Every year, the most acrobatic of all whales, the Humpback, visits Puerto Vallarta to reproduce and give birth. Its arrival begins around mid to late October and its stay extends to around the end of March.
The Humpback whale is one of the most studied marine mammals, yet we still know very little of these enchanting creatures. One important trait of the Humpback whale is that each individual has a unique color pattern on the underside of its tail (more properly called a fluke), displaying designs in varying tons of white, grey and black.
This particular characteristic allows us to identify each different individual by simply taking a clear photo of the underside of its fluke. This way, over many years’ time, researchers are able to identify who is where and doing what with whom. This also enables them to count and estimate the number of individuals of a certain population.
The name Humpback actually comes from the species’ diving technique. These whales can arch their back so much that it actually creates a hump when they dive downward. Their behavior is most often playful and the show they perform for us at times can be quite spectacular.
Most of the whale watching tours depart from the piers in Marina Vallarta and Los Muertos.
Humpback whale watching is an extraordinary natural spectacle and the experience of being able to see one just 100 feet away is unforgettable.
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