BajaNomad - best place for whales?

best place for whales?

moseattle - 12-17-2004 at 07:27 PM

I'm planning a trip in late march. What is the best place to get up close and personal with the gray whales? From what I'm reading it seems like San Ignacio Lagoon would be it.

My friend and I are travelling via rental car. We don't want to sign up for one of those expensive multi-day trips. We just want to have a few hours with magnificent whales.

Also, related to whatever place you recommend, what is the closest place where you can stay in a clean hotel, or where can you camp where there are amenities?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Debra - 12-17-2004 at 07:38 PM

Go to "Rice & Beans" and talk to Richardo (the owner) he will radio out to arrange a Panga for you....The road is rough (and long) so I don't think you will want to drive a rental car out there, although it's passable if you go slow. Or Richardo can arrange a ride for you, his hotel is very nice $45pt., almost brand new (last time I stayed there) the food is very good......Oh, one last thing, he has the best showers in Baja (good water pressure)

Also, if you decide to blow up your car he is very good about "babysitting" said car, even for years! (Right Mike H.?)

elgatoloco - 12-17-2004 at 11:24 PM

We have seen the whales at both Ojo de Liebre (4x) and San Ignacio (1x). Both provide a great experience. San Ignacio is harder to get to in a passenger vehicle.We made it out there from town in 70 minutes in a big pickup.Next time we plan to camp for the night out there. Rice and Beans can set up a van to take you. It will take the better part of the day but is WELL worth it. The zocalo and mission in San Ignacio is a great take in as well. We have not yet been to Magdelana Bay to see the whales but it is on our list. We have heard lots of good things from others about the experience. Wherever you choose it will be unforgettable for sure.

At the risk of over simplifying...

Mexray - 12-18-2004 at 12:36 AM

...The Pacific Ocean seems to be the best place to look for whales here on the west coast! There are a few to be seen washed ashore from time-to-time, but they're a bit smelly and not really life-like!

may i recommend......

capt. mike - 12-18-2004 at 05:29 AM

www.bajaecotours.com

Johnny Friday will take good care of both your camping and watching needs at their all inclusive set up at Laguna San Ignacio.

I have partnered with them to bring in adventure minded tourists for the 2005 season, or feel free to drive yourself to their campo.

Also i am a big fan of Carlos at www.kuyima.com
they also run a good operation, but for camping and site amenities it is a bit "rougher" there vs. the baja ecotours set up.

have a great time. :lol:

Also take a look at...

Ken Bondy - 12-18-2004 at 09:23 AM

http://www.kuyima.com/kuyima.html

++Ken++

BajaNomad - 12-18-2004 at 01:35 PM

While San Ignacio Lagoon enjoys the reputation for the "friendliest" whales, as mentioned, it is the least convenient to access of the three main areas (Scammon's L., San Ignacio L., Mag Bay). There are reports of many great experiences in Puerto Lopez Mateos and San Carlos on Mag Bay.

If you do go to San Ignacio, as mentioned (again), Johnny Friday ("Baja Adventure Company") organizes tours, and his partners/pangueros at Laguna San Ignacio are Romualdo ("Maldo") Fisher & Family. If you drive out to the lagoon on your own, simply look for the signs for "Maldo's" and deal with them directly.

Great people. Maldo's wife Catalina makes some scrumptious (sp?) meals. Yum.

Regards,
--
Doug Means

bajajudy - 12-18-2004 at 06:21 PM

I have to say after 5 whale watching trips one year that San Ignacio and Lopez Meteos are my favorites.
If you plan to camp in San Ignacio plan to get blown away as it is very windy that time of year out on the lagoon. We went out with Kuyima and camped in their campground.
If you decide on Lopez Mateos stay at the Happy Shrimp...Cameron Feliz and ask for Saul for your captain.
Either way you cant lose. Touching a whale is a life changing experience.

SiReNiTa - 5-23-2006 at 04:20 PM

guys i just read this but i know one thing for sure...mom used to work in scammons lagoon and we have been to almost every whale watching place and ojo de liebre (scammons lagoon) is by far the best, not because they get you up and close to the whales but because the whales trust them and will sometimes come right to you...in san ignacion the boat drivers follow the whales around even though it is obvious that the whales do not want the company...i know this is very late to be saying this but i just saw the post while browsing in the whale watching forum so...i don't know if you prefer to get to touch a whale even if it doesn't matter that they do not feel good about it or to have a whale come right up to your boat and stay there for what could seem like minutes but be hours...it is also cheaper in laguna ojo de liebre and i know all the boat drivers by name since i was a baby and i grew up there...also my mom trained them to be boat drivers, she and my father started that buisness along with the ejido benito juarez way before i was born...it is worth the experience..it now counts with a visitor center and restaurant...all very nice and a nice beach with no waves for your little ones...i recomend it!!

shari - 5-23-2006 at 08:48 PM

Sirena is bang on with that, however in late march, San Ignacio can be better as most of the whales that have been in Scammons lagoon for the season have left by then...all the cool whales have started north by then and there are only some passer bys at the entrance and they don't trust the boats like the whales that have been there all season do. It's interesting as Scammons Lagoon, really called Ojo de Liebre fill up with whales first so the season starts early in January, when this lagoon fills up, the overflow business goes down to San Ignacio later so their season begins and ends later. So the San Ignacio residents stay longer as they got there later....get it? So the later in March you come down, the better it is to go to San Ignacio although is is very crowded...I can personally highly recommend Maldo and his family as they are always very respectful of the animals and know what they are doing, which is very important. Wherever you go, please respect these lovely and intelligent creatures, give them the space they need...imagine all those looky loos in the maternity ward at your hospital!! :!:

Camping at La Laguna...

