Whale Watching in Usa
ホエールウオッチング宇佐 (Whale Watching Usa)
Take to the sea in search of Tosa’s whales
Whale Watching Usa, located on Tosa Bay at Usa Shiokaze Park in Tosa City offers whale watching tours from May to October.
Bryde’s Whales, which can grow to between 10 and 15 meters in length, are found in the coastal waters around Kochi Prefecture which are fed by the warm Kurushio ocean current. It is the only place in Japan where they can be seen so close to shore. Furthermore, thanks to these same warm waters, there are said to be Bryde’s whales that actually live in Tosa Bay all year round which makes it even more likely to spot a whale on a whale watching tour. Annual figures fluctuate depending on weather conditions, but Whale Watching Usa has a high rate of success when it comes to tracking down whales.
This is thanks to the expert knowledge of Whale Watching Usa’s boat captains, who are also experienced local fishermen, as well as the sharing of information about sightings between the tour boats and boats that are fishing in the bay. Of course, when it comes to viewing animals in their natural habitat, there is no guarantee that you will encounter a whale on any given day. Should that prove to be the case, you can at least take a consolation photo with the statue of a whale and its calf that stands at the entrance to Usa Shiokaze Park where Whale Watching Usa is located.
Whale Watching Usa runs tours from the beginning of May until the end of October, with the best chance of seeing whales in August and September. Boats leave on 5-hour tours at 8am and at 1pm, with the morning departure is recommended. If you do encounter a whale, there is a good chance that it will hang around the boat for you to observe them through Tosa Bay’s extremely clear water as they seem to be quite used to and comfortable around the boats. If you are lucky, you might even see one leap out of the water.
Even if the captain is unable to locate any of Tosa Bay’s Bryde’s Whales, there is still the possibility of catching sight of groups of dolphins or other sea life. In the autumn of 2022, there was even an unusual sighting of a Humpback Whale!
Whale Watching Usa posts to their Facebook account during the season. Posts are in Japanese, but the photos and video clips give a good idea of the kind of encounters you can hope for.
Bryde’s Whales, which can grow to between 10 and 15 meters in length, are found in the coastal waters around Kochi Prefecture which are fed by the warm Kurushio ocean current. It is the only place in Japan where they can be seen so close to shore. Furthermore, thanks to these same warm waters, there are said to be Bryde’s whales that actually live in Tosa Bay all year round which makes it even more likely to spot a whale on a whale watching tour. Annual figures fluctuate depending on weather conditions, but Whale Watching Usa has a high rate of success when it comes to tracking down whales.
This is thanks to the expert knowledge of Whale Watching Usa’s boat captains, who are also experienced local fishermen, as well as the sharing of information about sightings between the tour boats and boats that are fishing in the bay. Of course, when it comes to viewing animals in their natural habitat, there is no guarantee that you will encounter a whale on any given day. Should that prove to be the case, you can at least take a consolation photo with the statue of a whale and its calf that stands at the entrance to Usa Shiokaze Park where Whale Watching Usa is located.
Whale Watching Usa runs tours from the beginning of May until the end of October, with the best chance of seeing whales in August and September. Boats leave on 5-hour tours at 8am and at 1pm, with the morning departure is recommended. If you do encounter a whale, there is a good chance that it will hang around the boat for you to observe them through Tosa Bay’s extremely clear water as they seem to be quite used to and comfortable around the boats. If you are lucky, you might even see one leap out of the water.
Even if the captain is unable to locate any of Tosa Bay’s Bryde’s Whales, there is still the possibility of catching sight of groups of dolphins or other sea life. In the autumn of 2022, there was even an unusual sighting of a Humpback Whale!
Whale Watching Usa posts to their Facebook account during the season. Posts are in Japanese, but the photos and video clips give a good idea of the kind of encounters you can hope for.
- Regions
- Central
- Themes
- Whale & Dolphin Watching
| Address | 高知県土佐市宇佐町橋田浜2752-7 （2752-7, Hashidahama, Usa cho, Tosa City, Kochi Prefecture, Japan） |
|---|---|
| Telephone Number | 090-3782-2554 |
| usa2015wwjp@gmail.com | |
| Open | May 1～October 31 Departures May～June 08:00 July～October: Weekdays 08:00 Weekends, Holidays, August 6～16: 08:00 &13:00 *Enquiry hours 6:00-22:00 *Reservations accepted from March 1st |
| Price | ●Age 13 and over: 7,000 yen ●Age 7 to 12: 4,000 yen ●Age 3 to 6: 3,000 yen *Children under the age of 3yrs and pregnant women are unable to participate *Price includes taxes |
| Directions | About 20 min drive from Tosa IC on Kochi Expressway |
| Website | Website |
| Map Code | 276 134 185*00 |
| Online Reservation |
（Japanese） |
| Remarks | *Reservation at least 3 days in advance required. *A minimum of 6 people are needed to run the tour. *Please be aware that even in the off chance we cannot spot any whales, there will be no refunds. We kindly ask for your understanding. |
