24 Jun Aye Captain, thar he blows!!!
By Bill Upchurch
No it is not the “Great White Whale Moby Dick,” but it is an exciting time of year here in Panamá!!! The Whale watching season is upon us. It is time for the annual migration of the Humpback whales to return to the Bay of Panamá and the Gulf of Chiriqui!! Panamá is the only known location in the world where the Humpback whales from both the northern and southern hemispheres migrate to to give birth and mate from June until October.
These ocean behemoths travel from the frigid cold waters of the Arctic and Antarctic to frolic in the tropics. It is kind of like Spring Break for whales. The whale watching season begins now here in Panama and runs until October when the Humpbacks migrate back to hence they came. I guess they get homesick!!! Well, if Albertans go home in January, anything is possible!
These are some of the largest mammals on earth. The whales are easily identified by their black bodies, humped back when getting air through the blowholes, and their extremely large pectoral fins. These fins can get up to six meters long. How would you like to get slapped by one of those things after a night of drinking with the boys, huh?? Their bodies can get up to 15 meters long and weigh as much as 25 metric tons (49 feet and 55,000 pounds). How is it possible to get to 55,000 pounds by eating Krill? Makes you wonder as well, doesn’t it? It might be just the sheer amount of food they consume, a whopping 1360 kg (3000 lbs) per day!
The migration is for two primary reasons. They come to give birth to their calves or they come to Panamá to mate. Why do I have the song “Ladies Night” stuck in my head? Yes, that’s right, the males follow the females all the way to Panamá for exactly that reason. When the females give birth, the calf can be as large as two meters long and weigh up to two tons!! How is that for a bouncing baby boy?
Humpback whales are known for their magical songs, a combination of howls, cries and moans. These complex songs can be heard for miles and sometimes last up to an hour, according to National Geographic. The fact, that only the male whales learn how to sing let science believe it is part of the mating rituals.
Even though Humpback whales are no longer considered highly endangered, they still face many threats in their daily lives. From pollution, collisions with ships and entanglement of fishing gear. After being almost extinct the population is estimated to be 80.000 world-wide.
It is with utter amazement to watch these huge creatures breach the water. Just the sheer mass of the animals will take your breath away. The ritual of breaching might have a scientific reason, but it could be as simple as “Even whales just want to have FUN.”
Whale watching in Panamá is possible in many locations in the Pacific side of the country. The most prominent areas are The Pearl Islands, Near Coiba Island and as to Panama City is Taboga Island. Many excursions for Whale watching leave from Panama City and Santa Catalina on a daily basis during the Whale season.
Are you interested to see these whales up-close and personal? On July 22nd we are going to Isla Contadora with Panama Whale Watching. Sign up now and reserve your spot!
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