This week the Costa Blanca has become an observation post for some spectacular views of whales. Whales were reported off the coast near Xábia this week at about 11am when members of the Sant Antoni Marine Reserve (situated in the Montogó national park) were lucky enough to spot two humpback whales in this area.

The members of the marine reserve were able to observe two humpback whales for almost half an hour between Sant Antoni and Sant Martí (along the coastline of Xábia). The whales appeared to be travelling in a southerly direction about half a nautical mile (approximately 900 metres) from the coast.
The members of the marine reserve even managed to photograph the whales when they did three spectacular jumps out of the water and were surprised by the agility of the whales whose weight is estimated to be around 40 tonnes. The noise of the whales hitting the water afterwards was described as sounding like ‘an explosion’.

The observers from the marine reserve are very lucky to have seen the whales.

The humpback whale has been a protected species since 1967 and it is estimated that there are less than 10,000 left in the world’s oceans. Over the last 200 years there have only been 15 reported sightings of these whales in the Mediterranean because this type of whale rarely enters the Mediterranean sea.

Experts from the Sant Antoni Marine Reserve have said that the sightings of humpback whales in the Costa Blanca have coincided with the presence of large shoals of small fish on which the whales could feed.

It has also been noted that minke whales are being spotted more frequently along the Costa Blanca.