Whale watching: a trip that will take your breath away

Whale watching is a spectacle like no other. These wonderful beings arrive in November and say goodbye in spring. If you are a nature lover and want to enter the wonderful world of the humpback whale, you cannot miss it.

There is definitely nothing quite as exciting as whale watching, a spectacle afforded by the amazing humpback whale as it breaks the surface in our Bay of Banderas.

The adventure begins leaving from the Puerto Vallarta maritime terminal. At different times you can embark on a beautiful ship. We suggest the «Catalina lll». There you will be warmly received by the captain and his crew, with a light breakfast at the beginning of the trip.

Between the swaying of the waves, the captain of the boat begins with an explanation of these beautiful mammals. The humpback whale visits our bay to perform the most important act of its existence: reproduce and have its young.

Banderas Bay: warm waters for childbirth

Because the mother whale cannot have its young in the polar waters, it migrates especially to the Mexican Pacific seas. Banderas Bay is the ideal place. It is 42 kilometers long, 32 wide and has an area of more than 5 thousand square kilometers. It is the best pen to have their beautiful calves, in warm waters, without problems or risks with predators that threaten both the mother and the calf. These are the Great White Shark and the Tiger Shark.

A protected place for humpback whales

Whales are naturally intelligent and travel hundreds of kilometers to provide a safe place for their newborns. The magic of our bay lies, among other things, in offering a safe ocean to their young. Their main predators only swim in open water. In fact, three quarters of the planet are theirs. The reason is simple: both the white shark and the tiger avoid entering our bay by recognizing the different current pressures in the high seas. In such a way that the whales travel thousands of kilometers to reach our coast. This is how they prevent their little baby whales from becoming prey to a third predator: the extremely dangerous orca (dolphin).

How can we differentiate the orca dolphin from a humpback whale?

When we practice whale watching, it is necessary to distinguish between these two species.

First we look at its nostrils, which are seen on its back. There are two in the whale and one in the dolphin. Dolphins do have teeth, whales don't.

Whales eat and get to expand their body. Its mouth has sores that are characteristic of the humpback whale. When they open their mouths, they eat tons of krill, micro lobster and carenke, which are fish that provide them with vitamins and are very fatty. This helps them grow, and it is necessary for their journey through the world. Let's remember that they are the best divers on the planet.

The body of the whales is not symmetrical, it is longer from the front and from the tail. When they contort you can see the axis of the hump, and when they raise their tail they indicate that they will swim downwards; by letting go of your weight.

Why the Humpback Whale Comes to Banderas Bay

The whales come at this time of year because they need a minimum of four months for the baby to remain in temperate waters. Here they are fed daily until they manage to weigh 2 tons in a couple of months. They immediately teach them to dive, which is the most essential. Banderas Bay is almost 2 thousand meters deep: there is no place like it in all of North America. Yet another reason to travel so many kilometers.

Female mom is larger than the male. They measure from 15 to 20 meters and weigh around 30 tons. They have one of the largest fins in the world of 5 meters. The male measures 10 to 15 meters. By the way, they are not faithful and they do not have a partner for life, because this species only gives the females a minute of pleasure, so they say: «For a minute of pleasure Baaah! Out of here…"

For this reason, females do not want them with them for long. In this way they will try to see who gives them enough time and makes sure to get her pregnant.

Whale watching: a spectacle like no other

Mom is the leader, and she is the one who teaches her child to play because she keeps them close from babies to 3 years old. However, the baby female is kept longer because she is taught how to be the lead female and choose the males. Eventually the females come to the surface with their calves. Instead, the males jump because they are showing off for the female. At the time of the tour or sighting, this moment turns out to be a show like no other.

The males are recognized by the scratches that can be seen on their backs after the odd fight. They are always with their smooth skin and look bigger.

We recommend the pleasant tour that Vallarta By Boat offers as an option, so that you know the enigmatic world of humpback whales and the wonders that Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit offer.

cherish at Humpback whales It is an experience that will take your breath away.