THE HUMPBACK WHALE WATCHING SEASON STARTS IN ECUADOR
Last June 24, officially started the humpback whales sightings season in the Puerto Lopez Canton, Manabi Province.
The Humpback whales choose the Ecuadorian coast to their mating ceremony, thanks to the warmer temperature of the water. They are young males who reach the coast of Ecuador before the pregnant females. The average speed at which they travel from Antarctica is four knots, and they often reach six knots.
The mating show is not only seen in Puerto Lopez, but also in Puerto Cayo, Bahia de Caraquez, Manta, Pedernales, in Manabi; Salinas Santa Elena and Sua, in Esmeraldas.
In Puerto Lopez there are 23 vessels authorized by that Ministry for whale watching trips that meet preset technical standards.
The GAD Director of Tourism of Puerto Lopez, Angel Picay, estimates that this year the number of tourists will exceed the 35,000 of 2014 who arrived in the area to take the whale watching tour.