WHALE OF A TIME
The UK holiday destination named one of the best whale watching spots in the world
And where else you can go in the world to find whales
A UK holiday destination has been revealed as one of the best places to go whale watching in the world.
Looking for the giant sea mammals is high up on a lot of people's travel bucket lists - and lucky for them, they needn't travel far to achieve it.
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The Shetland Isles in Scotland is one of the top holiday spots to find whales, according to a new list.
What's more, whales are most popularly seen in the Shetlands during the warmer summer months, unlike a lot of other places in Europe.
Traditionally, spots like Husavik in Iceland and Tromso in Norway require travellers to layer up and brave the chilly temperatures to catch a glimpse of a fluke or a fin.
But that's not the case in Scotland, with the whales most commonly spotted between May and August.
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Among the species frequently seen around the Shetlands are humpback whales, orcas, minke whales and even dolphins.
What's more, the number of sightings are increasing, suggesting it's slowly becoming an even better place for whale watchers to visit.
The holiday hotspot was listed on best whale watching locations in the world, alongside spots like Maui in Hawaii, the Lofoten Islands, Norway and Kaikoura in New Zealand.
They wrote: "The Shetlands’ northern location in Scotland and nutrient-rich waters attract minke whales and orcas, along with stunning coastal scenery.
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"The best time to try and catch a glimpse of these charming creatures is during May and August, when pods of orcas among other types of whales can be spotted.
"There has been a slow but steady increase in whale and dolphin sightings around the Shetland Isles."
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For anyone keen on spotting the creatures, a Facebook group titled Shetland Orca Sightings updates visitors, with residents and visitors sharing pictures and videos and locations when they find the animals.
Companies like Shetland Wildlife take visitors on trips throughout the islands to try and find the best sightings of animals.
They won the Scottish Thistle Award, the Scottish tourist board's most prestigious tourism award for their tours, which are intimate and aimed at witnessing as much as the Shetlands have to offer.
While they are more commonly sighted during the summer months, there are also some species who are more frequently spotted later in the year, between October and January.
The best whale watching destinations in the world
Here is the full list of the best whale watching destinations in the world
- Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
- Hudson Bay, Canada
- Mirissa, Sri Lanka
- Tonga
- Eden, Australia
- Plettenberg Bay, South Africa
- Valdes Peninsula, Argentina
- Husavik, Iceland
- Cape Cod, USA
- St Lucia
- Sydney, Australia
- Falkland Islands
- Tromso, Norway
- San Diego, USA
- Vancouver, Canada
- Byron Bay, Australia
- Canary Islands, Spain
- Nuqui, Colombia
- Hermanus, South Africa
- Monterey Bay, USA
- Kaikoura, New Zealand
- Reykjavik, Iceland
- Dominican Republic
- Lofoten Islands, Norway
- Tahiti
- Tadoussac, Canada
- Maui, Hawaii
- The Maldives
- Glacier Bay, USA
- Azores, Portugal
- Walvis Bay, Namibia
- Shetland Islands, UK
While it may be colder then, there's also more of a chance of seeing the northern lights, which often makes an appearance during the winter.
They're known locally as ‘Mirrie Dancers’ and the isles are one of the top spots to see them in the UK.
They shimmer over the islands' 1,700 miles of coastline, offering plenty of secluded places for a day out at the seaside.
Included in that is Meal Beach, which has soft white sand and clear turquoise waters that look like they belong somewhere much more exotic, according to .
They wrote: " It was a perfect beach that could of been mistaken for one in the Caribbean or Asia. The water was turquoise, dropping into a deep, dark blue and the sand was as white as snow.";
However, the most famous beach in the islands is arguably St Ninian's, a large natural sand causeway with sea on either side, known as a tombolo.
labelled it as "certainly one of the most picturesque beaches on the islands".
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A night for two in the Shetland Isles can be booked from around £72.
Meanwhile, these are Scotland's most underrated islands.
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