{"id":1802,"date":"2017-08-08T20:03:26","date_gmt":"2017-08-08T20:03:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/?p=1802"},"modified":"2017-08-09T18:37:42","modified_gmt":"2017-08-09T18:37:42","slug":"whales","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/whales\/","title":{"rendered":"Whale Watching in Panama: Get Close to Humpbacks"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h1>Whale Watching in Panama<\/h1>\n<h2>Humpback Whale Migration Near Playa Venao<\/h2>\n<p>Every year, thousands of <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>humpback whales<\/strong><\/span> leave their feeding areas during the colder months and migrate to tropical seas near the Equator to <strong>breed and give birth to their young<\/strong>. According to NOAA, humpbacks migrate farther than any other mammal. These whales travel from 3,000-6,000 miles between their feeding and breeding grounds. Ocean temperatures affect how long the whales stay in an area.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1822 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/1Y7A0847-27.jpg\" alt=\"Whale Watching Playa Venao Pedasi\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/1Y7A0847-27.jpg 600w, https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/1Y7A0847-27-400x267.jpg 400w, https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/1Y7A0847-27-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Whale Watching Season<\/h2>\n<p>Panama and Costa Rica are the only waters that receive humpback whales from both Northern and Southern Hemispheres. From December to April, several hundred humpbacks arrive from North America. The <strong>main whalewatching season<\/strong> however, is from <strong><u>late June to mid-October,<\/u><\/strong> when several thousand humpback whales arrive from Antarctica. The whales migrate over 6000 miles to breed and give birth.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1913\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1913\" style=\"width: 550px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1913 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/32236842921_1b767b2f7c_o.jpg\" alt=\"Humpback migration map\" width=\"550\" height=\"275\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/32236842921_1b767b2f7c_o.jpg 550w, https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/32236842921_1b767b2f7c_o-400x200.jpg 400w, https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/32236842921_1b767b2f7c_o-300x150.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1913\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Humpback migration map Source: www.grida.no<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<h2>Whale Watching in Playa Venao and Pedasi<\/h2>\n<p>The whales come very close to the Pacific Coast of Panama \u2013 this includes Pearl Islands\/Contadora (near Panama City), Isla Coiba (near Santiago\/Santa Catalina), and the <strong>Azuero Peninsula<\/strong>. Yes, that includes <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Pedasi and Playa Venao<\/span>!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Whale watching is amazing in this area<\/strong>, and often only requires a 10-20 minute boat ride offshore to view groups and mom\/calf pairs. Occasionally you can see them from shore. Unlike in other whale watching areas, the whales in these shallow waters tend to be more playful and stay near the surface, diving for only short periods of time.<\/p>\n<p>Mom\/calves typically \u201chang out\u201d for a few days before moving on. Though infrequently, sometimes late in the season we\u2019ve seen playful calves accidentally wander into the bay of Playa Venao to check out some of our surfers!<\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1837 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/AB5I5999.jpg\" alt=\"Whale Watching Playa Venao Pedasi\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/AB5I5999.jpg 600w, https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/AB5I5999-400x267.jpg 400w, https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/AB5I5999-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<h2><strong>What to Expect on a Whale Watching Tour<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3><strong>The best chance for a sighting occurs in the morning. Typically these tours depart between 6-9am.<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>During a <strong><u>whale watching <\/u><\/strong>tour, you may witness the following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Male humpbacks in \u201crowdy\u201d groups: <\/strong>a group of 3+ males competing for the female\u2019s attention. These sightings are rarer, but are seen near Isla Iguana. They present the best chance of seeing a \u201cbreach,\u201d or a complete jump out of the water as they vie to become the female\u2019s mating partner.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Female humpback, often with the calf<\/strong>. A female is pregnant for 11 months, which means she first travels to Panama to breed, migrates back to polar waters to feed, then returns back to Panama\u2019s shallow, warmer waters to give birth. The mothers nurse their calves for about 1 year, so they stay close to the shore to avoid predators while teaching their newborn calves how to swim and hunt.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1849\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1849\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1849\" src=\"http:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/1Y7A0833-19-1-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Whale watching Playa Venao Pedasi\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/1Y7A0833-19-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/1Y7A0833-19-1-400x267.jpg 400w, https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/1Y7A0833-19-1.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1849\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rowdy male group<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1829\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1829\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1829 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/AB5I5853-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Whale Watching Playa Venao Pedasi\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/AB5I5853-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/AB5I5853-400x267.jpg 400w, https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/AB5I5853.