During the summer months, humpback whales live in polar feeding grounds. The whales that we can see along the Oaxacan coast likely spend their summer along the coast of Alaska. From there, they journey past Canada and the United States (along the coast of California), making their way closer to the equator and subsequently warmer breeding waters. 

Forget maintaining a “summer body” when it comes to humpback whale feeding habits. These whales only feed in the polar waters during the summer months. Once they are in the warm, tropical waters for the breeding season they live off of their fat reserves. 

Humpback whales are known to be acrobatic. When you see them leap out of the water, it seems as though you’ve scored front-row seats to the sea’s best acrobatic show. But, did you know that you’re likely to see the most “playful” whales during the breeding season? Males will court a female whale and show off by propelling themselves in and out of the water. Vying for the attention of the female can get quite intense and even violent between the males. 

The courting and mating process of humpback whales is still somewhat of a mystery as scientists continue to study just how the female chooses her mate. But, what we do know, is that while humpbacks are usually entertaining to see from the coastline, during mating season, they are even more active. 

That’s right, they have their very own whale song. These songs are often heard during mating season as a way for males to attract the attention of the female. These songs are thought to serve an important purpose in the whales’ social structure as they can be heard for miles. Scientists have noted that their songs actually harmonize with each other. Scientists recently found that the humpback whale’s song can actually travel thousands of miles over a matter of years. This would mean that humpback whales can communicate with different populations from across the globe. Pretty impressive, right?

Scientists continue to study these fascinating and majestic creatures. Many social behaviors and mating rituals are still a mystery. But, one thing is for certain, humpback whales grace the coasts of Puerto Escondido with their curious behaviors each year. Locals and tourists alike look forward to catching sight of them as they propel in and out of the water. There’s nothing quite like walking the beach at sunset and catching a live humpback whale show from the coast. 

Puerto Escondido’s whale season goes from November to March, and there are usually the most whale sightings during January and February. EcoAdventures offers a boat tour, found under “Dolphin Watching Boat Tour“, in which you will see marine life up close. You’ll get to learn even more facts about these fascinating whales as well as other sea creatures such as dolphins, sea turtles, manta rays, and more. If you’ve got your heart set on seeing the humpback whales off the Oaxacan coast, then be sure to sign up for a tour during whale season!