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Afloat Adventure

Whale Watching in Bahía Solano

Every year, between July and November, after a long journey, they arrive to the Colombian Pacific.

The Pacific Ocean, from the department of Nariño to Chocó, becomes between July and November of each year the place where humpback whales, after a long journey from Antarctica and southern Chile, seek their warm waters to mate, give light and raise their calves.
Colombia has unparalleled destinations to see whales, such as Bahía Málaga, Nuquí, Bahía Solano and the Gorgona and Utría National Natural Parks. Humpback whales belong to the group of bearded whales, which feed on groups of crustaceans and small fish. To cover the sufficient amount of food they use different techniques: when there are large patches of food on the surface, they are submerged and then come up with their mouths open and cover the largest amount of food; Another technique is through a column of bubbles, generated by the nostrils, to corner fish allowing the capture of large amounts of food.

The first whales to migrate to the tropics are nursing mothers, then juveniles, mature males, mature females, and finally pregnant females. Its speed during migration is 8 to 15 kilometers per hour.

The body of humpback whales is robust, has extremely long pectoral fins unlike other whales, which reach a third of the total size of the animal. The shape of its head is wide with a central keel and a series of tubers that also extend to the jaw.

As a curious fact, the whale’s breath consists of three elements, water vapor that comes from the lungs, mucus and seawater.

Humpback whales use a courtship method that is singing, lonely males emit sounds like songs and present behaviors such as jumps and bumps on the surface with their pectoral fins.

Whales do not sleep deeply and prolongedly, because breathing is an activity that requires awareness and not reflex. To rest they do it very close to the surface and go up just a little to breathe, this behavior makes them more vulnerable to collision with boats.

https://bahiasolano.com.co/