The whales spend the summer in the cold waters of Antarctica, where food is abundant, and swim more than 5,000 km to reach the Brazilian coast during the winter.
On the Atlantic Ocean coast, the waters reach warmer temperatures for reproduction, breeding, and nursing of calves.
In Brazil, the season for observing marine mammals usually occurs between May and September.
According to the Ministry of Tourism, the activity attracts approximately ten thousand tourists per year and generates about R$ 3 million.
This year, the humpbacks arrived earlier and have already started the observation tours. The first animals were spotted in the state of São Paulo, in Ubatuba, on April 12, and in the south of Ilhabela, on April 21.
Other locations where whales can be seen are Abrolhos, Cumuruxatiba, Itacaré, Praia do Forte, and Salvador, all in Bahia, Arraial do Cabo (RJ), and São Sebastião (SP). In Vitória, Espírito Santo, the presence of dolphins is also frequent.