Puerto Lopez and the Humpback whales
Puerto Lopez is on the coast and I was overawed by the wonderful acrobatic displays of the humpback whales. This is their mating ritual and they come to the coast of Ecuador to mate in June and by September you can see them with their babies.
Every year from late June till early October, the warm waters off Ecuador’s Pacific coast become a breeding ground for hundreds of humpback whales. Between 400 and 2600 arrive to mate and to breed as the young whales do not have enough fat to survive the cold waters of the Antartic. To watch the male mating display where the 40 ton humpback leaps out of the water or slaps their tails or fins to attract attention of the female is amazing. They are enormous and you feel so small in a boat watching. Puerto Lopez which is about 10 hours out of Quito is one of the best and most popular places to see the whales. They restrict your time watching to 20 minutes so as to not distress the whales.
