Inauguration of the most modern whale watching boat in the Strait of Gibraltar
by firmm Team
Text: Astrid Meyer (Volontärin bei firmm), 
Photos: firmm
It was Thursday, August 14th 2008, and the final preparations were done. Our new boat, "firmm spirit", launched on its first sighting trip with 45 passengers on board.
In addition to Katharina Heyer, the new crew was also aboard (from the left to the right): mechanic Diego, who has been a sailor for many years, captain Guillermo and sailor Eduardo.
From now on, firmm volunteers will also be on board to assist our passengers during every boat trip.
The boat, which has a capacity of up to 60 passengers, was built with special consideration of the whale watcher's needs. Our 10 years of whale watching experience influenced the planning and building phase: because of its special construction, most of the seats in the open cabin are sheltered from the wind and water. Contrary to our boat "firmm 1" with 24 seats, which is still in use, there are new rules on board: the new boat and passengers are no longer required to wear life jackets. Another special feature is that the boat's railing is close to the water. Also, the bow and the stern offer much space so that the passengers can easily move. The boat's interior is more spacious than it seems from outside, and this offers excellent opportunities to observe and photograph the animals.
The captain's cabin is situated half a level higher than the boat deck, which allows the captain to easily track and respectfully accompany the animals. For the expert biologists who are aboard, a so called fly deck was installed beyond the captain's cabin, which makes it easier to find the animals.
In addition to a toilet, you will also find the latest security and high-tech equipment on "firmm spirit".
Not only were the passengers and the crew impressed by the new boat during our first trip out to sea, but even the pilot whales showed a different behavior! Normally, they remain indifferent toward the whale watchers, but on this first trip they came close to the boat several times.
