Sea sickness is a horrible feeling, and one that’s almost impossible to shake once it catches you. There’s nothing worse than being out on a boat, struggling to enjoy your whale watching trip because the nausea is overpowering, and knowing you still have a couple more hours to go. Fortunately, we’re very used to dealing with seasick guests, so here’s a few ticks of the trade to keep the motion in the ocean from ruining your trip!
Hydration is key
Drinking lots of water is known to be good for you, but hydration is crucial for preventing motion sickness. Sea sickness and related medications are dehydrating, so keeping your fluids up is a great way of combating the symptoms while ensuring the medications are able to do their job. We always suggest guests bring a bottle of water on board (we don’t have any on the boat), avoid coffee or other forms of caffeine if they’re prone to sickness, and avoid drinking alcohol prior to the trip. Even drinking the night before can be a dangerous game if you’re left feeling rough the next morning!
Find a stable spot
On most boats, there will be areas that are more prone to motion, and areas that are more stable. This can be due to many factors, but for our boats, it’s determined by engine placement and height. Our engines are at the back of the boat, which makes our back bench the most stable area to sit in. If you’re prone to motion sickness, we recommend you try to get a seat here, instead of at the front of the boat. The bridge, where the captain sits, is also high up on our boat, so feels a bit more motion than the lower level.
Get some fresh air
Obvious though it may seem, fresh air is fantastic at remedying sea sickness and keeping your head clear. Closed-in quarters can get stuffy, and stuffiness can lead to headaches and nausea, two signs that you need some more fresh air! On our zodiac, all the air is fresh air, as it’s an uncovered vessel. On our ocean cruiser, we recommend sitting either at the front of the boat or on the bridge with the captain for maximum fresh air exposure. The back of the boat is also good for fresh air, and slightly more protected from the wind than the front!
Lock eyes on the horizon
Nausea often stems from your eyes and your brain not being able to comprehend what they’re looking at. While your eyes know that the boat around you is still, your balance system tells you you’re moving, and this contradiction leads to sea sickness. Fixating on the horizon, or on a solid landmass if there is one nearby, helps to fix this illusion by giving you something to focus on that makes sense in both contexts. It’s also a good idea to try and avoid focusing on small screens such as phones, as they can further disorientate you. Please do be sure to take lots of pictures, but fixating on reading an article for an hour out at sea might make you feel a little worse for wear.
Don’t get hungry
This is more of a personal anecdote than a widely recommended approach, but our crew at SpringTide finds that you’re much more likely to get sea sickness if you’re hungry on board. We suggest eating a filling meal before you come out with us, or bringing snacks with you on the boat if necessary (preferably not bananas though – they’re bad luck on a boat!). If you’re looking for a snack that can combat nausea more directly, anything containing ginger is a good shout. Try ginger chews or a slice of ginger cake to settle your stomach!
Find a remedy that works for you
There are a great many sea sickness remedies available in pharmacies, both on the shelves and over the counter. These range from acupressure wrist bands to medication in the form of pills and slow-release patches, with each approach having its own dedicated followers and skeptics alike. What’s most important is what works for you, so try out a few options and see which you prefer! The only thing to bear in mind is that we are not able to offer or provide sea sickness medication on board, so please stock up before your journey.
Speak up!
The single most important thing you can do if you start to feel seasick on board one of our tours is to let one of our crew members know. We can’t help you if we don’t know that you’re unwell, and we’re more than happy to help guide you to a better position or place on the boat to help. We also have ginger tea on board to help settle your stomach, and plenty of sick bags if you end up needing one. We’ve all been seasick at some point in this job, and we deal with seasick guests every day, so please don’t be ashamed to ask and get our support!
