2021–2022 whale watching season in the bay

The 2021-2022 whale watching season began in the first week of December in the Banderas Bay area. All in all, it applies to six Mexican states.

Mexican regulations lay out guidelines and specifications for whale watching. The regulations intend to protect and conserve their habitat. Government has established whale watching areas according to the time and zone of arrival of these specimens in our country.

Similarly, it establishes the length of the season for each area where whale watching activities happen on federal zones.

In the Nayarit region are the following areas:

a).-Bahia de Banderas, Municipality of Bahia de Banderas (with two restricted areas where whale watching activities are prohibited due to a concentration of whales with calves:

1.-A 1.5-kilometer radius around the Islas Marietas Archipelago.

2.-A 2-kilometer-wide coastal strip from Punta Mita to the mouth of the Ameca River) until March 23, 2022.

b).- Compostela Municipality (Rincón de Guayabitos-Peita Jaltemba-Chacala), until March 23, 2022.

c).- San Blas-Isla Isabel, San Blas Municipality, until March 23, 2022.

Related: Whale Shark Season in Cabo

In the state of Jalisco, the areas are as follows:

a).-Bahia de Banderas, Municipalities of Puerto Vallarta and Cabo Corrientes (with two restricted zones in which whale watching activities cannot be carried out due to the concentration of whales with calves:

Area of 1.5 km radius around the Islas Marietas Archipelago.

Coastal strip 2 km wide from the mouth of the Ameca River to the Yelapa Community, until March 23, 2022.

b).- Tenacatita Bay, Municipality of La Huerta, until March 23, 2022.

Other states included in the regulation are Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora, Sinaloa, Guerrero, and Oaxaca.

Lack of training for the whale watching season

According to Astrid Frisch Jordán, national coordinator of the Encircled Whale Assistance Network (RABEN) and head of the civil association Ecología y Conservación de Ballenas, “this year unfortunately it appears that there will be no training course for tour operators who receive permits from Semarnat. We are still suffering effects from the pandemic, we need it very much. That is why it is important to disseminate informative material to protect the whales.”

She is unaware of the number of permits for this season. However, It has been increasing year after year. Last year, there were approximately 270 in the area.