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1829\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mama with Calf<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 280px;\" class=\"wp-video\"><video class=\"wp-video-shortcode\" id=\"video-1802-1\" width=\"280\" height=\"280\" loop preload=\"metadata\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"video\/mp4\" src=\"https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/File-Aug-09-11-03-22-AM.mp4?_=1\" \/><source type=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/228992531?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/File-Aug-09-11-03-22-AM.mp4\">https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/File-Aug-09-11-03-22-AM.mp4<\/a><\/video><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Some typical <strong><u>whale behaviors<\/u><\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Breaching<\/strong>: when a humpback propels itself completely out of the water. Common beliefs are that breaching is done to eliminate parasites, for fun, or in the case of males, to show off their strength to their female partners!<\/li>\n<li><strong>Pectoral<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>slap<\/strong>: slapping the water surface with their flippers (side fin).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Tail slap<\/strong>: slapping the water surface with their tails. Commonly thought to be forms of communication, aggression, or a way to show dominance.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Blow<\/strong>: explosive bursts of air when the whales come to the water surface to breathe.<\/li>\n<li>Spyhop: when a whale raises head out of the water, so it can see above the surface.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Logging<\/strong>: when a whale floats quietly on the surface.<\/li>\n<li>Flukes up: when the whales raise their tail flukes in preparation for a long underwater dive.<\/li>\n<li>Whale songs: males make unique squealing, lowing sounds in breeding areas.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1848\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1848\" style=\"width: 150px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1848 size-thumbnail\" src=\"http:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/AB5I5871-2-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"Whale watching Playa Venao Pedasi\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/AB5I5871-2-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/AB5I5871-2-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/AB5I5871-2.jpg 252w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1848\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pectoral Slap<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1846\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1846\" style=\"width: 150px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1846 size-thumbnail\" src=\"http:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/AB5I5819-2-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"Whale Watching Playa Venao Pedasi\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/AB5I5819-2-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/AB5I5819-2-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/AB5I5819-2.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1846\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Blow<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1845\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1845\" style=\"width: 150px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1845 size-thumbnail\" src=\"http:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/AB5I5836-2-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"Whale Watching Playa Venao Pedasi\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/AB5I5836-2-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/AB5I5836-2-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/AB5I5836-2-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/AB5I5836-2.jpg 324w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1845\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tail Slap<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1844\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1844\" style=\"width: 150px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1844 size-thumbnail\" src=\"http:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/AB5I5873-2-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"Whale Watching Playa Venao Pedasi\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/AB5I5873-2-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/AB5I5873-2-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/AB5I5873-2-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/AB5I5873-2.jpg 383w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1844\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Logging<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1843\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1843\" style=\"width: 150px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1843 size-thumbnail\" src=\"http:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/AB5I6004-2-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"Whale Watching Playa Venao Pedasi\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/AB5I6004-2-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/AB5I6004-2-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/AB5I6004-2.jpg 236w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1843\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Breaching (almost)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<h2>Endangered Whales<\/h2>\n<p>The humpback whales that can be seen off the coast of <strong>Panama<\/strong> are <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nmfs.noaa.gov\/pr\/species\/mammals\/whales\/humpback-whale.html\">still endangered<\/a>, even though their population is finally increasing.<\/p>\n<p>One of the reasons why it has taken so long to increase the humpback whale\u2019s population is that the females only have babies <strong>once every 2-3 years<\/strong>. A mother humpback will carry her calf for 12 months. The calf is born 3-5 meters in length and 900kg in weight. Most humpbacks live for around 50 years.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Responsible Whale Watching<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Panama\u2019s ARAP dictates that whale encounters may not surpass 30 minutes, and the boat must maintain a minimum of 5 meters with the whales.