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You are here: Home / Archives for whales

Photo Tuesday: Grey Whales

July 13, 2010 By Jillian

Starting something new on the blog today, a Photo Tuesday feature.  Each Tuesday we’ll highlight an amazing photo from our adventure.  As always, our entire photo collection is visible on flickr and our most recent photos are presented on the photo tab.



This photo was taken day 2 of our trip, less than 24 hours after crossing the border into Mexico. Half way down the Baja penninsula, we stopped at a small town called Guerrero Negro to “visit” with the grey whales. After a choppy ride out in miserable weather, we waited in the lagoon for what seemed like forever before the whales approached us. This mother and calf stayed near our boat for several minutes, playfully swimming from side to side and nudging the boat. It was an amazing way to start our journey south.

Filed Under: photos Tagged With: animals, Mexico, photos, whales

In Search of Orca, the Sea Wolf

November 24, 2009 By Danny

Yes, that’s what the name Orca is derived from…sea wolf. It was once believed that Orcas were descendents of wolves that had gone to the sea. For quite some time now I have counted these amazing creatures as my favorite animal and ever since seeing them snatch a living seal off of a Patagonian beach on the BBC’s Planet Earth last year…well, I wanted to see it for myself.

And that is just one of the many reasons we found ourselves finishing off our trip in Peninsula Valdez and the little town of Puerto Madryn in Patagonia. Having already headed to Punto Tombo the day prior it was time to head to Peninsula Valdez to see basically everything else: sea lions, elephant seals, more penguins, the southern right whale, and of course my friend the Orca.

The first stop was the proper whale watch for the Southern Right Whale (Ballena Franca Austral) where whale sightings were virtually guaranteed. We were a bit hesitant to even go on the trip because no boat trip could ever really beat how we started 8 months ago in Mexico but we ultimately signed on and really enjoyed ourselves. We saw a number of whales breach and several came quite close to the boat, nearly close enough to touch although not quite there. We watched as the seagulls tried to eat the skin off the babies and as their mothers taught them to dive to get away. I think the best part was seeing how many Southern Right Whales there are as its Northern brother was all but obliterated by commercial whaling. In fact the name “right whale” is derived from those days when the sailors would ask each other if they got the right whale or the wrong whale.

After that our group knew it was time to search for some Orcas. The Orcas that live here off the coast of Argentina are the only ones in the world that have developed this practice of eating seals as they “roast” on the beach and there are only a handful of places where this normally takes place. As luck would have it though, this is not the season for them to do this and we were warned by virtually everyone that we wouldn’t get to see the hunting Orcas. But that didn’t mean we couldn’t try…

We went to one lookout along the first of the two beaches, all we found there were more penguins. The second lookout, lots of roasting seals. The third, more of the same.  No Orcas but we did see plenty of seals which was even a bit upsetting in itself. I’m not so sure that we have seen an uglier animal than the elephant seal on this entire trip…and we’ve seen a ton of wildlife.

Alas there were no orcas and no seal feasts. Maybe next time….

Filed Under: Argentina, Headline, South America Tagged With: animals, mammals, patagonia, seals, whales

Espirtu Santo – Azul Tours

March 20, 2009 By Jillian

We began our journey to Espiritu Santo with plans to kayak around the island. Once we discovered this would be a two day trip requiring good equipment and some planning, we instead opted for a boat tour of the Island. Several other beach-goers highly recommended Azul Tours having themselves spotted several varieties of whales, including blue whales.

When we pulled up the morning of our tour we had no reservation. At 600 pesos Azul was slightly more expensive than competing Marlin Adventures, but there is no question that our tour was longer and more fruitful than the Marlin Adventures boat. Additionally, we were promised a lunch, including beer, on one of the world’s most beautiful beaches…but only after we’d had our fill of snorkeling with the ‘Lobos Marinas’ (Sea Lions).[ad#ad-3]

The boat itself was comfortable and apt to the job of showing up to 12 passengers around the island. It was small and open yet we did not get wet while riding and my camera was safe the entire time. As we approached the island we slowed down to circle a small colony of sea lions floating in the middle of the water. Our captain showed a great deal of patience ensuring we all had an opportunity to take pictures.

