Skip to content
Maptlantis

Sperm whale · Season

Which months to see sperm whales

Operators stating a season 16Year-round 2Countries 11Sourced 1Published prices 15
See the location on the map

About this list

Sperm whale seasons differ by country, and even within one country operators give different months. Maptlantis took the 16 operators that name the sperm whale as a target species and state their program season in months, and counted those months as written. The 2 that only say year-round are counted separately. The months most operators name are Apr–Oct. The countries with the most operators are Japan (Apr–Oct), Norway (May–Jan), Portugal (Mar–Oct) and Monaco (May–Sep). For New Zealand, the season stated by a tourism board, research body or local operator is included with its source and check date. 15 of the 18 operators (83%) publish prices on their own channels, so you can compare those directly; ask the rest. Estimated prices are not shown. The months are the operating periods operators state, not a promise that the animals will appear. No wildlife program can guarantee an encounter, and even within the same month it depends on the sea and migration routes.

Sperm whale season by country

The darker a cell, the more of that country's operators name the month as their season. A ringed cell is a month operators single out as the peak. Operators that only say year-round are not counted; their number is shown next to the country. The line under the cells is the season stated by a tourism board, research body or local operator (all twelve cells when year-round); the sources are listed under "Sourced seasons" below.

Sperm whale season: operators by country and month
CountryJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Japan3 operators
Norway3 operators
Portugal3 operators
Monaco2 operators
Gibraltar1 operator
Mauritius1 operator
Seychelles1 operator
Sri Lanka1 operator
Timor-Leste1 operator
New Zealandyear-round 1Source

Sourced sperm whale seasons

Seasons stated by tourism boards, research bodies and local operators. Each entry has a source link and a check date, and none is mixed into the operator counts above. An entry with a region name is a source about that region, so it is not used as the whole country's season.

Sperm whale season in New Zealand

Year-round

  1. JanJanuary: in season
  2. FebFebruary: in season
  3. MarMarch: in season
  4. AprApril: in season
  5. MayMay: in season
  6. JunJune: in season
  7. JulJuly: in season
  8. AugAugust: in season
  9. SepSeptember: in season
  10. OctOctober: in season
  11. NovNovember: in season
  12. DecDecember: in season

Kaikōura is one of the few places where sperm whales can be seen close to shore all year. They are resident, so the tours have no closed season.

Source: Whale Watch Kaikōura · Kaikōura Marine Life · checked Sep 14, 2026

Seasons as operators wrote them

The table above counts the months read from these listings. The original wording sits next to each one so you can check the reading.

  • ネイティブシー奄美Japan
    Operator's wording (Korean)

    4–9월; 개최일정 업체 확인

    Apr–Sep
  • マリンスポーツ奄美Japan
    Operator's wording (Korean)

    4월3일–10월15일경

    Apr–Oct
  • ダイビング＆ペンション RIKIJapan
    Operator's wording (Korean)

    혹등고래 1–3월 / 향유고래 4–10월 초

    Jan–Oct
  • Arctic Whale Tours AndenesNorway
    Operator's wording (Korean)

    5–9월 · 매일 출항 안내

    May–Sep
  • Brim Explorer TromsøNorway
    Operator's wording (Korean)

    2026-10-16–2027-01-31

    Oct–Jan
  • Whalesafari Andenes / Whale2SeaNorway
    Operator's wording (Korean)

    연중 상품일 · 주 시즌 5월 말–9월 중순 · 향유고래 연중 · 주 시즌 5월 말–9월 중순 · 다른 고래류는 계절·해황별

    May–Sep
  • CW AzoresPortugal
    Operator's wording (Korean)

    3월 중순 이후 · 종별 계절성

    Mar
  • Futurismo Azores AdventuresPortugal
    Operator's wording (Korean)

    향유고래 연중 관찰 가능 · 연구형 3월–10월

    Mar–Oct
  • Terra AzulPortugal
    Operator's wording (Korean)

    10월 1일–3월 31일 · 4월 1일–9월 30일 · 연중 · 동절기/하절기 가격 구분

    Oct–Mar
  • Liven Up MonacoMonaco
    Operator's wording (Korean)

    5월–9월 · 2026 정확한 출항일은 예약 확인 · 5월–9월(운영사 고래관찰 브로셔 기준) · 2026 정확한 출항일은 예약 캘린더·해황 확인

    May–Sep
  • Monaco Riviera NavigationMonaco
    Operator's wording (Korean)

    돌고래 연중 가능 · 최적기 5월–9월

    May–Sep
  • Dolphin Adventure GibraltarGibraltar
    Operator's wording (Korean)

    7–9월 중심

    Jul–Sep
  • JPH ChartersMauritius
    Operator's wording (Korean)

    6월–9월

    Jun–Sep
  • Silhouette Cruises — MY BasiliskSeychelles
    Operator's wording (Korean)

    게시 출발일: 2026년 12월 7–16일 등 · 최신 일정 재확인

    Dec
  • Mirissa Water SportsSri Lanka
    Operator's wording (Korean)

    주 시즌 11–4월 · 8월부터도 운영 · 기상·해황별 · 주 시즌 11–4월 · 기상·해황별

    Nov–Apr
  • Moby Wildlife Tours — Timor-Leste WhalesTimor-Leste
    Operator's wording (Korean)

    2026-10-18–11-21 · 2027-10-17–11-20 · 추가 날짜 문의

    Oct–Nov
  • Whale Watch KaikōuraNew Zealand
    Operator's wording (Korean)

    연중(크리스마스 제외)

    Year-round
  • Dive DominicaDominica
    Operator's wording (Korean)

    일요일 정기 출항 · 예약 확인 · 연중 고래·돌고래 탐색 · 일요일 정기 일정과 전세는 예약 확인

    Year-round

18 listed operators

How to meet sperm whales

Sperm whales by country

Other marine life seasons

Frequently asked questions

When is the season for seeing sperm whales?

Combining the seasons of 16 operators, most fall in Apr–Oct. The table by country shows how many operators run in each month.

Where is the sperm whale season backed by a source?

New Zealand: year-round (Whale Watch Kaikōura). Each entry links to its source with a check date.

Which months are the sperm whale peak season?

Among operators that name a peak, a high season or the most animals, it is May–Sep. Few operators say so, so treat it as a guide.

What does a year-round listing mean?

2 operators only say their program runs year-round. That means bookings are taken all year, not that the animals are there all year, so those listings are left out of the monthly count.

If I go in one of these months, will I see sperm whales?

That is not guaranteed. The months are when operators say they run programs; actual sightings vary from year to year with sea conditions, water temperature and migration. Ask the operator about recent sightings before you book.