Best lighting for whale watching?

[Comerfjc]

So I have the chance to go whale watching, and it looks like I'll have some sway as to when during the day I'll be able to go. Are there any recommendations as to what time would be best? The captain seems to be advising us to go during the evening, as he knows I'll be taking photos.

Thoughts?

[Tom Reichner]

I know that the one thing you don't want is full, bright sun. It really depends on the weather in your area, but if it tends to be sunny during mid-day then you want to avoid going during the bright daylight at all costs. Any image that includes a large amount of water really suffers when there's bright light, and this is true whether you are using a polarizer or not.

If it's a cloudy overcast day you can have great shooting at any time, but if it's going to be clear then it sounds like the captain's recommendation is a good one.