Once upon a time there was a place called Bahia de las Jorobadas (Bay of Humpbacks),as far back as the 18th and 19th centuries,whose moniker stemmed from the huge amount of humpbacked whales that could be sighted in its waters… That place is now known as Bahia de Banderas and from that moment to date,the number of whales has unfortunately dwindled to nearly extinction.It’s estimated that some 1,500 whales swim in the North Pacific area,and that as many as 300 or 400 of them flip their way to the bay shores from December to March to mate,have their offspring or feed before heading northbound.

Puerto Vallarta has been –according to Setujal- one of the first places to promote whale sighting with a respectful tourist standpoint.The official season opens on December 15 and ends on March 31.Authorities mark limits for distances and the number of boats that may get close to them at the same time.

Several institutions study whales in their natural habitat with a conservationist viewpoint,especially humpbacks and grizzly whales –the more accessible ones- as well as flipped whales,blue whales and others whose behavior patters make observation a hard task for anyone.The research includes taking pictures of the whales’ventral tails as their pigmentation patterns vary in each and every whale.Up to now,some 380 whales have been recorded in the bay waters.

The most striking of all is their jumping and singing, tunes that males resort to in courting their mates. Scholars have determined there are long and complex songs whales repeat time and again,yet their pitches vary depending on the place of origin of every species. An amazing and eye-popping animal that can be sighted on your next trip to Puerto Vallarta. Visit agencies that deal with whale sighting tours to know about the best way to do this with respect for the environment.Tours set adult trippers back an average $75 apiece.