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One of the things on many people’s “bucket list” is to whale watch and see some of these gentle, magnificent creatures in their natural habitats. It’s hard to really picture the sheer magnitude of their size or grasp the dynamics of the pod from video documentaries. Some things in life you just have to experience for yourself. While there are many places around the world to visit during whale watching season, you have to be careful that you’re not choosing an exploitative enterprise that will take you on a “whale chase,” more than a watch. It’s best to stay at least 300 feet from the pod and view from binoculars or let them come to you; but many operators, in their rush to provide the biggest thrill, take tourists on a sea-sickening journey that will threaten the psyche of the whales, not to mention the contents of your stomach!

Azores, a remote Portuguese chain of islands in the Atlantic Ocean, is one of the best places for European whale watching. Over the summer season, it’s possible to catch a glimpse of short finned pilot whales and sperm whales, although the perfect time is from February to June, when you can view fin, killer, humpback, sei and blue whales, not to mention a few types of dolphins. But in the winter months (November through January) there is not much opportunity to observe anything.

The setting for Moby Dick was none other than America’s own Cape Cod, Massachusetts. In fact, through the course of the whaling industry’s zenith, this Northeastern port was a happening place. Nowadays the whale watch industry has picked up where whalers left off, taking visitors by boat to observe humpback whale pods, minke whales, pilot whales, right whales, sea turtles and dolphins. If you’re lucky, throughout April, you can observe the northern right whale, which is the most rare whale species on the planet. Since the currents push food down from Nova Scotia, whales like to feed off the coasts of Boston, Provincetown, Plymouth and Barnstable. May through October is generally the perfect time to go.

Dominica, one of the Caribbean islands, is famous for its dazzling coral reefs, undersea hot springs, and strikingly attractive marine life. Tourists visiting Christopher Columbus’s paradise in the Lesser Antilles will enjoy rainforest nature hikes and observing some of the rarest animals, birds and plants throughout the world. Dominica is considered to be the only country on the planet where sperm whales reside throughout the year. Every so often there will be whale watch opportunities, and you’ll observe feeding, breeding and migration of pygmy sperm whales and dwarf sperm whales, together with killer, humpback and Bryde’s whales, Risso’s dolphins, spinner dolphins, common dolphins, Atlantic spotted dolphins and giant sea turtles. Although tourists are likely to spot something any time of the year, November through April enjoy the most wide ranging sightings and the winter months feature the most acrobatics when the humpback and sperm whales mate.

No discussion about the world’s whale watch capitals would be complete without mentioning Hermanus, South Africa. The best shore-based whale watching opportunities are located at Walker Bay, the southernmost tip of Africa, where whales leap out of the water, breach and fluke. Each year, Hermanus hosts a Whale Festival to celebrate the return of the southern right whales in May. Here they’ll mate and calve in the warm, shallow waters throughout the spring and summer, although the best time for viewing is in October. Travelers will enjoy Bryde’s, humpback and killer whale watching and, most commonly, southern right whales. With great restaurants, accommodations and local attractions, Hermanus is a great place to vacation.

Whale watching cruises offer travelers the opportunity to observe whales in their natural environment. Click here to discover some of the best places to go on whale watch cruises.

Have you been at a concert or in a theater and wished you could see the stage better? You should consider getting a pair of opera glasses. They are more than just beautiful and classic pieces of history. Modern opera glasses can help you see what is going on around you at any performance. This need has not changed since the 1800′s when they became popular with people attending the Paris opera.

Opera was also an important social event. People attending the opera wanted to be able to see and be seen and often spent time scanning the audience as well. To do this, they needed a simple and convenient magnifying device. Opera glasses were the perfect solution.

Opera glasses quickly became more than just ways to see the stage. A night at the opera was simply more than just an evening out. People came to the opera to be seen, and to make important social connections. It was critical to be able to see who was sitting with whom and what people were doing during the performance. Many people spent more of the evening scanning the audience than they did watching the drama onstage.

Because of this, anything connected to the opera could become a status symbol. Opera glasses were no exception. A person attending the theater often had a pair made of expensive materials such as gold or enamel. The outsides of the glasses were often highly decorated. Cases to keep the glasses in were often highly decorated as well. Different variations came into being including lorgnette models that had an attached handle and folding models that were quite compact.

There are a number of places where you can find and purchase opera glasses. They still come in a range of different models and prices can range from the very reasonable to the extremely expensive. You may need to look a bit to find ones that fit your needs and your budget. Good starting places include camera stores and some Internet sites.

When you are purchasing your opera glasses you should check the level of magnification that they offer. It is usually recommended that you look for a 3x magnification. This will allow you a good field of vision and will minimize the amount of shaking may see from hand movement. Anything over 5x magnification is considered to be too high.

Once you know what your options are you can decide what style you are interested in. They still come in folding and lorgnette styles. There are compact models which will fold down into plastic cases which can make them more durable for outside use. This could be handy at an outdoor concert or at a rock concert where you may accidentally drop them.

Opera glasses can be a useful and beautiful accessory. It is an item with a long history that can make your trip to the theater much more enjoyable.

Before you attend any performance make sure that you have a good pair of opera glasses. Here you can check out Opera Glasses with handle, flashlight, chain and more!