While they once numbered in the millions, many whales are actually very close to extinction due to the whaling ships of the time who would go out and slaughter these animals for the blubber and other parts of the body that were used to make a good many products over the years. The eventual increase in value for whale ivory made the slaughter continue all the way through until the past few years where whaling ships have been banned from hunting anywhere in the world.

This was a grand day as the number of whales is starting to increase and today the people of the world are able to view these magnificent animals in their natural habitat and during the mating ritual. Unlike other sea bound creatures, whales do not have a natural fear of man and will readily display and play for the many people who come out to watch them.

Patagonia in South America is one of the best places on Earth to watch whales. The Southern Right whale uses this area as its primary mating ground, and they swim in by the thousands every year to mate and roll in the surf. This brings great delight to the locals and the tourists who flock to the area every year for the simple purpose of whale watching.

The mating ritual of the whales is impressive to say the least. Not only are they rolling around to attract other mates, but the males will perform spectacular jumps, lifting their enormous bodies out of the water and then crashing while displacing thousands of gallons of water at the same time. This will continue for many days as the couples begin to pair off. The boat trips that are offered in this area take you right into the middle of the action. The whales are familiar with the boats and seem to know what the people want to see. It is not uncommon to have several whales surround a boat and perform for the crowd that is happily looking on. This is the whole reason for the trip.

The Nuevo Gulf in South Patagonia is the best place to find whale watching in top condition. This area holds the Fauna Reserve which is a whale protected area where hunting and fishing is illegal. The area is home to some of the largest whales that can be found anywhere.

The open sea is a dangerous place for many of the whales in the world. Even though there is a world wide ban on whaling, some companies still operate pirate operations that will take hundreds of whales every year. The governments of the surrounding countries are working hard to toughen the laws and increase the penalty for whaling. One whale will make over one hundred thousand dollars worth of income for the capture on the black market. The fine for taking a whale is only twenty thousand.