Right Whales on the Mansa coast line
The marvelous presence of several right whales, generated last week a great movement on the The Mansa coast line of Punta del Este . When driving into the famous holiday resort from the west side , traffic had to slow down, as plenty of cars were parked on both lanes to observe the spectacle of the right whales.
From early sunrise on Saturday, hundreds of people who heard of the right whales presence through the media, approached the beaches to witness the great show these three southern right whales gave throughout the day.
Despite having sight posts at specific places, people preferred to park along the coastal edge, endangering the safe movement of traffic from the highway. They all wanted the nearest point so as to see the right whales surfacing near the shore.
What called the attention of the present public at the site was the fact that a female right whale and her calf remained always on the same spot on the 39th stop of the Mansa beach, and would playfully stay at less than 10 meters from the shore. This is possible because the beach is very deep at that point.
The mother right whale could easily be seen and it seemed as if she knew she was being observed.
The right whales seemed to be sand rubbing on the underwater dunes and while doing so, the right whale would float belly up, slapping her flippers slowly and then diving in and out.
In the meantime, despite the cold winter winds, people could not help but clapping or cheering, children pointing out whenever the right whale would come out and breathe through the blow hole. Every one wanted the best picture of the right whales but some just relaxed on the sand and watched.
The presence of the right whales is not the first one, the bay of the Mansa beach of Punta del Este. It has been part of the migratory journey. The sightings of right whales always start in early August but this year some right whales were seen as already in the last week of July, and it will extend to approximately end of October.
The right whale season is the unique opportunity to see the largest animals of the world in their natural habitat only at less than 20 meters from the shore.
When the southern hemisphere winter starts, the right whales begin to move toward the Peninsula Valdes in Argentine where reproduction and birth takes place. On their way south, the right whales pass by Punta del Este and take a break here.
In this way, right whales often appear in the Uruguayan coast and those who walk along the beaches of Punta Del Este can enjoy seeing the right whales lingering in La Mansa beach in Punta del Este’s bay.
Links regarding Right Wales:
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/right-whale/
http://www.whalefacts.org/southern-right-whale-facts/
By Mary Anne Thompson
