Humpback Whale watching in Costa Rica – Nature in focus
Every year between July and October a pod of Antarctic Humpback Whales migrates to the warm tropical waters off Dominical beach. The whales come to these waters to give birth to their calves. This migration takes place annually with the pods returning regularly to their chosen spot making it an unbelievable place for humpback whale watching.
Humpback whales worldwide make mammoth migrations to warmer waters during the summer months and back to the richer feeding grounds found in colder waters during the winter. Whilst humpback whales exist in both North and South hemispheres due to the nature of their migrations the two groups likely never meet or intermingle. This is because during the summer months of the Northern hemisphere the whales in the Northern Hemisphere head to the equator to breed whilst their Southern counterparts migrate toward the pole to feed.
Whilst breeding in tropical waters Humpbacks treat onlookers to an acrobatic display including spy-hopping:
Fluke flipping:
It is thought that Breaching allows a whale in rough seas to breathe in a better quality of air that does not contain spray. Although, tropical waters are, more often than not relatively calm so why breach here? Well, Dr Chandra Salgado Kent, whale expert at Curtin University believes that it may be a warning for perceived threats like predators or any vessels that get too close. Another theory is that breaching may be a means of communication across long distances as the acoustic signal of a whale crashing through to the surface of the water will carry long distances. Regardless the activity makes humpback whale watching one of the most exhilarating experiences on earth.
See these whales and other Costa Rican wildlife for yourself on this In Search of Whales and Turtles trip. This trip includes 4* hotel accommodation, a volcano visit and your own fully insured 4×4.
