Humpbacks whales have been spotted along Ecuador's coast as they got closer to the end of their long migration from the Antarctic.
In Puerto Lopez boats full of tourists carrying video and cameras sailed out to sea in the hope of catching a glimpse of the whales.
They swim over 7,000 kilometers from Antarctica every year to the warmer Pacific waters to breed. They choose the coastal regions of Puerto Lopez and Puerto Cayo for its coral reefs that are rich in small fish.
Last month the government signed a decree declaring June the 22nd the National Day of the Humpback Whale.
