Until recently, the sighting of **humpback whales** was considered rare until their behavior was studied. The residents of Camarones, a coastal town in **Chubut**, report that they had never seen such a large number of whales as they do now.
Humpback whales, similar in size to southern right whales, can reach up to 16 meters in length, perform great leaps, and emit an enigmatic song. Discover when, how, and where to observe them.
Lucas Beltramino, a biologist in charge of the **Patagonia Azul Project**, has closely followed this phenomenon. “It was always believed that humpbacks were occasional visitors to this region, just passing through,” he comments. “But in recent years, thanks to **photo identification**, we discovered that many of these individuals return each year. Some have been coming to these coasts for four seasons already.”
Each whale has a unique mark on its tail, similar to a fingerprint. From the photos taken, the Patagonia Azul team has **identified more than 128 individuals**. “This completely changes what we knew about their behavior in Patagonia,” says Beltramino. “It shows us that this is not just a transit point, but an important area for them.”
Ocean giants in action: the leaps and songs of humpbacks
Humpback whales **can measure up to 16 meters in length** and exceed 30 tons. Despite their size, they are incredibly agile. They leap out of the water with impressive force, fall back with a crash, and hit the surface with their long fins.
“It’s a whale that jumps, not all whales do it, and their long fins make those jumps very attractive because they look like dancing arms,” explains the biologist.
Between October and March, these waters become **a true marine spectacle**. Dark dolphins, sea lions, and giant petrels share the scene with humpback whales.
What sets humpback whales apart is their song: a repertoire of **deep and vibrant sounds** that can last a long time and travel kilometers underwater.
Humpbacks impress not only with their leaps but also with their complex songs. Each population has its own dialect, but what is surprising is that these songs can migrate. “There are individuals that migrate from one population to another carrying their **particular songs** or the songs they have learned,” explains Lucas Beltramino.
Just as a popular song spreads from one continent to another, the melodies that these animals compose travel and are **adopted by other whales**. “Many times they become a trend, like the summer hit, and other individuals start to copy it,” details Beltramino. To listen to them, we use special microphones, as the whales’ song cannot be heard from **outside the water**.
“They are elaborate, long songs with defined and ordered parts. It’s not a random sound they emit,” points out the biologist. Although much remains to be discovered about their meaning and exact function, this ability makes them one of the **most enigmatic species in the ocean**.
Conservation: protection of a Vital ecosystem
Each collected data not only satisfies scientific curiosity but also reinforces the need to protect this ecosystem. “Knowing them better allows us to take better care of them,” says the biologist. And although tourism has not focused on them as much as on the southern right whale in **Península Valdés**, their constant presence opens the door to new forms of responsible exploration.
“Until recently, we knew almost nothing about their presence in this region,” reflects the biologist. “Now we know they are here, they return, that **this part of the ocean is important** to them. And that changes everything.”
When and where to see humpback whales
These whales can appear at different points along the coast, but the surroundings of **Camarones** and the **Patagonia Austral Coastal Marine Park** have become a privileged spot for sightings. The high season is between December and February when humpbacks take advantage of the abundance of food in the region.
“The fact that they return every year obliges us to **think about their conservation**,” Beltramino reflects. “Because if they are here, it’s for a reason. And if we want them to keep coming, we must ensure that this sea remains a refuge for them.”
Humpback whales have gone from **being a rarity in these waters** to becoming an integral part of the ecosystem. Every year, with their leaps and traveling melodies, they remind us that there is still much to learn about their world… our world.
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