Whale Watching Thailand

One of the best ethical animal experiences you can have just hours from Bangkok is to go whale watching in Thailand. So many visitors (and even locals) have no idea that you can go whale watching in Thailand so this is really a unique experience. Wild Encounter Thailand are the company who run amazing boat trips to experience whales near Bangkok. This makes it one of the top day trips to do from Bangkok and a must do for anyone who loves the ocean and seeing marine life in Thailand.

Where to See Whales

You can see Bryde whales in the Upper Gulf of Thailand. The boat leaves from Samut Sakorn province, approximately one hour from Bangkok, making this one of the best day trips from Bangkok to experience.

Best Time of Year

The best time of year to go whale watching is between the months of August-October when the whales are feeding regularly in the Gulf of Thailand. They come here for the anchovies and mackerel.

Type of Whales

Bryde whales are some of the biggest marine mammals in Thailand and can be seen here every year. Bryde (pronounced Bru-da) whales can reach up to 16metres long and live up to 60-70 years old. They are generally solitary animals but may come together for mass feeding events. Mothers and calves are seen together fairly often. For more information about Bryde Whales read these articles here.

Why are they called Bryde whales?

They are named after a Norwegian man who used to hunt them. No comment on why he gets a whole species named after him.

Whale Activities

The Bryde whales are often feeding, which is an awesome sight to see. You can also see these Thai whales swimming and on both my trips I was lucky enough to experience mothers and calves.

Getting There

The times that I have done this trip (around 4 times and counting) we used our own transport to get there. Wild Encounter have been known to run pick ups in Bangkok so best to ask them. 

Ethical Company

Khun Jirayu with Wild Encounter Thailand. He is extremely knowledgeable about the whales and many other animals and birds too. I am looking forward to my next trip after December to see Irawaddy dolphins!

Practicalities of the Trip

What is the boat like?

At the time of writing, Wild Encounter Thailand use a medium size boat. It has an air conditioned cabin in the middle with seats and coffee and water facilities. Two toilets at the back of the boat and viewing areas from the front and on the upper deck in front of the captain’s cabin.

Timings

Our day trip to see the Bryde whales started from 8am in the morning and we arrived back at the pier at 3.30pm approximately. This did not include getting from Bangkok to the pier in Samut Sakorn.

The whale watching day trip includes lunch on the boat, we were offered various choices a few days before our trip, including vegetarian and vegan options.

Is it child friendly?

Yes, there were families on our boat. However I would say it is a long day out on the boat so bear that in mind if you have kids who will need to run around or let off steam!

Safety

Yes we were informed during the boat briefing where life jackets were stored, including for children.

Swimming with Whales?

You can’t swim with whales in Thailand. The whales are some distance from the boat and the visibility in the water is extremely poor so there would be no point  in swimming with the whales as you would not see them!

Seasick Potential

While I personally did not feel seasick, one of my friends did when it was a little choppy. The water generally is calm but if you are prone to seasickness then this could affect you. The boat often stops to observe the whales so can rock during this time. Seasick pills were provided on board.

Price

At the time of writing we paid 2500 baht per person.

What to Bring

The boat is comfortable and does have AC if needed. I would wear appropriate clothes for hot, tropical weather and take a light jumper as it can get windy. It can also be very sunny and hot so I recommend a cap and suncream.

Irawaddy Dolphins

The third time that I did this whale watching trip from Bangkok I was lucky enough to see the very rare and endangered Irawaddy dolphin. We saw two pods of these adorable marine mammals on the same day as the whales.

I think whale watching is the best activity to do in Thailand and encourage others to experience the whales too. It is quite an off the beaten path Thailand activity to do as many people, locals and tourists are unaware that the whales are there all year round.

You can find more information about Bryde whales here.

To reserve your spot on the trip then please contact Khun Jirayu via Facebook on Wild Encounter Thailand.