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From whale hunting grounds to whale watching grounds...

 

A whale of an adventure

 

Dave Hilson / Daily Yomiuri Staff Writer

 

Forget Hawaii and Mexico. If you want to experience humpback whales

frolicking in their natural environment, look no further than Japan's

own backyard--Okinawa.

 

While many people know the island as a tropical paradise for beach

lovers and scuba divers, few realize Okinawa also presents an

opportunity to witness one of nature's great wonders: the migration of

humpback whales.

 

Every year from January to April, hundreds of these gentle giants

travel thousands of kilometers to live and play in the waters of the

Kerama Islands, just an hour off the coast from Naha.

 

The whales actually come to the chain of seven islands, of which

Zamami is their favorite, to escape the cold waters of the northern

Pacific and to breed and raise their calves, which are born after a

gestation period of 11 to 12 months.

 

Maui may be the whale-watching capital of the world, but the Keramas

offer a chance to glimpse these kings of the sea in a much quieter,

less developed setting. While Zamami has some accommodation, there are

no high-rises. The rocky island, used primarily as a dive spot, is

pretty quiet this time of year, and it offers a much different

experience than you will find in Maui.

 

I took advantage of the pristine conditions of a mid-January day to

set out on a tour in search of the humpbacks that live in the crystal

blue-green waters around these islands. It wasn't long after we had set

off before we spotted one of the curious-looking creatures.

 

There is nothing that sets your heart racing like the sight of your

first humpback as it gracefully breaks the surface of the water, curls

its back, lifts its tail and slips silently back into the deep blue.

The excited chatter of the other passengers confirmed my impression.

 

It was only about 10 years ago that the humpbacks, which range in size

from 12 to 20 meters, returned to the Keramas, formerly a whale-hunting

ground. The population has increased every year since, and now 270 of

the mammals can be seen at peak season.

 

Official whale-watching season in the islands is from January to

April, but this year a couple were spotted as early as Dec. 22.

However, if you want to improve your chances of seeing the humpbacks,

which while being curious and playful are also wild animals and

therefore unpredictable, it's probably best to go in mid-season.

 

Humpbacks are agile beasts famous for their gregarious and acrobatic

behavior and can often be seen leaping out of the water, or slapping

its surface with their giant flippers, a behavior thought to be

connected to communication and mating. But they are also slippery

characters, so it is not guaranteed that you will spot any. A smooth

patch of water where they have just submerged or a spray from their

blowholes, is all you might see. Luckily, on this day they were

cooperative--though not completely.

 

The whales generally travel in pods of two to 15 individuals, and we

were fortunate enough to spot four or five different humpbacks in what

amounted to a game of cat and mouse. And every time we did, people on

the boat shouted and shrieked with glee.

 

After getting all the passengers on board, the boats travel to the

areas the humpbacks frequent most often. Then, they sit and wait. If

you're lucky, a whale will break the surface nearby, but if one is

spotted in the distance all the boats set chase at once, though they

are required to keep 50 meters to 100 meters distance from the whales.

 

" There's one, to the right, " shouted one of the passengers. And off we

went, chasing down the majestic creature, wanting to make some kind of

connection with it in this world where we were clearly the interlopers.

 

The captains of these ships are knowledgeable sorts and understand

that an adult humpback's dive usually lasts about 10 minutes or 15

minutes. The whales can actually hold their breath for 45 minutes or

longer, but this not common. So once a humpback has been spotted

submerging, it is just a matter of time--and an educated guess as to

where they will emerge--before they will be spotted again.

 

The most spectacular move a whale can make is the breach, when it

jumps completely out of the water. This is more common later in the

mating season when the males are trying to attract the attention of the

females, and, unfortunately, on this occasion we experienced no such

sight. Still, there were plenty of exciting moments, with tails and

backs being spotted as the whales came up for air and submerged again.

Not much time was spent just sitting in the water not seeing a

humpback. Though, on this day, the whales didn't stay at the surface

very long, either.

 

I booked my tour through the Zamami Whale Watching Association, which

offers smaller boats. After a group briefing in Japanese about the

humpbacks and what to expect on the tour, we set off on our adventure.

 

The association has some English information, but not much, so it is

best to become acquainted with the humpbacks on your own before

arriving.

 

There are many whale-watching tours available out of Naha and Zamami,

but they are generally of two types: a one-day tour that includes

sightseeing around the islands and a half-day sea excursion that

includes only whale watching.

 

There isn't much to do in the islands besides seeing the whales, so

it's probably best just to go on the shorter tour, unless you want to

spend a night or two relaxing on Zamami.

 

Seeing these shiny-skinned whales frolic in their natural habitat is a

rewarding and lucky experience. It wasn't so long ago that commercial

whaling had pushed the humpbacks to the brink of extinction. But thanks

to the International Whaling Commission's ban on commercial whaling in

1964 and a move toward ecotourism, you can now enjoy getting up close

and personal with these intelligent and entertaining creatures.TRAVEL

TIPS

 

-- To take the whale-watching tour organized by the Zamami Whale

Watching Association you must book your ticket at least one day in

advance.

 

-- A ticket for the two-hour tour is 5,000 yen per person.

 

-- To get to Zamami catch the high-speed Queen Zamami ferry from

Tomari Port in Naha. The ferry departs at 9 a.m. and takes

approximately one hour to get to the island from Naha. Buy your ticket

at the main terminal and then catch the ferry, which docks a

five-minute walk away on the right side of the harbor.

 

-- The cost of a return ferry ticket is 5,230 yen.

 

-- When you arrive at Zamami check in at the office next to the pier

to pick up your tickets, where a group briefing will be held.

 

-- You must call the association on the morning of your tour to

confirm that weather conditions are suitable for the tour to take

place.

 

-- For more information, call the Zamami Whale Watching Association at

(098) 896-4141.