Bahia Malaga

Humpbacks that feed in the Antarctic through the southern summer swim north to the Colombian Pacific to breed and calve, a journey of around eight thousand kilometres and one of the longest migrations of any mammal - they arrive from about July and stay into October, and Bahia Malaga's sheltered warm water is one of the main nursery areas, so mothers with newborn calves are the usual sighting along with breaching and males singing. The bay is a national park. Juanchaco and Ladrilleros, Afro-Colombian villages on the coast, are the bases, reached by boat from Buenaventura since there is no road. The Pacific coast here is very wet, mangrove-lined and thinly served; the region is among the poorest in the country.

Highlights

• Humpbacks calving - after a migration of about eight thousand kilometres.
• Mothers with newborns - the bay is a nursery area.
• Boat access only - about ninety minutes from Buenaventura.
• Afro-Colombian coastal villages - Juanchaco and Ladrilleros as bases.

When to go

July to October for the whales. Several days.

Things to know

Access is by boat and the crossing can be rough. Rain is near-constant on this coast. Accommodation is basic. Whale watching should be with operators who keep legal distances - harassment of the animals is a real problem.

Nearby

Buenaventura is east; Isla Gorgona is south.

Key facts