Pacific Coast: Ecuador's Pacific Coast

Salinas has opened its humpback whale watching season, with accredited boats offering two-hour trips and a reported fare of $21 per passenger.

Police and prosecutors detained Jipijapa Mayor Angela Plua and 12 others in Operation Digitador, an investigation into alleged irregular vehicle paperwork in Manabi. Authorities said the case involved 18 raids and suspected losses above $5 million.

Manabí remains under yellow alert as authorities prepare for possible El Niño impacts. Risk work is focused on river basins, rural flood zones, unstable slopes and historically affected cantons including Chone, Portoviejo, Rocafuerte, Sucre, Santa Ana, Montecristi and Jipijapa.

Ecuador is warning of high-energy waves from June 23 through June 25, 2026, with 12 beaches under red flag and 29 under yellow flag. The alert covers coastal and island areas and matters for beach travel, fishing and ocean activities.

Petroecuador activated a contingency plan after a clandestine perforation caused a fuel spill on the Esmeraldas-Santo Domingo pipeline at kilometer 105. The company said the leak was controlled before 11:00, no people or water sources had been affected, and national fuel supply remained normal.

A frontal crash between a pickup truck and a cargo truck near the Zapotal bridge left 12 people dead on June 14. ECU 911 said the crash happened at about 04:14 on the Guayaquil-Santa Elena highway.

An explosive attack damaged the Arcom building in central Machala on the night of June 12. The Environment and Energy Ministry said no injuries were reported and linked the attack to retaliation after 88 illegal-mining operations in El Oro.

Risk officials are monitoring high-energy waves arriving from the southwest Pacific toward Ecuador's continental and island coasts. Waves are exceeding 2.5 to 3 meters, with impacts in Santa Elena and Galapagos.

A strengthening coastal El Nino episode off Peru could reach Ecuadorian waters within two weeks. Ocean-monitoring indicators show Nino 1+2 approaching +3 C, while some sea-surface readings reached 6.4 C above average.