Whale Watching Festival on Colombia’s Pacific Coast

Whale Watching on Colombia’s Pacific Coast

Every July, the picturesque Pacific Coast of Colombia transforms into a vibrant hub as tens of thousands of visitors flock to its shores. They converge on the bustling docks of Buenaventura, a seaport alive with excitement, eagerly awaiting speedboats that will transport them to the small, idyllic communities nestled along the remote Málaga Bay. Their primary motivation? To witness the majestic humpback whales.

These magnificent creatures, numbering in the thousands, embark on their own epic journey each year. They migrate from the nutrient-rich feeding grounds near Chile to their warm breeding grounds off the coast of Colombia, where they remain from mid-July until October.

Aboard a ferry from Buenaventura to the charming town of Juanchaco, visitors can enjoy a scenic ride that leads them to La Barra, the vibrant site of this year’s much-anticipated whale festival.

The docks in Buenaventura are often teeming with tourists, predominantly locals from Colombia, all eager to embark on whale-watching adventures that kick off in mid-July.

During the whale-watching season, licensed captains and knowledgeable guides lead boats filled with excited visitors—primarily Colombians, but increasingly including international travelers—into the sparkling waters. Here, they have the thrilling opportunity to observe these gentle giants as they breach the surface, spout water into the air, and playfully slap the ocean with their powerful fins and tails.

On land, the experience is equally enchanting. Residents from the surrounding communities come together to celebrate the whales during an annual festival that not only honors these magnificent creatures but also serves to revive and preserve a rich cultural heritage that has been fading over the years.