The humpback whale watching season began in Ecuador

Between the months of June to October of each year, the Ecuadorian coasts receive humpback whales, cetaceans that come from Antarctica in some cases to mate, and in others to give birth to their young. During their visit, the whales offer locals and tourists an impressive show due to their acrobatic passage through the beaches of the provinces of Manabí, Santa Elena and Esmeraldas.
Prior to the start of the humpback whale watching season, a series of talks were held for the organization of operations in each destination, with reminders of current regulations.

The following are the facilities available to localities to serve tourists this season:

Manabí – Puerto López
Puerto López, a southern canton of Manabi, is a leading destination for humpback whale watching trips on the Ecuadorian coast, and each season the tourism sector prepares to serve visitors who arrive attracted by this adventure.
In this canton there are 30 tourist boats duly registered and authorized to carry out sighting trips, of which 13 have the respective permits to reach the island of La Plata, which is part of the Machalilla National Park. The cost of the trip is 25 dollars if it is only sighting, and 45 dollars with admission to the island. In Manta you can also do this type of trip for which there is an operator that does a coastal tour with a value of 40 dollars per person.

Santa Elena – Salinas and Ayangue
In the province of Santa Elena there are two established sites for whale watching trips, Salinas and Ayangue, where there are a total of 10 tour operators with 28 boats duly registered to offer this service and which have the respective permits and staff to make the experience unique.

Esmeraldas – Atacames canton and Súa parish
In Atacames, the humpback whale watching season began on Friday, July 15. Tourists who opt for this activity can contact seven operators that are legally registered with the Ministry of Tourism and offer their services. The operation includes transportation through boats from the beach to the sighting point, which has an economic value of 15 dollars per person.