This is a popular attraction among tourists visiting Ecuador, who marvel at the spectacle given by mating humpback whales in the Ecuadorian coast.
Last June 24, a group of Ecuadorian journalists attended the Seventeenth Humpback Whale Watching Festival, which officially started the humpback whales watching season in the Puerto Lopez Canton, Manabi Province.
Humpbacks choose the Ecuadorian coast because the water temperature is warmer. They are young males who reach the coast of Ecuador before the pregnant females do. The average speed at which they travel from Antarctica is four knots, and often they reach up to six knots.
The mating show can be observed not only in Puerto Lopez, but also in Puerto Cayo, Bahia de Caraquez, Manta, Pedernales and Canoa, in Manabi; Salinas and La Libertad, in Santa Elena; and Sua, Atacames, and Tonsupa, in Esmeraldas. This season runs each year from June to November.
All the resorts listed above have vessels that provide tours lasting between one and three hours, on average. Costs range from USD 20 and up, depending on the type of vessel and the duration of the tour.
Do not miss the experience of watching humpback whales and complement your visit with a trip to the Isla de la Plata. This popular Ecuadorian destination offers observation of blue-footed boobies, frigate birds and many other species, much like the ones in the Galapagos Islands.
