Getting in and out of the water is very important. There are many ways to slide into the water slowly and smoothly creating as little noise and disruption as possible. What works for me is to sit on the side of the boat and lower myself in the water. I tend to favor facing the boat using one hand to support me and then glide into the water.
Once wet, I reach up and grab the camera from the captain, and move off to make room for others to get in or the boat to move away. While in the water, stay as quiet as possible. Big fin kicks that break the surface and create wake are bad and will ruin an encounter. Depending upon style of fin, it might be wise to swim side-ways to keep fin tips underwater.
When swimming always stay together in a group and travel in a parallel course to the whale, and not strait at it. Do not break up and approach whales from opposite sides. Imagine how you would feel if an animal the size of a bus came at you and you d id not know its intentions. The bottom line is that we have to be respectful and patient.
More often than not I have found success by simply floating in the proximity of the whales. There is no doubt that the whales are aware of our presence, so if we stay nearby, but don’t approach it lets the whale relax, but it also awakens the whales curiosity. That’s when good things happen.
Whales are wild animals, and have free will. They can swim wherever they want, as well as dive whenever they want. Please respect them at all times,
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