Whale-ista
Super Nomad
Posts: 2009
Registered: 2-18-2013
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
Mood: Sunny with chance of whales
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Whale sharks/LA Bay questions
I'm looking at possible late-Aug/early Sept Baja activities, and thought of swimming with whale sharks in LA Bay
I know- hot and hurricane season... but isn't that when whale sharks are more likely to be around? And the water would be warmest?
I have heard of this company, and was curious if any Nomads have used their air services and/or stayed at the Las Animas remote camp near LA Bay:
AirVentures, Las Animas Eco Lodge
Alternatively: has anyone simply used the services of local pangeros to go out to see whale sharks? Are they willing to do this when they are
around?
I'd try kayaking, but it's a big bay...
Thanks, and open to other ideas/suggestions if you have done similar trips to this area!
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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woody with a view
PITA Nomad
Posts: 15939
Registered: 11-8-2004
Location: Looking at the Coronado Islands
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Mood: Everchangin'
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use the local guys. yes they will take you for a look-see.
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shari
Select Nomad
Posts: 13048
Registered: 3-10-2006
Location: bahia asuncion, baja sur
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Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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Juan's cousin Ricardo Arce is the whale shark guy in BOLA...he is part of the research team and has been a leader in the area in whale shark work and
has a dive shop there too up on the hill. He is awesome and knows exactly where the animals are and has a big panga and all the gear for your group.
On facebook he is Ricardo's Diving Tours Ricardo Arce Navarro
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=748731612&ref=ts...
[Edited on 4-25-2015 by shari]
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Whale-ista
Super Nomad
Posts: 2009
Registered: 2-18-2013
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
Mood: Sunny with chance of whales
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thanks Shari & Woody!
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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C205Driver
Nomad
Posts: 265
Registered: 8-25-2008
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Mood: Life is Good
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. . .A few years ago - mid October - I used Ricardo's Dive Service & was quite happy with boat, equipment & guide. . .UNFORTUNATELY, the water
was as FLAT as is possible( like glass )and there were WAY TOO MANY Whale Sharks!!!! Ha!!! Actually the only negative was the poor vis. . .Probably
the best day of the year for Whale Sharks as there was a true herd of them!!!!! Next day flew to Punta Sanfrancisquito where SANDSTORM BLEW HARD for 3
miserable days. . .Finally the BLOW quit & went for a beach walk & came upon a turtle laying its eggs - NICE!!! Juan, Mingo, Rosa & Leonel
all came out & started taking pictures. . . Was there in October kayaking & got to see some from a distance on the southern part of the bay. .
.
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Marc
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2802
Registered: 5-15-2010
Location: San Francisco & Palm Springs
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Mood: Waiting
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Henry Daggett will take you out. We jumped in with this guy. Was late summer & very hot.
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BajaBean
Junior Nomad
Posts: 66
Registered: 3-17-2015
Location: Hemet CA
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Mood: Garboso
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Oct is a good month for whale sharks at BOLA. A pangero put me on 5 of them. Caught up with 3 and swam with each of them for a time. You would
think they are slow but I swam hard to keep up. You will need swim fins and a snorkel to do so. One young one turned up and we were face to face.
Highly recommended.
The opposite of love is not hate. It is indifference.
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tyguypb
Junior Nomad
Posts: 64
Registered: 11-14-2013
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i second Ricardo, he is a super nice guy and he does genuinely care about the environment, and the creatures that inhabit it. (not at all saying
other pangueros don't) And just about any of the local pangueros would take you out there. Joel and joel Jr. are also great but will likely be very
busy with fishing charters that time of the year.
AS for timing, Usually late august has the highest numbers of whale sharks in the Bay (of course every year is a bit different) but the later into the
summer/fall it gets, the worse the visibility becomes. Very nutrient dense, productive waters is why the whale sharks are there in such great numbers
but it is also the reason the water visibility is very poor. definitely don't expect much better than 10-15 foot vis that time of the year.
late june or early july tend to be better for visibility.
[Edited on 4-29-2015 by tyguypb]
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OCEANUS
Nomad
Posts: 139
Registered: 10-11-2008
Location: Dana Point; L.A. Bay
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For the last four years, we have been seeing whale sharks in the bay in late June/July. Last summer was an all time record of 12 whale sharks all
located in a small area in the south bay.
It's been the best of both worlds lately, we have been seeing August whale shark numbers in June/July without having to contend with the oppressive
August heat and humidity.
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