As I cruised out into the stunningly beautiful and vast Banderas Bay aboard the Ecotours whale observation vessel, it became quickly evident that Covid-19 not only disturbed our lives, it also affected marine life. For the thousands of humpbacks that come down here for winter every year far less boat and shipping traffic means quieter waters and more playfulness. In just the first 30 minutes of our 4-hour trip, we spotted 3 different mothers with calves close to the port entrance which is “highly unusual” said Cynthia.
Who is Cynthia you wonder. She is the certified naturalist guide whom provided our small group with a full briefing of compliance with http://www.ecobac.net rules and regulations which govern this protected marine area since 1996. She also documented e wry sighting and provided commentary.
My heart lit up when roughly 40 minutes into our trip, the captain slowed down rapidly not for wildlife but for a piece of trash floating in the sea. We picked it up to leave the bay cleaner than we started. Education about garbage and it’s environmental impact has become a school subject here in the Puerto Vallarta area which is a clear sign of progress as it is quite clean here. Hats off to the crew!
Cleaning up trash is a pet peeve of mine and we could all see the benefits of it today on our tour. Many organizations have sprouted up that are addressing this global issue, chief among them is http://www.4ocean.com which I highly recommend you check out and support as I see it, if each of us picked up one piece of trash a day, be it a plastic wrapper or straw, a cigarette butt, a plastic bottle or can, we would see a vast difference quickly. Follow my lead as I do it daily on my Stella walks (poop bags make a great clean up tool). The whales will thank you!
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