Imbituba is a

port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as H ...

and coastal town in the southern

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

state of Santa Catarina. As of 2020, it has an estimated population of 45,286. It is also home to a population of Portuguese, Italian, and German descent, and it is about one hour drive from Florianópolis, the capital of Santa Catarina.

Whaling

Up until the mid‑20th century Imbituba was an important home of Brazilian

whaler A whaler or whaling ship is a specialized vessel, designed or adapted for whaling: the catching or processing of whales. Terminology The term ''whaler'' is mostly historic. A handful of nations continue with industrial whaling, and one, Japa ...

s since 1796, when the southernmost whaling station in Brazil was established there to prey on

right whales Right whales are three species of large baleen whales of the genus ''Eubalaena'': the North Atlantic right whale (''E. glacialis''), the North Pacific right whale (''E. japonica'') and the Southern right whale (''E. australis''). They are class ...

. Today, the rebuilt whaling station is a historic site and museum managed by the internationally acclaimed Brazilian Right Whale Project (''Projeto Baleia Franca''), based in nearby Itapirubá at the National Right Whale Conservation Center and has worked for the recovery of this

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and in ...

whale species since 1982.Brazilian Right Whale Project website
/ref> Right whales visit Imbituba, Itapirubá and Ibiraquera/Ribanceira beaches in winter and spring to mate, give birth and nurse their calves. Thanks to the work of the Right Whale Project, this region has become a federal Environmental Protection Area currently under implementation.

Infrastructure

The Port of Imbituba is currently the only privately operated port in Brazil. As part of Brazil's plan to modernize its port infrastructure, it plans to invest in the Port of Imbituba and transform it into one of Brazil's most prominent ports such as the

Port of Santos The Port of Santos (in Portuguese: ''Porto de Santos'') is located in the city of Santos, state of São Paulo, Brazil. As of 2006, it is the busiest container port in Latin America. In 2016, it was considered the 39th largest port in the world ...

. As part of this initiative, the government also plans on upgrading routes that lead to the port itself such as roads and

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

s, as well as integrating the various transport modes. The Santa Catarina investments put the port as first priority of the city, which some see as unfortunate as

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours. The World Tourism Organization defines tourism mor ...

should also be given adequate priority due to the regional potential like

ecotourism Ecotourism is a form of tourism involving responsible travel (using sustainable transport) to natural areas, conserving the environment, and improving the well-being of the local people. Its purpose may be to educate the traveler, to provide fund ...

and historical sites. Imbituba is now one of the homes for WCT worldwide surfing championships. Imbituba has stocks in Brazil market Bovespa; the codes of the stocks are ''imbi4'' and ''imbi3''.

People

* Jorginho, Italian-Brazilian footballer

References

Populated coastal places in Santa Catarina (state) Whaling stations Whaling in Brazil Municipalities in Santa Catarina (state) {{SantaCatarina-geo-stub