Being lucky enough to live in Puerto Madryn, where year after year the Southern Right Whales to reproduce and have their calves from June to December, it is a privilege and a great responsibility at the same time. This year the first whales arrived at the end of April. It is not just another place, it is a very important place for them, which they choose for its calm waters and for the protection that its coasts offer as it is within a gulf. It is a behavior passed down from generation to generation, from mothers to children.
In this area of the Golfo Nuevo, as well as within the Golfo San José, it is prohibited to get closer than 100 meters to a whale.. Whether sailing, diving, swimming, rowing or any other means. It is not on a whim, it is so as not to disturb them while they are with their calves, sometimes breastfeeding, in a copulating group, or even if a whale is alone, it is probably resting. You must always respect their space to avoid interfering with their natural behavior.
Working at sea gives us the chance to come across whales several times a year, but we rarely get to see them so close. If we are sailing towards a dive site and we see a whale in the distance, in addition to slowing down, we have to change our trajectory to move away from them.
Sometimes, as in this case, it happens that while we stop navigation, we are moored in a shipwreck where we are going to go diving, or we stop in shallow places to try diving, a whale approaches us out of simple curiosity.
As it approaches, it raises its head out of the water, looks at us, submerges again, swims under the boat, maybe repeat the process once or twice and leave.
In that case the only thing we can do is keep the engine off, wait for it to go away, and meanwhile enjoy its beauty in silence and with all the admiration it deserves.
There is no doubt that for any species, its breeding is the most important thing and it is what will protect the most. Be it a whale, a domestic dog or ourselves as human beings.
Therefore, for a whale to approach us with its calf, it is a behavior that he does because he surely feels trust towards us, knowing that his offspring is not in danger. It is a trust that we must respect, care for and maintain over time. It was more exciting to see that trust towards us than to be able to see them so close to us.
When I see this behavior, where a whale is approaching us, I start to think if when we go whale watching on board in Puerto Pirámides, or see them from the coast in Playa Las Canteras, Could it be that we are actually going to go whale watching, or are they the ones who come to watch us? It’s just a personal thought. Meanwhile, I can only think about the importance of caring for such an outspoken species, which perfectly lives up to its name.
