Humpback Whale Appears Near Playa de los Ingleses in Punta del Este

Punta del Este is a destination for whales too!

A humpback whale was spotted feeding near the rocky outcrops located between Playa de los Ingleses and the vicinity of Punta Salinas, in Punta del Este.

BallenasUY described the sighting as "a unique moment" and noted that the humpback whale was feeding near the rocky outcrops. In the same post, the group indicated that terns and Magellanic penguins were also hunting in the area, a sign that "a large school of fish was moving near the surface."

"I've never seen anything like this so close; it looked like a scene from a documentary, but it was happening right here, in front of us," commented a local resident who observed the event from the rocky shore.

Marine biologist Cecilia Passadore explained that, in this species, "its dorsal fin is shaped like a hump," one of the features that gives it its common name.

He also emphasized that humpback whales “have the longest pectoral fins of all cetaceans,” a characteristic that makes them especially striking when they appear near the coast, allowing observers to witness some of their movement at the surface.

As an intelligent mammal, whales may understand they are protected in Uruguay waters.