We work for the marine giants
Our newsletter is responsible for disseminating all the activities we carry out for the conservation of whales. On this occasion we dedicate this edition to the new RABEN members so that they can better understand what we do.
We are a Mexican non-profit organization dedicated to the research, protection and conservation of Mexico’s natural resources, especially the Humpback Whale in Banderas Bay.
We have four main lines of action:
Research: We work on the Humpback Whale Photo-Identification catalogs in Banderas Bay, Isabel Island and we collaborate with national and international catalogs in the Pacific. This allows us to better understand this species and its migrations.
Environmental Education: Through our campaigns “I DO CARE FOR WHALES” and “LESS SPEED = MORE LIVES”, we promote responsible navigation practices to guarantee the safety of whales as well as people.
Ecotourism and Sustainable Development: We work hand in hand with tour operators and the community in general to disseminate and apply Mexican regulations that regulate whale watching, thus contributing to more sustainable tourism.
Conservation Projects: Our flagship project is the Entangled Whale Assistance Network (RABEN). We rescue whales entangled in fishing gear in an efficient and safe way, giving them a second chance at life.
FIBB Catalog: Science beyond a photograph
Photo identification is a study technique that allows individuals to be recognized in an animal population. In the case of humpback whales, we do this through photographs of the ventral (lower) part of their caudal fin or tail, since each whale has a unique coloring pattern that allows us to recognize them.
One of ECOBAC’s main projects is the Banderas Bay Photo Identification Catalog (FIBB). Which currently has more than 3890 identified whales and 10,500 records. All the photographs we take during each season are reviewed and go through a rigorous analysis to finally be integrated into the catalog.
All this data allows us to learn more about this species, its behavior, its migratory routes and the time it spent in the Bay.
Prevention is the key
We firmly believe that through environmental education we can greatly contribute to the conservation of marine mammals. That is why we have two important campaigns “I DO CARE FOR WHALES” and “LESS SPEED = MORE LIVES”. Through which we promote responsible navigation practices to guarantee the safety of people and whales. and
During each season our volunteers carry out the important work of going to the different marinas in the bay to inform people about our campaigns through brochures and flyers that we have specially designed to disseminate this information.
How to recruit whales correctly?
There are rules that regulate the way whale watching is carried out. At ECOBAC we work hand in hand with tour operators and the coastal community to disseminate these standards.
Year after year we provide training and talks to publicize NOM-131-SEMARNAT-2010, which regulates and establishes the guidelines for whale watching activities.
We consider it important that both tour operators and the general public know that this rule exists and that every time they comply with it, they are contributing to sustainable tourism, benefiting both the whales and the people who carry out this activity.
Entangled Whale Assistance Network
Without a doubt, RABEN has become our flagship project. We are celebrating the 20th anniversary since the first whale rescue, which marked the beginning of our amazing network.
We continue to work tirelessly to prevent the problem of entanglements and we are preparing to be able to rescue more whales in the season that is about to begin. Until 2023 we have managed to rescue 87 whales.
We are deeply proud to continue contributing to the conservation of whales in Mexico.
RABEN 2023 Trainings
This year has been a success in terms of the preparation of the members of the RABEN teams.
We managed to successfully carry out the theoretical-practical courses lasting two days for the Mazatlán and Manzanillo teams. And a practice at sea with the RABEN Los Cabos team.
In addition, a new RABEN team was trained for the first time in 7 years. We welcome the new members of the RABEN San Felipe team in Alto Golfo, B.C. Now we are 16 teams with more than 200 members trained to respond to reports of a entangled whale.
We are celebrating 20 years of rescuing whales and this has been possible thanks to the participation of each of the members in the different RABEN teams that are constantly training and preparing to be ready for any call to action. We deeply appreciate your support in this tireless work.
We invite you to stay informed about our activities and contribute to the conservation of these incredible marine giants.
