Search for the Humpback Whales
The acrobatic Humpback Whale is an endangered species, occurring in all the world’s oceans, that travels down past Playa Las Tortugas on its way to mate and give birth in the Bay of Banderas each fall. They reach lengths of 50 to 55 feet, are dark in color with distinctive nodules on their rostrum, and have pectoral flippers that are nearly a third of their body length.
From their feeding grounds along the coast of Alaska, they cross several thousand miles of ocean to reach their winter “resort” destination, which offers the promise of relaxation, adventure and “romance.”
Whales first appear along our coast in mid to late November and may be seen until the end of March when they return to their feeding grounds in northern waters. The best times are from mid-December through the end of March when you can join our knowledgeable, English-speaking, eminently entertaining guide for an opportunity to search for Humpback Whales, Whale Sharks, Bottle Nose Dolphins, and Pan-tropical Spotted Dolphins. Trips generally last four hours, and can include pelagic bird watching and coastal sightseeing, but our guide can accommodate your schedule.
There is really no way to adequately describe the excitement and mystery of witnessing the graceful playfullness and majesty of the Humpback whales that arrive each year from their arctic feeding grounds to inhabit the warm Pacific waters of the Bay of Banderas just to our south. Humpback whales are famous for their curiosity, and for swimming close to whale watching boats where they often roll their heads up to see their fellow mammals, the humans.
A whale watching adventure is not only astounding, but you will come away with knowledge about the whales, their behaviors and habitat, and the other creatures that share the same marine environment. Humpbacks are thought to be the most acrobatic and energetic of all the great whales, displaying a wide variety of leaping, rolling and breaching movements. Their impressive acrobatic displays can be visible from miles away as adult females teach their young to breach, and males compete with one another in sometimes fierce head-to-head battles. They’re also very vocal, “singing” a long series of repeated phrases. The underwater vocalizing of male humpback whales can be heard by divers, snorkelers and boaters.
There are numerous reports in recent years that Humpback Whales approach boats for “friendly” encounters. When engaging in this “friendly” behavior, a whale will often circle the boat, rub up against it, spyhop within several feet of the boat, roll on its side and extend its pectoral flipper toward the boat. Sometimes they even tilt their head with an eye open, appearing to look up at the boat and people on board. This phenomenon has been reportedly increasing each year, possibly because this new generation of whales that have never known whaling are becoming curious about boats. This contact is totally initiated by the whales.