When we considered a trip to Baja, a major incentive was the whale presense in the winter.  We had learned the gray whales travel south from Alaska to mate and have their babies in the lagoons of Baja.  The mothers and babies then return to the same lagoon the next season.

Wow!  If you need just one more reason to visit Baja, the whales are it.  At Scammon’s Lagoon on the Pacific coast of central Baja we  had the most incredible experience with huge gray whales.  Mothers and babies swam right up to our boats, raised their heads to be petted.  At least four mother whales with their offspring stayed around our group of 3 small boats for well over an hour.  They were very comfortable and relaxed and seemed to look right at us.  It was one of the most amazing things we have ever experienced.

The lagoon is part of a huge reserve managed by the federal government.  The nearest city is Guerrero Negro, a company town run by the sea salt company.  Guerrero Negron is not easy to get to.  The nearest airport is probably Ensenada over 300 miles away.  There are very few boats authorized to take visitors to see the whales.  The cost is little – $50USD per person for a 4 hour tour.  At the time of our tour, there had been over 2000 mothers and babies counted in the lagoon.  Over 800 were babies.  They seemed to enjoy our visit as much as we did.  Click on the photo for a larger view.