Whale watching cruise

From December to mid-April the waters off the cape fill with whales that have come down to breed and calve. Humpbacks are the ones most people see, breaching and slapping their tails, and gray whales come through too, with the odd blue or minke whale.

The boats from the marina split into two kinds. The specialist trips use rigid inflatable speedboats that cover a lot of water fast, drop a hydrophone so you hear the whales singing, and carry a marine guide. They take about two hours, have no toilet or shade on board, and set a minimum age of five. The comfortable option is a catamaran or yacht that watches from a steadier deck. Either way you pass the Arch and Land's End on the way out. The season is short and the trips fill, so book early.