There are so many great things about the Baja of California: Cabo, surrounded by the Pacific and the Gulf of California, the weather, the food, the people, and so much more. But I am a nature lover and adventurer at heart, so what really touches me about this area? The annual pilgrimage for many species of whales who arrive from Alaska to give birth and procreate before heading back to Alaska. . This area has been calling me for some time, so I recently embarked on a Whale Safari.

My first stop was San Ignacio, in the North West part of the Baja of California. Getting here is a bit of “planes, boats, and automobiles”:  My group of 12 took a 2.5 hour charter flight from Cabo to a landing strip in San Ignacio. Next, we took a five min drive to the water where we then embarked on Pangas for a quick trip across the lagoon to our camp ground.

Where we were, I really can’t tell you. And it is difficult to describe how remote we were in this camp.  There are no roads and no electricity. No cell service, and no signs of civilization, I soon decided, I am going to like it here. The safari-style tents were built atop palettes on a sandbar, our dining tent set up behind the sleeping tents, and a cool “bar” tent next to that. The Kitchen and Staff tents are on the other side of camp. During the spring tides each month, the water will come all the way up to the tents and beyond, which is why they need to be lifted about 4 feet off the ground.

Touting itself as a luxury camp, we definitely did have many creature comforts: Satellite powered wifi, propane powered “electricity”, and running water. Every safari-tent has a porch equipped with comfy Adirondack style chairs. There was a living area with ikea style Scandinavian furniture, king beds (or twins), and a double sinked bathroom with a running shower and porto potty. We also had a heater, dresser, and plenty of space for clothes. The meals we were served daily were incredibly fresh and delicious. We had a nightly bonfire, and drinks were available in the cool bar. And each night we had lectures from our local hosts, who have been working with the grey whales for generations.

The real star of the show? The Grey Whales. They come to San Ignacio every year from January – March. They give birth, spawn, and play. They love interacting with humans and are very friendly. During our safari, we went out 3 times a day in 45 minute intervals to interact with these amazing mammals. And each time, we were happily greeted by the whales. We were treated to “Spy Hops” and the generous mama’s introduced their curious calves to us. We were witness to three males mating with a female, and also saw pregnant moms-to-be. If you were really lucky, the whales came right up to the pangas and offered a hug for the humans. It is said they like us to hug and scratch the whales as it gets the algae off their body. I like to think that they love us as much as we love them.   

The highlight for me was when a whale swam right under our panga and then performed a spy-hop, almost like she took a bow. I also loved the babies as they tried to learn to swim, breath, and do all things whale! All told, there are over 500 grey whales playing just beneath the surface of the lagoon, and most time as you looked up from your panga, you were seeing spouts being blown, babies and moms playing, spy hops everywhere, and the occasional breach in the background! It was simply spectacular to get up close and personal with these whales

Video below credit: Kiki Paris

After three nights, we set off for Lareto, on the gulf side of the Baja. This 5 hour drive was spectacular, the landscape unlike anything I have ever seen before.  In Lareto, we boarded our live-aboard yacht.  The wonderful crew eagerly greeted us, went over safety and muster drills , and off we went for our next adventure. The first morning, we were off on pangas again to go whale watching in the Gulf Of California (sometimes called the Sea of Cortez) .  This four hour excursion required more patience than the Grey Whale Excursions, but the pay-off was huge! We were looking for the blue whales, the largest mammal on earth.

We were told the blue whale is not as friendly as the grey whale, and that we would be admiring them from afar. But I am guessing our whale loving group put out the good whale ju-ju because within minutes of sighting one of the blue whales in the area, she started to swim right towards us! This lovely lady measured 85’ long and her spout went up about 12-15’ in the air! She circled us, showed off her beauty and size, and displayed her ridiculously small dorsal fin! She was magnificent. And as if that weren’t enough? A calf was spotted as well!  Our guides shared that they have not seen a blue whale calf in two years, and were in tears when the baby was spotted!

But the real surprise came when the mom swam up between our two pangas, and brought her calf  within 1 meter of our boat! I can’t tell you how it felt to be witness to this incredible experience. And I don’t need to tell you because you can enjoy this video below. This mama was about 85’ long and her calf 21’ long, truly the most awe-inspiring mammals in the ocean. We were so lucky to be witness to this event.

We spent the night underway, a great night sleep was had as the rocking of the yacht lulled the guests to sleep. In the morning we awoke in La Paz, ready for our next adventure! On the menu? Swimming with whale sharks in the morning and swimming with sea lions in the afternoon. The water was cold, it’s January afterall, so we were outfitted with wet suits to keep us warm. I swam with whale sharks in 2018, but this time around was a much better experience. There was a lot of microscopic food in the water for these gentle giants, so we were able to watch them feed with their giant mouths open, their large bodies tilted, and their tiny eyes staring right at us. What a sight to behold!!!

After Lunch, we were onto Los Isoltes, one of few places on Earth where humans can safely interact with Sea Lions. Los Isoltes is a small rock island , part of  the Espiritu Santo archipelago in the Gulf of California (also known as the Sea of Cortez, but our guides preferred Gulf Of California), inhabited by over 300 California Sea Lions. Because the sea lions here have very few predators, they tend to be friendlier than other colonies around the globe.  Mexico does an exemplary job of protecting it’s natural resources, including it’s wildlife, and visiting Los Isoltes is no exception.  The sea lions attract tourists to Los Islotes, where they remain protected by tourism in the area. Regulations remain in place to ensure a limited number of visitors, and tour operators are properly trained in an effort to avoid irreversible damage to this delicate ecosystem.

The first thing you will notice as you approach Los Isoltes is the hilarious cacophony of bulls, pups, and their moms (see video HERE). I could not stop laughing at the funny sounds emerging from these adorable creatures. Prior to entering the water, our guides shared with us that sea lions explore their surroundings with their mouths, and thus, they may nip at your snorkeling gear or your arm! You are not allowed to touch, feed, chase, or grab the sea lions, but because of their natural curiosity and playfulness, they will approach you. And approach us they did! We enjoyed watching pups with their moms, bulls testing their strength against each other, and seeing these agile beauties swim around us!

My friend Susan and I were the last from our group to get out of the water and back into the boat. We are adventurers by nature, and we soaked in every second we could with these adorable dogs of the sea. They were enchanting and silly and fun.

I could share a ton more about this wonderful trip, the beach, the food, the people….but this blog Is long enough. If you made it this far, I thank you for reading! There are many different ways to experience a whale safari, and we are here to help make your whale dreams come true!  This experience can be booked for January – March travel, because after that the whales will be headed back to Alaska!

Final Note: Master Travel cares about wildlife and we make an effort to never book experiences that harm animals (swimming with captive dolphins, riding on elephants, etc) We take extra care to make sure our wildlife partners are ethical and respect animal welfare.

To see more videos of our safari, click HERE