Whale-Watching Season Begins off Dénia — 62 Fin Whale Sightings in a Month

Whale-watching season has begun off the coast of Dénia in the province of Alicante. Over the past month, volunteers and local residents have recorded 62 sightings of fin whales — the second-largest animal on the planet after the blue whale. The whales migrate south along the Cabo de San Antonio headland and occasionally put on impressive leaps above the water.

The cetacean observation campaign is organised by Dénia city council together with the NGO Eucrante, with support from Fundació Baleària, Marina El Portet, and Mundo Marino. Observations are carried out from a land-based station at Torre del Gerro and will continue until August.

How to become a volunteer

Observation is organised in two four-hour shifts. The first begins at 6:30 AM, the second at 5:00 PM. Those wishing to become volunteers can sign up on the website. There you can also learn about other Eucrante projects, in particular the night-time monitoring of beaches in search of nesting loggerhead turtles, which starts in June.

All data gathered through this volunteer project will be presented in a final report, which will be submitted to the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) and the regional government of Valencia.

If you spot a whale

When observing from land, you can report a sighting via WhatsApp by sending a message to 616 947 579, attaching a photo or video, and stating the date, time, location, direction of travel, and approximate number of individuals. When observing from a boat, you must follow the protocol established by Royal Decree 1727/2007.