All the Humpback whales They have always appeared in sailor's tales. The spectacle of these giant creatures leaping over the water explains much of that attraction. The humpback whale is probably the origin of the myths of sea monsters and the songs of sirens.
Where do humpback whales come from?
humpback whales every year they migrate just over 7.000 kilometers from their feeding areas in Antarctica to the mating, reproduction, falling in love and birth of young off the coast of the Pacific Ocean, captivated by the weather conditions and the geographical position of our country.
It is very common to observe mothers and calves in the last days of November, they are frequent in December, January, February and March off the coast of Puerto Vallarta. Studies of the Fundación Ballenas del Pacífico (Pacific Whale Foundation) maintain that mothers choose areas near the coast or islands with low depth to avoid predators, since they provide greater protection. Also, at this time, in Antarctica it is dark, there is no food and the waters are extremely cold for cetaceans.
How do whales fall in love?
In the months of december to march female humpback whales are seen being escorted by several males trying to collate with them for the purpose of mating.
Females ovulate once a year, when the hormonal and physiological conditions of their body indicate it. Meanwhile, they emit pheromones that are female hormones (very strong chemical substances in the smell secreted by mammals), according to specialists it is believed that this smell reaches a radius of action of one kilometer to attract males.
The mating of whales is a true phenomenon no matter how you look at it. It is a kind of ritual that is repeated year after year, involving a female and up to half a dozen males.
The courtship and accompaniment is slow and could last several days. The escorts accompany the female for hours or days, depending on their competition and the female's sexual response.
The first stage of competition is to determine the male that will copulate with the female and will be the first escort. The largest and strongest that will allow the female to choose the healthiest genetic offspring.
For some males, the sample size is not enough; then the second stage begins where we will be able to observe a series of continuous jumps, accompanied by frequent and abrupt blows to the head, pectoral fins and tail.
The third stage is very offensive because they attack each other. For those who still have the desire to chase the female, the situation is tense and the attack between males is unavoidable.
The mating rituals have ended and again in the distance on the horizon another whale can be seen jumping. This procession seduces thousands of tourists who visit Puerto Vallarta during this season.
sighting tourism
Like other cetaceans, mothers are generally very protective of their pups and try by all means to get between the calf and the boats. Tour operators are therefore asked to follow a code of conduct to avoid unnecessarily burdening mothers.
People interested in making sightings are recommended to organize their trips with tour operators recognized by SEMARNAT, since there are many people who make trips illegally in unsuitable boats in an irregular and unsafe manner.
We leave you some operators that meet the requested requirements for you to live the experience of whale watching:
Canuwa
Book your trip to see the humpback whales on a beautiful luxury catamaran while enjoying delicious snacks and an international bar. It can be a private charter in the company of your friends and family or on a public tour that starts at 69 dlls.
Mike's
Start a trip to the open sea in search of the humpback whale, walk for approximately 4 hours. The cost per boat goes from 576 dlls up to 10 people.
PV Fun
When you go out to sea in search of whales, don't forget to also watch for the dolphins and migratory and local birds that fly over the Marietas Islands. One of Puerto Vallarta's all-time favorite excursions is here: the famous whale watching tour.