The whale-watching season begins for tourists in Niteroi city as expeditions to spot humpback whales are launched for the first time in Rio de Janeiro state. "It's like watching a great dance show. The fluidity and lightness they have in each movement is stunning," says Brazilian tourist Romina Fonseca. "These whales were hunted a lot; we have to remember that they almost became extinct at the end of the '80s," recalls Thiago Ferrari, the coordinator of NGO Amigos da Jubarte, which boosted the whale-watching tourism project. He adds that the humpback whale population is now about 30,000 individuals thanks to the hunting ban. Niteroi city hopes to educate tourists on protecting oceans and marine wildlife through these boat tours. Humpback whales migrate along the Brazilian coast during the austral winter, traveling from Antarctica after a feeding cycle to reach the warm waters of Bahia state in northeastern Brazil for breeding. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES