Gray whale watching Baja -Your Essential Guide to the most spectacular marine wildlife adventure in the world in Baja

Gray Whale Watching Baja creates one of the most exciting and memorable sea life adventures in the entire planet. Thousands of Eastern Pacific gray whales move to warm and protected lagoons and coastal waters of Baja California Mexico each year during the period between December and April providing unusually good chances of close encounters with these marvelous ocean giants. You may be an advanced wildlife lover a family on vacation or a whale watcher first time and the incredible gray whale watching experiences in Baja will live up to your expectations, leave you with such breathtaking views and up-close experiences with nature that leaves you endlessly inspired and amazed.

Why Baja California is the Gray Whale Watching Ultimate Destination.

There are a number of reasons why Baja California has acquired its reputation of the best grey whale watching location in the world. The unorthodox geography of the peninsula is characterized by a sequence of lagoons in a shallow form on the Pacific coast as well as the Sea of Cortez which offer the most favorable grounds to the gray whales to deliver their babies and rest on before the long trip back to arctic feeding grounds. In contrast to the whale watching activities in other places where one sees cetaceans at a distance the gray whales of Baja display very pleasant and curious behavior frequently getting close to boats and even letting visitors enjoy face to face experiences which would be impossible in any other part of the planet.

High Season of Gray whale watching in Baja.

The season of watching the gray whales in Baja California officially lasts between mid December and late April with different peculiarities in different seasons. December and January watchers are able to see pregnant females coming to the lagoons and sometimes they even see births. The period between late January and early March is the absolute peak of whale occupancy of the breeding lagoons and most often and predictable interactions occur. Mothers imparting the necessary skills to their now stronger calves to guarantee their survival, and preparing them to go through the difficult northward journey to cold Arctic waters can be seen by late season visitors in March and April.

The best Gray Whale watching spots in BajaSan Ignacio Lagoon.

San Ignacio Lagoon is the ultimate in terms of Baja whale watching around the globe. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the most interactional population of gray whales in the world which is situated in a remote pristine lagoon in the central Baja desert. Whales in this place habitually come close to the small boats in the ocean, in search of human attention and some light touches. To reach San Ignacio, one must go through an undeveloped desert landscape of miles of them contributing to the adventure and exclusivity.

In the Pacific coast south of Baja is the Magdalena Bay which is one of the best places to see gray whales in a large system of protected bays reachable by the fishing village of Puerto San Carlos. It is an open water area with hundreds of pair of mother calf yearly and wonderful viewing chances of witnessing behaviors of nursing as well as playful calf antics and maternal instincts. Day trips and multi day packages are both offered making Magdalena Bay affordable to different users and time allocation.

Guerrero Negro and Scammons Lagoon.

Guerrero Negro is a pathway leading to Scammons Lagoon which is the biggest nursery of gray whales in Baja California. This giant superficial lagoon in the Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve has a capacity to hold more than 1000 gray whales at the same time at full season. Although the whales in this location are slightly less interactive as compared to San Ignacio the sheer numbers and the array of behaviors that can be witnessed make Guerrero Negro a great whale watching destination.

Los Cabos Corridor and the city of Cabo San Lucas.

The sea waters around the Cabo San Lucas provide easy access to gray whale watching to tourists in the tourist resorts of Los Cabos. The whales in this part are passing by and not living in breeding areas, but the picturesque coast scene that has been created by the modern boats and facilities makes this a good alternative among time-bound travelers.

Baja Multi Day Camp Based Expeditions Types of Gray Whale Watching Tours.

The most intense gray whale viewing is done through the multi day camp-based trips to remote lagoons such as San Ignacio. These tours usually involve the round-trip travel in big cities, easy to do safari style camping lodgings, all meals and numerous daily whale watching journeys in small boats referred to as pangas. This is the format that will ensure that you spend maximum time on the water and have the best chances of having multiple intimate encounters with the whales.

Day Trip Excursions=

Baja has several communities where day trip whale watching tours can be done, including Guerrero Negro Puerto San Carlos and Cabo San Lucas. These tours are usually between 2-4 hours on water, and they are recommended to those who do not have enough time or do not want to invest in a multi-day trip.

Unscheduled Charters and Tours.

The private chartering enables the groups to tailor their gray whale watching adventure with customized schedules with their specific guides and custom itineraries. Most inexpensive private charters provide the lowest level of flexibility and privacy, though sometimes special events make it worth the higher price to rent a larger open boat known as a panga, with 612 passengers and an experienced local captain with extensive understanding of whale actions and lagoon location.

The panga design is shallow drafted which enables them to reach the inner lagoon waters where the gray whales with their calves can be found. 

The Experience It is important to be prepared to encounter whales and their spouts and flukes at a distance and have extraordinary close proximity experiences as curious whales surface alongside boats enabling visitors to feel their rough skin and observe their expressive eyes and their gentle inquisitive character close. Bring waterproof and layered outfits because in the morning it can be cool and there is always the ocean spray. Protection against the sun such as high SPF sunscreen wide brimmed hats and polarized sun glasses is absolutely necessary in the hot Baja sun. Through the use of binoculars, the distant view is magnified and the use of a camera that has a telephoto lens produces a memorable picture. Even in the comparatively gentle lagoon waters, motion sickness medicine is suggested even in the rather tranquil waters.  https://greywhale.com/grey-whale-watching-baja