Snorkel  With  Whales During a Soft-In-Water Encounter: The foundation for a meaningful encounter.

The technique  is referred to as a Soft-In-Water encounter, the only type of in-water interaction permitted by Captain Zodiac . The basis of a Soft-In-Water encounter is a passive, non-aggressive activity wherein the participants float quietly on the surface of the ocean in the vicinity of a tolerant and cooperative whale or whales and allow the natural curiosity of the whale to draw it closer.

  Participants in a Soft-In-Water encounter may use mask, snorkel and fins; but no SCUBA or rebreather equipment of any type is allowed. In a Soft-In-Water encounter there is no aggressive swimming or freediving. Participants are also required to stay together as a group. Because it is snorkeling-only, the experience of swimming with the  whales is open to participants of all skill levels. While it is commonly referred to as “swimming with whales,” when all goes well there is no swimming involved! By entering the water quietly and floating peacefully as a group, the participants minimize any disturbance to the whales and then allow the whale to choose to approach or not. It is an encounter in their environment, on their terms.

  You Don’t Approach the Whale; The Whale Approaches You

To better explain it, consider that you cannot get close to a whale, a whale has to want to get close to you! Granted, with our technology, we do have the ability to zoom up in a boat and jump on a whale’s back. That kind of behavior is obviously harassment, a total violation of  regulations. But relevant to this discussion is the end result: a very unhappy whale that will bolt for the horizon, leaving you swirling in its wake as you stare into empty water.

Aggressive swimming has the same effect as zooming up in a boat: the sudden end of an encounter. A Soft-In-Water encounter is a passive approach that puts the participants in proximity of an appropriate whale and allows the whale to set the distance, mood, tempo, and duration of the encounter. The whales are not threatened by the approach, and therefore are much more comfortable in choosing to interact more closely. By staying together as a group, participants make it easier for the whale to keep track of their location, which helps the whale remain calm and accepting. Since  whales are wild animals, there is no way to accurately predict the outcome of every opportunity, but using this non-aggressive technique in the past has resulted in whale encounters that have lasted anywhere from minutes to hours.