Next we received a radio call from another Azul Tours boat alerting us to pilot whales in the area. The captain, Saul, informed us that this is not common as pilot whales are usually here in August, not March. Regardless, he was just as excited as the rest of us and got the boat as close as he could for some pictures. This was particularly challenging as the pod would descend without warning and then reappear elsewhere, creating a challenge for Saul to keep up.

After following three different pods of pilot whales we received a radio call about a nearby humpback whale. While we were not able to get as near to the humpback, there was only one and it was able to stay under the water for a large amount of time making it difficult to track, Saul was the last boat to leave the area as we kept trying to get that perfect picture. I’m not sure I ever got it, but I certainly gained an appreciation for the huge size of the animal.

Next we sped off to Los Islotes where the there were so many sea lions the air stank of their breath and we had trouble telling whether the load burps were from them or from members of our boat. We donned tour provided snorkeling gear, including fins, and followed our guide as he showed us to the sea lions who were only too happy to check us out. Saul was not only the only guide in the water but he swam us around to different points to show us different fish, crustaceans, and still more sea lions. He brought a starfish up from the bottom for us to hold. You could tell the man loved his job.

Once we’d had our fill we climbed back aboard the boat and to Ensenada Grande where we ate delicious ceviche and Marlin, enjoyed a few beers, and swam in the crystalline waters. Once we were on the way back the show did not end however; I spotted a school of manta rays floating near the surface, a couple even threw themselves out of the water. We circled for a few minutes which was more than sufficient to take plenty of pictures.

We were told our tour would be 4-6 hours and we pulled in at the 6 hour mark. While we went to the same places as the other tours there was no question that we stayed longer as our captain put in the extra effort. We also learned it was extremely important that we drove to Playa Tecolote to begin our trip rather than starting way back in La Paz. The La Paz based trips spend the same amount of time on the water but much of this is speeding to and from the island. Additionally, these tours only see one half of the island; meaning no whales.

If you chill easily you would be well served to rent a wet suit for the snorkeling portion as the waters can be a bit chilly, but this is not necessary.

Filed Under: Dive & Snorkel, Mexico, Operators, Reviews Tagged With: baja, la paz, sea lions, snorkeling, tours, whales

Guerro Negro Whale Watching: Malarrimo Eco Tours

March 20, 2009 By Jillian

With several options for whale watching in Baja California, we chose Malarrimo and had a wonderful time. Initially we had planned to go whale watching at the San Ignacio Lagoon only to discover that the lagoon was 2 hours from the town via a dirt road, unaccessible via public transportation. We had chosen San Ignacio over Laguna Ojo de Liebre as the San Ignacio whales are known to be more friendly than the whales found in the waters off Guerro Negro, no matter…the gray whales we saw were plenty friendly.

We arrived in Guerro Negro while it was still dark and found the still sleeping town easy to manage despite the hour of the day. Malarrimo was a mere block away from the bus station and they allowed us to stay in the hotel lobby with our things until the tour began. Despite not having any reservations we were able to join the group without a problem. Right on schedule – the morning tours have been known to spot more whales than those in the evening – we boarded the bus and headed out to the Lagoon.[ad#ad-3]

Guerro Negro is an unassuming blue collar town. While the gray whales in the Laguna Ojo de Libre put this town on the tourism circuit but first and foremost the town is here on account of the large salt mines. This means that rather than English speaking restaurateurs seeking to overcharge and under-serve, you can have a real Mexican experience. In addition to the whales there are also excellent birding opportunities along the marsh shores of the salt mines.

As we drove through town and then through the salt mines our guides addressed the group in both English and Spanish. The guides used this time to share some of the history of Guerro Negro and the lagoon as well as provide all necessary safety information for our boat trip. Upon arrival at the dock we had a final opportunity to use the ‘bano’ before donning the tour provided windbreakers and personal flotation devices.

Every year gray whales migrate from their northern homes to the waters off the coast of Baja California to calve during the winter months. The combination of the safety of the lagoon as well as the high salinity of the water make this area ideal for the whales. In fact, half the worlds population of grey whales participates in this Baja migration annually. Once the calves have doubled their birth weight they will embark on the 3 month trek back to their northern feeding grounds.

After a blistery trip out into the lagoon we slowed down and began to scan for the whales. In no time at all our captain had spotted a mother and baby and sped off for us to see them. For a more thorough account of our time petting and playing with the whales click here. I was impressed the entire time with the captain’s professionalism in balancing our interaction with the whales with the whales safety.

The captain only used the boat’s engine, as guaranteed by Malarimmo, to get us within 20 meters or so of the whale, allowing the whale to choose to come the rest of the way.

Before heading back to shore we were provided with a lunch consisting of a fruit soda which I will not try again, a very tasty chocolate bar, and a moderately sized fish sandwich. After a few more encounters with the whales, with dolphins playing nearby, we bid adieu and headed back. En route the captain stopped several times for us to view various birds atop buoys as well as large colony of resting sea lions.

The tour was a complete success and at $49USD each was a much better deal than any whale watching we could have done in the USA. Despite the boat being small and exposed to the elements and therefore uncomfortable, I found it much preferable to be able to get so close to the animals. I fully recommend this as a great trip but advise it is best to dress for the weather and to be prepared to get a bit wet as the whales have a tendency to blow some water in your face.

Filed Under: Mexico, Operators, Reviews Tagged With: baja, tours, whales

Baja or Bust

March 14, 2009 By Jillian

Update: 3/16/09 border crossing pictures added, see more at our Recent Sightings page.

We made it safe and sound!  Crossed the border yesterday uneventfully around 11am, which turned out to be 10am on the other side of the line, so we even gained an hour in our border crossing.  Got our tourist cards (giving us up to 180 days in Mexico) and caught the first bus from Tijuana to Ensenada.  Changed buses in Ensenada and pulled in to San Quintin around 5pm.  Our goal was to see gray whales before Monday.  Let´s just say, we were successful.

Turns out that the southbound bus `schedule´ in Baja California is awful and if we didn´t want to be stuck in San Quintin for 18 hours (no thanks!) we needed to get on an overnight bus.  I know, right now everyone is gasping that we took an overnight bus in Mexico as the US media says things are on the brink of civil war.  Nothing could be further from the truth, at least here in Baja.  The buses were full, the streets are full of families and children and the people have been nothing but friendly.  So friendly in fact that its almost scary coming from D.C.  (insert DC joke here).

Anyway, we pulled into Guerreros Negros this morning at 6am, definitely in time for whale watching.  If you aren´t familiar with the gray whale, its one of the largest mammals in the world and half of the world´s population migrates to Baja in late fall-early winter to mate and calve their young.  We happen to hit it at the best part of the season, the calves have been born and the migration back to Canada and Alaska isn´t in full swing yet.

We drifted in our boat for close to 20 minutes before the whales were spotted. Each time a white cap crested in the horizon I gasped thinking it was a whale.  Just as I was about to call the trip a bust, a huge burst of water exploded from in front of us.  As we drifted closer, the entire boat listed to one side as all eight of us clamored to get a better view of the passing animal.  To say these animals are huge is an understatement. To say they are friendly is the understatement of the century.  These whales were like puppies.  They came up to our boat, nudged the boat, rolled onto their backs for a tummy scratch, waved their fins, and even seemed to mug for the camera.  We actually got to touch the whales, several times, as they swam next to our boat.  By my count we saw one mother and calf and two other gray whales, two dolphins and a whole pile of sea lions.  Although the rest were cute, the whales were the highlight of the trip.  It was breath taking to see these magnificent creatures swimming along side us and heart stopping exciting when they came close enough to touch and the boatman said, “touch! touch!”.  I don´t think I stopped gasping for air the entire time.

I realize this is only day two, but it was such an amazing experience it is hard to think what will top this!

Click either picture to go to our flickr page for more gray whale shots!  We also have video that we´ll edit and upload in a few days!

Filed Under: Central America, Mexico Tagged With: baja, whales

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