Eighteen tourists on a humpback whale watching trip were rescued in the Colombian Pacific after their boat capsized, according to the Colombian Navy.
The boat, named “Sol Angie Wendy,” departed from Buenaventura port, but a large wave struck it near an area known as Ladrilleros, causing it to overturn.
Given the rough maritime conditions prevalent in the Colombian Pacific, the wave threw all on board into the water.
The boat’s captain was rescued by a passing vessel, while the tourists were helped by other ships, all under the Navy’s coordination, which also deployed a Rapid Response Unit for the rescue operation.
Juan David Rendón, the Commander of Buenaventura Coast Guard Station, stated the capsized boat did not have proper permits for transporting tourists for whale watching in this part of the Colombian Pacific.
Humpback whales journey 8,500 kilometers from Antarctica to Colombian Pacific waters between June and November for mating and birthing.
Scientists believe the waters between Bahía Málaga and Bahía Solano, in the Valle del Cauca and Chocó departments, become the “largest maritime nursery in the world” for these whales during this period.