HOLGUIN, Cuba, Feb 18 (acn) More than a dozen humpback whales have been seen in ocean waters off Lucrecia Point, on the northern coast of Holguin, eastern Cuba, something unusual in the island nation.

Even though humpback whales use this route to cross the ocean from the cold Atlantic waters looking for the warmth of the Dominican Republic area, it is not common to see so many of the mammals close to the coast of the municipality of Banes in Holguin.

Marine experts with the Environmental Research and Technological Services Center said such behavior is associated with the mating rituals of the species.

After learning about the large presence of humpback whales, scientific authorities together with the Fishing Enterprise and Coastguard Forces coordinated efforts to guarantee the safety of the guests.

The black-dark gray humpback whales measure from 12 to 15 meters long from head to tail, weigh around 50 tons, and have big white fins.

Although they don't actually have a hump on their back, they are called humpback because of the way they arch their body when they submerge.

In the winter, around 3,000 are found together every year in the Caribbean sea, in an area that has been declared a Whale Sanctuary, where they go to mate.

From the Cuban News Agency