Touch the Whales in San Ignacio Lagoon
Baja, California’s Grey Whale Migration Destination
Dec 18, 2008
The small village of San Ignacio, in Baja California lies 860 miles from the San Diego border. The seemingly endless desert turns into an oasis fed by a partially underground river. Here among the palm trees and adobe lined town square, tours can be booked for a unique whale watching experience. The Mexican government tightly controls the breeding grounds of the California gray whale and the result has been a dramatic increase in their population. The only way to view and touch the whales is in an approved manned boat that can only be in the water for a 1 ½ hour tour. The number of boats at each time is also limited. This protective system allows a personal encounter with the whales.
The California grey whale takes a mighty journey each year beginning their travel with the fall season starting from Alaska. Their trip culminates about halfway down the Baja peninsula where they spend the winter and early spring months. They reach the warmer and shallower waters of Guerrero Negro lagoon and San Ignacio lagoon to mate and bare their young.
This adventure is much more than mere whale watching. The waters are typically calm and although chasing the whales is prohibited, calling for them is allowed and they respond to whistles and boat slapping noises. The mother whales exude amazing pride and will help navigate their newborns to the human filled dories. When they reach the boats, all hands go out to pet these slippery, sleek mammals. Their seemingly curious manner and gentle tolerance of human contact amazes everyone on the trip.
In the case of the grey whale, it takes three to tango; two males and one female are required for mating. One of the males is the designated “lifter”, helping to add buoyancy to the female and the other luckier male is the mate. They float around in this position and can be seen in these trios creating the next generation.
Baja Ecotours, for information check out wwww.bajaecotours.com, books way in advance for whale watching trips in Laguna San Ignacio. There are several ways to get to San Ignacio depending on the spirit of adventure desired.
1. Driving from the San Diego border: Highway 1 covers the entire route down the Baja peninsula. The road itself is in fine condition but can be rustic, lacking in some services and not recommended for night driving. The trip to San Ignacio takes 2 days; the village of San Quentin is about half way and has good overnight accommodations.
2. Tours from San Diego: There are bus tours or small charter flights available to both Guerrero Negro and San Ignacio. Guerrero Negro is a much larger town with easier access.
Once there, the road from San Ignacio to the bay is a washboard dirt road with many potholes. Four wheel drive vehicles are highly recommended. For the true adventurist, camping on the beach is allowed and comes with wonderful sounds throughout the night of the whales spouting and calling to each other.
With either a night in a comfortable hotel room or a rustic night on the beach, taking this whale watching tour is a once in a lifetime experience.
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