BajaNomad

Recommendation for Gray Whale tour?

roverdude - 12-19-2005 at 12:28 PM

I would love to head down to Scammons and pet the whales. Can anyone give recommendations? Go down and negotiate or go with tour company? It's on my list of things to do before I move on...

RoverDude
www.roverdude.com

turtleandtoad - 12-19-2005 at 01:13 PM

I've had good luck with the tour company out of Malarrimo.

Guerrero Negro

John M - 12-19-2005 at 01:41 PM

We went without any reservations and just stopped at the tour office near the parking lot of the Malarrimo restaurant and campgroud in Guerrero Negro. We were a little late for the prime dates and perhaps that is one of the reasons we had no problem getting a place on a little boat the next day. A wonderful life-remembering experience!

Do it.

Photo is at the Malarrimo restaurant.

John M.

[Edited on 12-19-2005 by John M]

We're going in these?

John M - 12-19-2005 at 01:43 PM

Was our first comment!

One of dozens of encounters

John M - 12-19-2005 at 01:44 PM

You can't imagine how small the little boats seemed!

turtleandtoad - 12-19-2005 at 02:24 PM

Here's one that will give you a sense of scale!

roverdude - 12-19-2005 at 02:40 PM

Do you remember the prices? How long ago?

$35.00

John M - 12-19-2005 at 02:58 PM

In the spring of 2002 - they called it a half-day adventure, we took the early morning tour and we returned to the office by 1:30 or so. Included was a box lunch.

Worth every penny.

turtleandtoad - 12-19-2005 at 03:40 PM

I think it was about the same in March 2005, incuding the box lunch.

oladulce - 12-19-2005 at 03:54 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by roverdude
I would love to head down to Scammons and pet the whales. RoverDude


Depending on the time in the season and the location, the whales can be shy and elusive. Often you may only get to see the whoosing on the horizon. Still exciting and worth the trip but you may be disappointed if you're expecting definite skin time.

The guides will make sure you get to see whales, but I think that the stories and photos of close encounters may lead many to believe that petting is commonplace. If you go out with that in mind you won't be disappointed.

Check your u2u for a suggestion Roverdude.

Perhaps we were just lucky

John M - 12-19-2005 at 04:26 PM

I cannot speak specifically to what Oladulce says, however we were, as I said, pretty late in the season (I think the last week of April) and our group divided up over two days and four different boats. Each of the four boats did have a "touching" experience with the whales.

This was what we encountered on our one and only whale-of-a-time adventure.

John

oladulce - 12-19-2005 at 04:56 PM

It took 3 separate trips before we saw more than just whale-backs in the distance and figured out that timing is everything.

Don't know about your luck, John M, but you had good timing for a close encounter.

I was a little discouraged at first because I had been led to believe that the whales would just about jump into the panga. Most posts and articles you read are by an excited person that got to pet them. I thought I'd let people know that it is very special, but doesn't happen all the time so they wouldn't be disappointed. Just sitting out there at water level with them spraying all around will give you goosebumps. Any more is icing.



[Edited on 12-20-2005 by oladulce]

David K - 12-19-2005 at 05:28 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by oladulce
It took 3 separate trips before we saw more than just whale-backs in the distance and figured out that timing is everything.

Don't know about your luck, John M, but you had good timing for a close encounter.

I was a little discouraged at first because I had been led to believe that the whales would just about jump into the panga. Most posts and articles you read are by an excited person that got to pet them. I thought I'd let people know that it is very special, but doesn't happen all the time so they wouldn't be disappointed. Just sitting out there at water level with them spraying all around will give you goosebumps. Any more is icing.



[Edited on 12-20-2005 by oladulce]


So... when did YOU go???

bajajudy - 12-19-2005 at 05:28 PM

As mentioned, it is always an experience.
One year we were at Laguna San Ignacio early and although we didnt get to pet any whales, our pangero took us to a spot where they were spyhopping like crazy. So as oladulce said there is always something to make you go "aaaaah, ooooooh" Early in the season, the male whales only have one thing on their mind and the females are being coy. I seem to remember that it was mid Feb when this happened. Still an awesome whale experience.

