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Between the months of June and October, people head to Colombia’s Pacific coast to get a glimpse of the humpback whale. After a long migration, the whales raise their calves in the area, making whale watching tours a popular activity. The best place to do this is in the protected waters of Uramba Bahía Málaga National Park.
Tours can be organized in Juanchaco and Ladrilleros. They usually run between 9am and noon and can be booked at a reasonable price through your accommodation.
The Tour
Our tour started at Reserva Aguamarina in Ladrilleros. We walked there from our hotel to sign up for the tour and pay. There were about 50 people going on the tour, and all were taken to Juanchaco with a tractor.
In Juanchaco, we walked through the town to a building just in front of the pier. The guides gave a short lecture about the whales and the national park. We were told that the government only allows boats to be near the whales for 30 minutes at a time and at a distance of 200m.
After the lecture, we walked down the pier to board the boats. The guides called us out by room number to keep everything organized. There were two full boats that were used.
The Whales
The boats headed out onto the Pacific Ocean past a few uninhabited islands. We stopped after about a half hour and turned the engine off. A few other boats joined us and we were able to see about five different adults and calves.
The whales weren’t jumping out of the water, but it was still an incredible experience to get so close to these magnificent creatures.
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The humpbacks migrate through HI, though our season is the opposite of Colombia’s (November through March). So amazing to see their final destination after their travels!