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1825\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1825\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1825 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/AB5I5775.jpg\" alt=\"Whale Watching Playa Venao Pedasi\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/AB5I5775.jpg 600w, https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/AB5I5775-400x267.jpg 400w, https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/AB5I5775-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1825\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dawn in Canas \/ Venao<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<h1>A Few Tour Operators in the Area:<\/h1>\n<p>(click to continue)<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\u00a0<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/listing\/frailer-tours\/\">Frailer Tours\u00a0\u00bb<\/a><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px;\">(<strong>Tours in Spanish<\/strong>) Launches from the Ca\u00f1as marina and circles the open waters outside Playa Venao and El Ciruelo. Captain Jairo, a Ca\u00f1as local, knows the waters in this area like the back of his hand. The dawn as seen from the waters near Venao is truly something. Price: flat rate of $150 up to 5 people.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/listing\/isla-canas-tours\/\">Isla Ca\u00f1as Tours\u00a0\u00bb<\/a><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px;\">(<strong>Tours in English\/Spanish<\/strong>) Launches from Playa Arenal in Pedasi and circles around Isla Iguana. The boat segment is relatively shorter compared to other tours as the main attraction is the day trip to Isla Iguana (snorkel gear, snacks provided). Price: $160 up to 2 people, or $53\/adult ($27\/child) for groups 3+.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/listing\/casa-lajagua\/\">Casa Lajagua\u00a0\u00bb<\/a><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px;\">(<strong>Tours in English<\/strong>) Launches from Playa Arenal in Pedasi. The whale watching can be packaged as part of a day trip to Isla Iguana or a half-day fishing expedition. Aboard a fully-equipped Contender with an expert captain (Craig, a Pedasi transplant and owner of Lajagua), the trip will be nothing short of luxurious. Price for the fishing package: $100\/hour (minimum 4 hours) +10%, up to 4 people.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>Try to Organize Yourself<\/h3>\n<p>If you speak decent Spanish and don&#8217;t mind bringing your own amenities, you can head straight to Playa Arenal, and try to arrange with a local fisherman in Pedasi. There are usually a few waiting to take tourists to Isla Iguana at Playa Arenal. The roundtrip fare to Isla Iguana is about $60 (this includes the fishermen&#8217;s time spent waiting at the island) for a half-day\/full-day trip. Whale watching will cost a bit more as it uses more gas. Not all practice responsible whale watching practices however.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Panama City<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>If you are in Panama City but your schedule doesn&#8217;t allow you enough time to make it out to Azuero, I recommend <a href=\"http:\/\/www.whalewatchingpanama.com\/welcome.html\">Whale Watching Panama<\/a> based out of the city. The tour is on a 60-person boat so may be less intimate. But it is organized by a team of ecotourism experts (including a Marine Biologist Ph.D). The tours depart weekly (Saturdays) during season, and heads to the Pearl Islands (Contadora).\u00a0$150 per adult \/ $85 per child (5-12) and includes lunch.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-1842 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/1Y7A0833-19-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Whale Watching Playa Venao Pedasi\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/1Y7A0833-19-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/1Y7A0833-19-400x267.jpg 400w, https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/1Y7A0833-19.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1835 size-medium alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/AB5I5953-200x300.jpg\" alt=\"Whale Watching Playa Venao Pedasi\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/AB5I5953-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/AB5I5953.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1840 size-medium alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/AB5I6093-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Whale Watching Playa Venao Pedasi\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/AB5I6093-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/AB5I6093-400x267.jpg 400w, https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/AB5I6093.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1833 size-medium alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/AB5I5910-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Whale Watching Playa Venao Pedasi\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/AB5I5910-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/AB5I5910-400x267.jpg 400w, https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/AB5I5910.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; Whale Watching in Panama Humpback Whale Migration Near Playa Venao Every year, thousands of humpback whales leave their feeding areas during the colder months and migrate to tropical seas near the Equator to breed and give birth to their young. According to NOAA, humpbacks migrate farther than any other mammal. These whales travel from&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1822,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[135,150],"tags":[140,148,142,147,141,149,146,144,145,143,138,139],"class_list":["post-1802","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-seasonal-adventures","category-tours","tag-canas","tag-casa-lajagua","tag-fishing","tag-frailer-tours","tag-isla-canas","tag-isla-canas-tours","tag-isla-iguana","tag-pedasi","tag-playa-arenal","tag-playa-venao","tag-whale","tag-whale-watching","content-box content-box-wrapper"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/1Y7A0847-27.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1802","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1802"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1802\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1822"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1802"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1802"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vivavenao.com\/v\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1802"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}