Humpback Whales in Banderas Bay
Year after year, the Humpback whale has chosen Banderas Bay as an ideal place to mate and give birth. Each winter the whales visit us from early December until early April while migrating south from the cold waters of Alaska and Canada. You may be able to get a view of these magnificent animals during your stay this winter!
Vallarta Adventures
The best way to see them is aboard a boat that specializes in whale watching. The staff atHotel Villa Varadero‘s Reception desk can recommend several local tour operators who have whale watching options.
If you’re keep to take one of these boat tours, you’ll have the opportunity to see groups of active whales. Most of them are groups in courtship where there is usually a single female among several males. These herds are always very active because they are designed to mate with the female at any cost, which often creates fights among males to demonstrate their strength and power. The winner is whoever gets the female and stays with her for several days. An interesting fact about whale courtship and mating is the songs that the male sings to the female, which are striking and pleasant to hear.
Something that touches our heart is seeing the whales with their calves. The whales give the calves their full attention and care. Normally, a young calf needs the help of its mother who makes sure that the calf does not sink by putting it on her back and helping it surface for air.
The relationship between a Humpback whale and its calf is very strong, as you’d probably imagine. The calf and mother stay together throughout the first year. Hopefully, you will be able to see them at dawn, close to the coast where there are many currents and waves. This is the type of area where the whales learn to do jumps and spins.
While in the Banderas Bay area, you can view the playful behavior of the Humpback whales and maybe even see some from the beach in front of Hotel Villa Varadero.
Interesting facts about Humpback whales:
- All whales are mammals
- The Humpback, like all whales, belongs to the species “Cetaceans”
- Scientific name is “Yubarta”
- Each can measure up to 63 feet
- Average weight is 40 tons
- Humpback is a protected species
- Gestation period lasts from 11-11.5 months
- Feed only on krill and fish like herring shoal
- Can be found in the Arctic and Antarctic polar regions during the summer months
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