for you. Throughout the year we see long-finned pilot whales, bottlenose dolphins, common dolphins, and striped dolphins. From April to June sperm whales migrate through the Strait and in July/August orcas come to this area. From time to time we are fortunate enough to see a fin whale (the second largest whale). On the following pages we'll give you a short description of each species you might see in the Strait of Gibraltar.
? Common dolphin (Delphinus delphis)
? Striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba)
? Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)
? Long-finned pilot (Globicephala melas)
? Orca (Orcinus orca)
? Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus)
? Fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus)
Later you'll also find a gallery here with lots of pictures from our excursions to the Strait. And we'll provide you with further pieces of information about these fascinating marine mammals.
? Direct Comparison of Sizes
? Identification of Whales and Dolphins
? Photos of Whales and Dolphins
? Evolution (coming soon)