BajaNomad

Review: Whale tour with Shari at Ojo

Lee - 3-25-2013 at 10:13 AM

This was the first time in a boat since childhood, first time ever being up close with whales. Shari is the consumate professional and expert on whales. Lots of detail and fun with high energy from start to finish. We met in the parking lot of the Cowboy motel for happy hour afternoon before the tour and got introduced to a can drink with brandy and coke, don't really remember. Got a nice buzz though.

Did 2 trips out: about 9am or so, then mid-afternoon. I liked the calmness of the lagoon in the morning and eventually the whales came around. I went with no expectation about this tour and saw that the whales do what they want when they want. I did touch one briefly, while someone in the front of the boat seemed to have time to caress the face of one whale that popped up. This experience was at once spiritual and magical. Man, those whales are big, and the babies too. One whale periscoped and the baby came up too.

The morning tour had a ''larger'' panga that had a larger engine. Including Shari and the driver, there were 8 people in the boat.

Afternoon was still special but the further out we got the windier and choppier it got. The whales seemed more active and the same guy (from the morning tour) again got up close and personal with a whale that popped up. Their relationship in that moment was loving and tender. I didn't have a life changing experience but thought he might have.

The challenge I had second time out wasn't wind and chop. I'm a water person and it was fun. I did wonder if the ''radio'' the driver carried was water proof. It was leashed to his life vest. A capsize would definitely be a problem and thought that that was always a possibility even though I'm told it had never happened.

I did not like the ''smaller'' panga I went out in and with 10 people onboard. It was too cramped.

I recognize that there is higher profit for Shari with a larger group, and even for the Ojo people sending out passengers to join the boat.

In the future, I'll negotiate the size of the boat and the size of the group. 8 passengers in a larger panga was perfect. More people in a small panga would be a deal breaker for me. (On the other hand, a group of 10 where there were some kids, in a larger panga, would probably be OK.)

Under the right conditions, I could easily see doing this once a year, or more.

I'm wondering if others have had similar or better experiences in other places? Ojo was definitely a special lagoon. And, the food served up for lunch was first class.

Bajaboy - 3-25-2013 at 10:24 AM

I took my kids down a week ago today. We hadn't planned on going out with Shari per se because we weren't sure when we would arrive. I hate being held to an agenda. But as it turned out, Shari was there camping when we arrived. We joined her for camping/dinner/and the whales.

I think there were nine of us on the boat but that included my two kids. We loved the campground. Very peaceful, spread out, and immaculate facilities. I'd camp there without the whales around although it was really cool to see them spouting.

We have already talked about heading down again next year.




BajaBlanca - 3-25-2013 at 10:25 AM

we have goe whale watching at san ignacio a couple times and in general, the wind and choppiness is oftena factor int he PM Best bet is to get a morning trip.

I loved the smaller boats and the abilility to get close and personal with the whales. Because we go with family and friends, the # of people has never been an issue.

mtgoat666 - 3-25-2013 at 10:26 AM

10 people is lot for whale watching in a panga. more fun with groups of 8 or less. but groups of just 2 or 3 are too small, as it is sort of a social experience. happy times with 5 to 8 in group.

DianaT - 3-25-2013 at 10:31 AM

We have been to all three lagoons and have our favorite --- maybe try the other two for comparison. They are all different and everyone differs as to which they think is the best place.

shari - 3-25-2013 at 10:42 AM

the guy in the boat was Jimbo who lives in Asuncion and we now call him whale boy as on several trips he did, the whales all went to him and sometimes only him! He sure loved it.

I try to plan for 8 in my group but at times there is an extra person who wants to jump on which is what happened on our last trip...good pals who are at the lagoon want to come along...oh well....the pangas are very stable and have never capsized!

Here is Lee & Kaheydog before our trip...and relaxing at the restaurant at the Interpretive center.














[Edited on 3-25-2013 by shari]

Lee - 3-25-2013 at 11:02 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Bajaboy
I took my kids down a week ago today. We hadn't planned on going out with Shari per se because we weren't sure when we would arrive. I hate being held to an agenda. But as it turned out, Shari was there camping when we arrived. We joined her for camping/dinner/and the whales.


Every time I look at this child, I smile. What a great pic and child that can express the bliss of the moment. What a lucky parent you are. Not to mention the whale experiences that will live forever.

Wow. Thanks for posting those pics, Shari. I'm drooling thinking about the food. Couldn't have been any better. Perfect!

And the pic of the mother/baby -- you nailed that one! Way to go.

elgatoloco - 3-25-2013 at 11:06 AM

We had been to Scammons four separate times and had all manner of experience, all good in their own way. The first time was 1996 and we met Shari and she was working out of an 'office' that resembled a phone booth scheduling trips and what not. We have not been back since before the buildings were put up.

Each time we were there we camped right next to the inlet at the west end of the camping/viewing area. First time we woke up before the sun from the sound of whale spouts right outside our tent to see a mother with what had to be a brand new baby resting in the shallows right in front of us, the baby was bobbing like a cork and it looked to me like the mother was just resting on the bottom, as dawn broke the tide filled in and the pair floated out into the lagoon. Another trip we woke up to see the tide was completely out and two coyotes were digging up clams. If I hadn't seen it I would not have believed it.

The last two whale trips (2004) and two weeks ago we went to San Ignacio Lagoon. We like that experience mainly due to fact the town of San Ignacio is such a nice place to hang out in and the drive out to the lagoon is a nice scenic/photo op trip (lots of new pavement since '04). Both times we made a point of going later in the 'season' and have found that the remaining whales, as reported to us on site, are mostly mother/baby pairs and things seemed pretty calm. We have also been fortunate enough to end up both times in a boat with only one other couple. This trip the folks were from Italy and had flown all the way over to this hemisphere to experience the whales. They had been to Scammons the day before and said they had a similar experience as we had at SI, which is to say "unforgettable".

Next year we plan to go back to Scammons and to San Ignacio. We have been telling friends and family about the whales for years and just in the last week and a half we have about ten people who want to go so we will likely make more then one trip, hopefully. Some folks have not as much time (Scammons would be better) and others have more (San Ignacio would work).

Either way one can hardly go wrong. Its all good. IMHO.

CP - 3-26-2013 at 07:57 AM

Ooooo, that Catarina scallop, octopus and shrimp saute looks terrific.

BajaRat - 3-27-2013 at 11:10 AM

The mother and calf shot is the best I've seen Shari......... Did the whale boy call em in. :biggrin: