When to spot whales in Mombasa

Spotting whales along the Kenyan coast

In early June, after travelling some 4000 kilometres from Antarctica, majestic humpback whales enter the waters along the East African shore and swim into warm tropical inner reefs to calve and mate.

Large numbers and their playfulness make them easy to spot, and offer an unforgettable sight. Imagine a 15 metres long, 30 tonnes huge creature jumping a summersault for its mate. And for you, too!

Whales can be spotted from the Kenyan coast as close as 500 metres from the shore. On a dedicated whale-watching safari you can easily see them. With a pair of binoculars, of course. So don’t miss out on a whaling trip when you are visiting Mombasa.

Your real adventure starts after boarding a whale-watching boat. Specialists behind the rudder and watch guards on shore combine their knowledge and lead you to one of what will surely be an unforgettable encounter.

More than ten species of whales and dolphins have been reported being seen along the East African coast. Besides the humpbacks, you may see the Bryde’s whale, both of the baleen whales, the toothed whale species orca or the killer whale and the sperm whale or cachalot, which is the largest toothed predator.

Whales are being thoroughly researched but remain a mystery; a new species was described only in 2019. They constitute an infraorder of Cetacea, an entirely aquatic group of mammals, along with dolphins and porpoises.

Since they have to breathe air, they have to surface – their surface behaviour was observed and described in detail. From anywhere in Mombasa you can start your whale watching tour to witness this behaviour for yourself.
Far less understood is their communication with sound – they sing the most beautiful songs and their sounds travel far, so you might even hear some.

For about a decade, a series of non-profit organizations in Kenya have been sharing their knowledge and responsibility to protect these mysterious mammals and ensure respectable and environment-friendly whale watching expeditions, just as the one that you’ll join.

Whales begin their journey back in late September and October, to the cold waters with an abundance of sardines and krill, a small shrimplike planktonic crustacean of the open seas.

So, if visiting Mombasa or staying anywhere on the Kenyan coast between June and October – don’t miss out on this extraordinary opportunity of encountering these mysterious, gigantic and yet gentle and highly intelligent creatures.