Whale watching from Praia do Forte

Humpback whales come to the Brazilian coast in winter and spring to mate, give birth and nurse their calves, after a round trip of almost 9,000 km from feeding grounds around South Georgia in the Antarctic. Most gather on the Abrolhos Bank far to the south, but as the population recovers they turn up more often along the rest of the coast, and from the beach at Praia do Forte it isn't unusual to see one surface past the breaking waves.

Boats from the village go out looking for them in season. Projeto Baleia Jubarte, the humpback research and conservation project with a base here, puts its own staff on partner boats to explain what you are seeing and record sightings, and keeps a list of those partners. Brazilian law bans harassing any whale and sets rules for how boats approach. Off Bahia the whales are seen resting at the surface, slapping their heads down on the water and travelling with calves. Adults reach 16 metres, and the black and white pattern under each tail is unique, which is how researchers tell them apart.

On land, the project's visitor centre on Avenida do Farol has life-size replicas, the skeleton of an adult humpback and a video auditorium.