Tomas Tierra - 5-24-2006 at 08:43 AM

This is the kuyima camp ground on Laguna San Ignacio..

elgatoloco - 5-24-2006 at 09:37 AM

Shari, I knew you looked familar. One year (95-96-97?) before they had built any buildings, we were at Ojo de Liebre and had a nice chat with you about whales and the lagoon whilst we waited for a boat ride. At the time there was a panga sitting in a few feet of water just off the shore with a broken transom and no motor. It had been slammed by a mother whale. Do you recall? The story as I remember and tell it, was that the panga captain hit a baby whale and the mother 'fluked ' the panga knocking the driver out of the boat and when someone took control of the boat and came around to get the driver the mother whale flipped the whole thing. The other thing I remember, vividly, from that trip was camping on the shore of the small inlet and waking up to see a mother with a new born bobbing in the water just off shore. Have not been back to Scammons since they built the buildings. Can you still camp by the inlet? Another trip we woke up and saw coyotes in the middle of the inlet at low tide digging for clams? Unique camp site for sure!

SiReNiTa - 5-25-2006 at 06:15 PM

that's right...sorry for responding for my mom but even though i do not remember you exactly i remember that time when the mother hit the opanga...and with perfectly good reason, the guy driving the boat is kind of careless but by now has learned his lesson and do not let all that scare you because it only happens if they really deserve it and whales are not aggresive animals..on the contrary they are really sweet i should know i grew up with them!! :tumble:

Sirenita....

Tomas Tierra - 5-25-2006 at 08:54 PM

What was the youngest child you can remember going on the panga?????

My Daughter was 1 and 1/2 in this photo, she loved it..and obviously knew what we were looking for!! She has been back twice and got to hug a baby last time, SOOOOOO COOOL!!!

OBTW we were picked up on a Moma whales back as well, but she was very gentle and did it in a friendly way (I think!)

jimqpublic - 5-26-2006 at 02:15 PM

Sorry no photos, but we took our daughter out when she was 14 months. She did enjoy seeing the whales then.

Now she's five and on our March trip with Kuyima (camped at Kuyimita) she got to pet two baby whales a lot- and loved it. Our three year old son liked watching them but refused to touch.

PS- We've brought our own PFD's for the kids on each trip to be sure they would have a properly fitting life preserver.

Jim

shari - 5-26-2006 at 06:23 PM

How nice you remembered us from the lagoon, those were the golden days for sure, and although there is a large fancy visitor centre and restaurant etc. and the guys have real official looking jackets, they are the same panga drivers as before and the campground hasn't changed except for a few more outhouses...so it it still a magical place to camp and witness the miracle of birth...maybe we can get some folks together this season and I'd be honored to guide our trip! I love going back and really miss doing research and living there but am happy to wave at my whale friends as they pass by my patio....

SiReNiTa - 5-26-2006 at 09:07 PM

hmm..i'm not sure what the youngest was...but i'm wondering if i was on the boat that got picked up by a whale...i was on aboat trip like that also!!! it's great...how long ago was that?? it's been like...5 or 6 years since i had that experience at ojo de liebre...

Tomas Tierra - 5-26-2006 at 09:44 PM

This was at La Laguna, we were picked up on the mama whale in '97, BK....(before kids)....We were with some old folks that we didn't know, they were pretty scared..it was our first time out there, pretty cool..

SAN IGNACIO

mulege marv - 5-27-2006 at 06:42 PM

HANDS DOWN http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=16013#pid1357...

elgatoloco - 5-27-2006 at 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SiReNiTa
that's right...sorry for responding for my mom but even though i do not remember you exactly i remember that time when the mother hit the opanga...and with perfectly good reason, the guy driving the boat is kind of careless but by now has learned his lesson and do not let all that scare you because it only happens if they really deserve it and whales are not aggresive animals..on the contrary they are really sweet i should know i grew up with them!! :tumble:

No worries. :cool:

It certainly was another in a long series of memorable trips to Baja. Lucky us.

I bet that capitan never pulled that stunt again! :lol:

Lucky you! :biggrin:

elgatoloco - 5-27-2006 at 11:27 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by shari
How nice you remembered us from the lagoon, those were the golden days for sure, and although there is a large fancy visitor centre and restaurant etc. and the guys have real official looking jackets, they are the same panga drivers as before and the campground hasn't changed except for a few more outhouses...so it it still a magical place to camp and witness the miracle of birth...maybe we can get some folks together this season and I'd be honored to guide our trip! I love going back and really miss doing research and living there but am happy to wave at my whale friends as they pass by my patio....

Shari, please put us down for the first two seats up front, and it would be our honor.

We need to see what they have done with the place. :biggrin:

What a unique experience to be able to study in such a place as that.

Speaking of waving from your patio, my wife will be passing by your frontdoor sometime in the next week, on a sailboat, that is. :lol:

She is helping a friend bring a 50 foot catamaran,Vamanos, from Mazatlan to Ensenada.

They do plan to stop at Bahia Tortugas for fuel. Do you know what the current situation is there?

Let us know what time frame is best for you on the whale thing. We need to mark our calender, it fills fast. :smug: