In the largest humpback whale reproduction sanctuary in the South Atlantic, on the Brazilian coast, the presence of these animals has once again become a common sight. In Abrolhos, in extreme southern Bahia, males compete for females while scientists closely monitor a population that went from nearly extinct in the South Atlantic four decades ago to approximately 35,000 individuals today.
The Abrolhos archipelago, located about 70 kilometers off the coast, welcomes the whales between June and November. In the warm waters of the region, females give birth and nurse their calves, while males seek to mate.
The species' recovery was the result of the prohibition of hunting, the protection of reproduction areas, and decades of research to understand the behavior and movements of the species, according to the National Institute of Amazonian Research.
