RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) \u2014 Sightings of humpback whales off Rio de Janeiro\u2019s coast are surging as they recover from decimation due to commercial whaling, prompting an acceleration in the demand for whale-watching excursions to spot the huge marine creatures during their annual migration.<\/p>\n
The species\u2019 population has jumped from around 2,000 to around 35,000 in approximately 40 years, close to their population before whaling, said Enrico Marcovaldi, co-founder of the Humpback Whale Project. That means they are increasingly\u00a0being spotted\u00a0in Rio\u2019s postcard Guanabara Bay.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s wonderful. It shows that the whales are making a recovery, are healthy and thriving, and hopefully they\u2019ll continue to do so,\u201d said Marcovaldi.<\/p>\n
In 1982, the International Whaling Commission decided that there should be a pause in commercial whaling on all whale species and populations from the 1985\/1986 season onward.<\/p>\n
Louise Raulais, who runs the Rio Ocean Club with her partner Theo Andrade, is among those who see the tourism opportunities in the whales\u2019 resurgence.<\/p>\n
This year, the company began offering sailboat trips for between five and 10 people to observe the whales. Raulais said they always have a biologist onboard to share information, which can stimulate a desire to protect the whales and the ocean.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese animals are so iconic and charismatic that they have the power to transform people, to change the way they see the world,\u201d said Raulais.<\/p>\n
Humpback whales\u00a0are known for roaming long distances across major oceans in predictable patterns,\u00a0typically following migration routes\u00a0learned from their mothers. They feed on krill and small fish in the warmer months and breed in tropical waters over winter.<\/p>\n
Between June and November, thousands of humpback whales migrate through Brazilian waters, traveling roughly 2,500 miles (4,000 kilometers) from their feeding grounds in the Southern Ocean to breeding and calving grounds off northeastern\u00a0Brazil.<\/p>\n
Most gather around the Abrolhos Bank, a coral reef region spanning the coasts of Bahia and Espirito Santo that is one of the South Atlantic\u2019s most biodiverse marine environments.<\/p>\n
The Humpback Whale Project set up a scientific expedition, scheduled to run from June 26 to July 9, to study the humpback whales\u2019 behavior, size and health, as well as identify their travel route, key gathering areas, and to measure how far offshore the whales pass.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re exploring this area,\u201d said Pedro Fr\u00f3es, a biologist for the Humpback Whale Project who is part of the expedition. \u201cThey want to find out whether, in the future, it could become a place for them to rest, to mate, or to give birth to a calf,\u201d Fr\u00f3es said.<\/p>\n