The Call of the Whales

AUTHOR: Ronja Kötzer
PHOTO: Sierra Goodman

It is a bright and beautiful morning at the end of January when we set off to find the namesake of the Costa Ballena. 

Each of the visitors on this whale-watching tour unconsciously holds their breath to be able to follow any call from the whales. Excitement and expectation are in the air, and the mood is tense. And then, finally, the captain points out to something in the water and shouts “ballena”. A murmur goes through the crowd as the boat approaches the small whale family that has gathered in front of Isla Ballena (Whale Island) to present us with a fascinating natural spectacle.

Let the show begin: with a snort, the humpback whale shoots a surge of fine water into the air and emits a deep, muffled sound that spreads out over the seabed.  

The dark giants of the sea, slowly rise to the surface, the water splits, and the firm skin with its impressive pocks and scars emerges. To crown their performance, the 25-tonne giant shoots out of the water, as acrobatically elegant as one would not expect from a caliber of this size. With a loud thud, he claps back into the water as the spectators breathe out the air, they have been holding in.