One of the best places in the world to go whale spotting is the Bay State. "We're very lucky," says Steve Miliken, whose family-owned Dolphin Fleet Whale Watch has been plying the waters of Cape Cod since 1975. "North Atlantic right whales work Herring Cove and Grace Point. There are only 350 left and you can see them from shore." Most boats visit the Stellwagen National Marine Sanctuary, a shallow bank located seven miles offshore that concentrates krill and sand eels into a delectable marine smorgasbord. "When the whales are 100 feet away we put the boat in neutral and often get a close approach, especially by a humpback called Colt," says Miliken.

For more information: Whale Watch

"The Hawaiian population of humpbacks has grown exponentially in recent years," says Regina Asmutis-Silvia, senior biologist with the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society. Many gather near Maui and the Big Island's western shore and in the Lanaai whale reserve. They come to breed and raise young calves and, according to Alps, "sometimes when you're in the water you can hear them offshore. They use sonar which can be focused like a beam of light."

For more information: Pacific Whale

 "For the most part minke whales are rather boring. They just swim under the boat," says Bernardo Alps, trips coordinator for the American Cetacean Society. "But sit on the rocks around Tadoussac in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, and 80 feet away, a feeding minke whale will throw half its body out of the water," he says. Kerry Zobor, vice president of consumer media for the World Wildlife Fund, advises heading to Cape Breton, Bay of Fundy and Digby, Nova Scotia to see more than 17 resident whale species including the rare and unusual beluga.

For more information: Mariner Cruises

The fastest growing whale-watching destination on earth is Iceland. The green ethos and nearby feeding grounds make for massive populations of blue, fin, humpback and sei whales. Vignir Sigursveinsson, captain of whale watching vessel The Elding, offers an especially whale-friendly experience. When he cuts the engine the boat is totally silent, its auxiliary power provided by a revolutionary hydrogen fuel cell. It's far less intrusive to the whales' sensitive ears (they come closer to the boat as a result) and less damaging to the environment.

For more information: Elding

Kerry Zobor, vice president of consumer media for the World Wildlife Fund, recommends the Silver and Natividad Banks and the waters of Samana Bay. The clear sea makes for easy sightings of humpback, sperm, pygmy whales and orcas. "The male humpbacks form rutting groups and fight for dominance. They'll breach out of the water and land on each other," says Asmutis-Silvia. Keep an ear out while swimming for impromptu arias: Mating season is the season for males to sing.

For more information: Go Dominican Republic

About two hours flight south of Buenos Aires is Chubut Province and Peninsula Valdes, one of the best shorelines to see southern right whales mate, calve and raise their young. In addition, Peninsula Valdez also attracts a group of killer whales that Alps says will "beach themselves to chase after sea lions."

For more information: Argentina Turistica

 "There's one pod of killer whales off California nicknamed Starfin which will always approach a boat, even if they're making a kill. They'll even bring their kill over to the boat," says Alps. They hunt from Baja to British Columbia and use the waters around Monterey Bay to ambush migrating grey whales during April and May. "If you go out three days in a row you're pretty much guaranteed to see killer whales in some kind of hunting behavior," says Alps.

For more information: Monterey Whale Watching and Orcasis Land Whales

The remote cliffs of the Great Australian Bight are the perfect place to watch pods of up to a hundred southern right whales. But for a more up close and personal adventure head to the Great Barrier Reef. "Around Ribbon Reefs there is a four- to six-week window in May and June where hundreds of minke whales pass by. Operators tether divers to a rope and the whales are so curious, they'll come up and approach a person at very close range," says Alps.

For more information: Minke Whale

 "In the breeding lagoons in Baja, you go out in a small 18-foot skiff and a 40-foot grey whale mother will rub against the boat for an hour, or a whale will lift its head out of the water for you to touch them," says Alps. This close contact is a strictly regulated experience. The animals are not trained—it turns out they're just bored and curious. "Grey whales are intelligent creatures. It's something for them to do to pass the time before heading back to the feeding grounds," says Alps.

For more information: American Cetacean Society

Richard Hocking, curator of the Alaska Sea Life Center, has seen almost every variety of whale on earth. The deep glacial fjords make for spectacular viewing against the iconic Alaskan backdrop of calving glaciers. He recommends heading to Kenai Fjords National Park or Glacier National Park for minke, orcas and humpbacks and the Bering Sea for beluga, grey, sperm and bow head whales.

For more information: Whale Watching Alaska and Alaska Sea Life