Whale safari on the Little Belt

Distance: 81.13 Km

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Take a whale safari on the Lillebælt and experience the porpoise, the Lillebælt's very own little whale.

Whale watching on the Little Belt: Beautiful nature, good stories and porpoises

Did you know that whales live in Little belt?

Lillebælt is home to the porpoise, one of the smallest whales in existence. However, the chance to experience the porpoise up close is great, because Little Belt has one of the world's densest populations of the small whale.

Join us on a whale safari and experience the porpoises up close!

There are departures from both Middelfart and Fredericia, so there is plenty of opportunity to experience the porpoises as they frolic in the belt's waves.

Below you can read more about the various ships that sail whale watching in the Little Belt:

Whale watching with MS Marianne - departures from Fredericia og Middelfart

Join the popular whale watching trips by boat MS Marianne. On the trips, you get up close to the porpoises, learn much more about the way of life of the whales and hear the story of porpoise catching in the Little Belt. Along the way, you can also sit back and enjoy the beautiful nature along Lillebælt's beautiful coastline.

You are very welcome to bring a picnic basket or packed lunch to enjoy on board. You can also book special departures where food is served along the way.

Read much more about departures and special trips with MS Marianne and book your next trip here!

Whale watching with Mira3 - departures from Middelfart

Come aboard Mira3 and go sailing with departure from Middelfart Gammel Havn at the end of Havnegade. On the trip you can enjoy the beautiful nature along the Little Belt while you look for porpoises.

Along the way, the ship's crew tells about the porpoises' behavior and life in the Little Belt, and the story of Middelfart's former porpoise hunters!

Read much more about departures and special trips with Mira3 and book your next trip here!

Sailing trips with Aventura - departures from Fredericia og Middelfart

On board Aventura, wonderful nature experiences and good opportunities to experience porpoises await. Take a trip with the old eel vase and experience the Lillebælt from the water's side.

Aventura offers different types of tours, so there is plenty of opportunity to find a tour that suits you. Aventura also specializes in sailing business trips, so take an excursion on the Little Belt for your next company event.

Read much more about departures and special trips with Aventura and book your next trip here!

Whale watching - an experience for the whole family

Join us on one of our Whale Safari trips on the Little Belt, and experience the Guinea Pigs frolicking in their natural element. We can often be lucky to see them chasing fish, e.g. herring, and they can hunt both alone and in droves. As a flock, they can force the fish to search towards the surface and then hold a so-called "eating feast". Often you will also see the gulls interfering in the "party".

Guinea pigs' special form of communication

Like many other whales, the guinea pig uses sounds to find food and the volume is among the strongest in the animal kingdom. The high tone makes it easy for the guinea pig to pick up echoes. They produce click sounds, each lasting one thousandth of a second, but the number of sounds and the volume are determined by the guinea pigs themselves.

The harbor porpoise population in the Little Belt is one of the largest in the world, and at any given time of the year there are approx. 3.000 guinea pigs in the belt.

Facts about the guinea pig, Little Belt's superstar!

Although the porpoise is one of the world's smallest whales, it can actually reach a length of around 180 cm and weigh between 60-70 kilos.

On Naturpark Lillebælt's website you can find much more information about the little whale.

Did you know, for example, that porpoises are believed to be able to swim up to 10 meters/second? You must therefore keep a close eye when you try to spot porpoises in the Little Belt.

Porpoise fishing in the Little Belt

In the Middle Ages, Middelfart was i.a. known for the murder of the nobleman Niels Bugge in 1358 and for Christian II's stay and voyages across the Little Belt before his fall in 2. Middelfart also became home to Denmark's only example of professional whaling, the guinea pig hunt, which was conducted from the 1523th century. to the abolition of the famous guinea pig hunting guild in 1500.

The last porpoise was caught in Middelfart at the end of the 1800th century. Catching was briefly resumed during World War II due to a shortage of lamp oil, but after that no porpoises have been caught in the Little Belt. The porpoise has been protected in Denmark since 2.

Watch out for the porpoises when sailing in the Little Belt

When you sail in the Lillebælt Nature Park, you must be aware of the belt's biodiversity. You can read more about how to look after Lillebælt's little residents, the special porpoises, in Nature Park Lillebælt's code of conduct "Noise and porpoises".

Find Naturpark Lillebælt's code and conduct here!