Between July and November of each year, the Colombian Pacific coast is the scene of an unparalleled spectacle: the visit of humpback whales, which travel around 8,500 kilometers from Antarctica to the warm waters of this area of the country to mate and give birth to their young.
Bahía Solano and Nuquí, in Chocó, Gorgona Island in the Colombian Pacific and Bahía Málaga, in Valle del Cauca, are the favorite places for hundreds of Colombian and foreign tourists who seek to enjoy this unique experience, in the middle of landscapes that take your breath away for their beauty and biodiversity. In addition, due to the characteristics of this region, you can practice different ecotourism and adventure activities such as diving in natural parks, bird watching, entering sea caves where different species of fish, dolphins and turtles hide, ecological walks and enjoy the versatile landscape that has a variety of fauna and flora.
Learn more about the best destinations in Colombia for whale watching.
foto https://www.canalinstitucional.tv/
Bahía Málaga
More than 3,000 humpback whales arrive on the Colombian coast each year, making the country world-renowned as the destination for the largest seasonal humpback whale migration.
In addition to whale watching, Málaga Bay is a major tourist attraction for nature lovers because it is one of the areas with the most species of continental and marine fauna and flora on the planet, home to approximately 1,396 species distributed among mollusks, crustaceans, seaweed, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and coastal and aquatic mammals.
The Uramba Bahía Málaga National Natural Park is also a popular tourist destination among adrenaline lovers, offering the opportunity to go kayaking, boat rides, cliff walks, and caving.
You can reach Buenaventura by air or land, and from there take a boat to Juanchaco, in the department of Valle del Cauca.
Nuquí
Located in the Gulf of Tribugá, in the department of Chocó, Nuquí is one of the places with the greatest biodiversity on the planet and one of the best places for whale watching, because it is possible to get up to about 200 meters by boat to take incredible photographs of the mating ritual and the birth of the whale calves.
Most whales arrive in this part of the country in late October. However, tourists visiting this municipality at other times of the year can go scuba diving, explore the mangroves, enjoy the refreshing waters of Love Waterfall, go hiking, visit the hot springs, and engage in artisanal fishing.
There are two ways to get there: by air, taking a 10- to 15-minute flight from Medellín or Quibdó to Reyes Murillo Airport, or by sea from Buenaventura or Bahía Solano.
Gorgona – Where whales are born
Gorgona National Natural Park is located 46 kilometers from the municipality of Guapi, in the department of Cauca. It is a place of great natural wealth, as it is home to 11 types of whales and dolphins, 12 types of coral reefs, 75 species of migratory birds, 41 species of reptiles, and 723 species of flora, including mosses, marine macroalgae, and herbaceous plants.
Gorgona is a favorite destination for Colombian and international travelers to watch whales and relax amidst the jungle and the sea, as the park offers hiking, snorkeling, scuba diving, and tours of the archaeological ruins.
To get there, you must take a plane from Cali to Guapi or Buenaventura, then travel by boat to enter the open sea and continue the journey to the island, which takes between two and four hours.
ORIGINAL PUBLISHED IN: https://colombia.travel/es/blog/3-lugares-en-colombia-en-los-que-puedes-ver-las-ballenas-jorobadas
foto: https://www.viajesdestinoantioquia.com
