Whale watching can be a thrilling experience. An encounter with one of the largest animals in the World often gives people a sense of the amazing creatures nature has on offer.

The highly unusual appearance of a whale in the River Thames in London a few years back, left people with their jaws dropped, as well as wanting to see more. But while you could wait a lifetime inn London to see it happen again there are a lot of other places in the World where it’s not uncommon to spot these giant beauties. In fact, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare, about ten million people a year go whale watching, spending more than $1.25 billion. (*Photo by Richard.Fisher on flickr)

Here are the Top Whale watching destinations in the World today…something worth doing to add to a list of most amazing experiences of your lifetime.

Hermanus, South Africa
From August through to November, Hermanus a small town about a 100 kms (62 miles) from Cape Town in South Africa is the prime destination to spot whales. You don’t even have to get your toes wet to catch a glimpse of one of these blubbery giants as you catch their spouts going off or their tails making a splash from the shoreline.

Apart from Hermanus, there is a whopping miles of whale watching coastline called the Whale-route. It extends from the south of Cape Town right to Durban. At least 37 species of whales and dolphins can be found in these and the most famous of them the southern right whales, humpback whales, and several coastal dolphin species.

*Photo by cornstaruk on flickr

Kaikoura, New Zealand
On the east coast of New Zealand’s South Island, the small seaside town of Kaikoura is the best place in the World to spot the giant sperm whale. Your chances to see not just one but several together are quite high almost all year round as these massive mammals reside in the 2km deep Kaikoura Canyon which is both deep and rich in nutrients. The longest and deepest diving of any cetacean, you see outlines of these whales, along with their especially powerful 15-foot “blows” before they dive back in to the depths. Humpback whales during June and July and orcas in the summer are also visitors of this region. Whale watching cruises are available here.

*Photo by Strange Ones on flickr

Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA
Cape Cod is quite a popular get away destination for big New York city resident sand other near by cities cos of it’s sand beaches. The second largest of the whale species, the finback whale is seen on a regular basis in the Atlantic waters off this coast. Because of currents pushing down the coast from Nova Scotia, the bank is home to a rich food chain that makes it a three star feeding ground for whales. Whale watching cruises leave from Provincetown, Plymouth, Barnstable, or even Boston.

*Photo by Rich Ellison on flickr