Ken Bondy - 12-19-2005 at 05:56 PM

These are my unsolicited opinions based on many years of whale watching in all three of the lagoons (San Ignacio, Scammons, Magdalena Bay):

1) The best time of year for close encounters is after most of the mating has taken place and most of the bulls have left the lagoons and headed north. At this time most of the whales that are left are cows, many with calves. The pressure is off the females, so to speak, and more encounters with boats/humans tend to happen at this time. This actual time changes somewhat from year to year but generally is from the first several weeks in March through the first several weeks in April.

2) For some reason there are more close encounters in Laguna San Ignacio than in the other two lagoons.

Remember, all generalities, including this one, are false.

Good luck,

++Ken++

bajajudy - 12-19-2005 at 06:06 PM

Ken
I agree, I think

[Edited on 12-20-2005 by bajajudy]

wilderone - 12-19-2005 at 07:25 PM

It was $40 in 2005 if you sign up directly at the site, so probably a little more with a tour group, with lunch, transportation, more than 1 hour, etc. And the prices have been rising with regularity in recent years.

bajajudy - 12-20-2005 at 07:22 AM

Just ran across this informative article

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/11/27/...


Couldnt get it to hyperlink.

[Edited on 12-20-2005 by bajajudy]

[Edited on 12-24-2005 by BajaNomad]

David K - 12-20-2005 at 08:15 AM

Bajajudy's link

Don Alley - 12-20-2005 at 11:50 AM

A suggestion for good photos: Team up with another boat. You will get better pictures if you photograph the other boat, otherwise you always get the backsides of your boatmates. Have them photograph you.

Mag Bay, Lopez Mateos

oladulce - 12-20-2005 at 03:53 PM

That is my all-time favorite whale encounter photo Don Alley.

One of the best I've seen to give the feeling of being there.

That's an excellent tip also about taking photos. Our best pictures are of people we didn't know in other pangas. Otherwise , most of ours are of my wet butt leaning over the side of our boat.

The video of our boat trip came out much better, especially after my husband played with his editing and addition of music,etc. He was able to edit and fine tune the whale's swooshing into the music and it's really enjoyable to watch.

Don Alley - 12-20-2005 at 05:20 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by oladulce
That's an excellent tip also about taking photos. Our best pictures are of people we didn't know in other pangas. Otherwise , most of ours are of my wet butt leaning over the side of our boat.



Yeah, those are people we didn't know. We got their email address afterwards and I emailed the photos to them. I got no response, lol! I have a bunch of photos of our butts. Maybe we'll drive over and do it again this winter.

Gotta love digital cameras...I snap tons of pictures, and every once in a while one comes out really well, like I know what I'm doing with a camera. :lol:

vandenberg - 12-21-2005 at 12:45 PM

Lopez Mateos

We went the end of March and, according to the panga captain, there were mainly mothers with calfs. Plenty of them. Recall one baby kept coming to the boat and seemingly wanted to get petted. The captain even put his baseball cap on its head. At first ,when the mother gave the impression that her offspring got a little too friendly, she kind of pushed him away from the boat. But when the little one insisted in getting touched, Mommy actually put her snout against our bow and pushed the boat out of the way for at least 20 feet. What an experience!!

Marinero - 12-21-2005 at 02:23 PM

If possible, try to get an oceanographer as part of the team. One trained on the habits of these magnificent creatures greatly improves the experience. Also, if a Hyrophone is available, by all means listen to them sing.

Phil C - 12-21-2005 at 07:28 PM

Don, I know that there a few whales at Scammons as early as late December, do you think they would be at Mag Bay also, we would like to check it out after Christmas..

capt. mike - 12-22-2005 at 11:27 AM

several weekends still available at www.flybaja.com

but filling fast.

san ignacio or lopez, yur choice!!

elgatoloco - 12-22-2005 at 11:36 AM

What dates? u2u?

capt. mike - 12-23-2005 at 11:34 AM

mateo - what would be your preferance?

2nd 3rd weekends in march gone.
2nd weekend feb gone
2nd weekend april gone. bal open.

elgatoloco - 12-23-2005 at 11:00 PM

We will check the calender here. House remodel due to finish March 1, maybe.:o

capt. mike - 12-24-2005 at 10:51 AM

roger that!
69 poppa....we're out!