| Pages:
1
2 |
roverdude
Junior Nomad
Posts: 74
Registered: 10-1-2005
Location: Garden Grove
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Bad Days, Mornings Maybe...
|
|
Recommendation for Gray Whale tour?
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
Senior Nomad
Posts: 730
Registered: 1-20-2005
Location: Wherever I park. See sig for current location.
Member Is Offline
Mood: Good if fishing
|
|
I've had good luck with the tour company out of Malarrimo.
Mike & Robin; Full-Time RV\'ers
37\' Georgetown w/3 slides & 275 Watts of Solar Power
06 Taco TRD
www.turtleandtoad.com
I am here
To paraphrase Frank Lloyd Wright; I\'m all in favor of keeping dangerous weapons out of the hands of fools. Let\'s start with keyboards. --
Mike Dean |
|
|
John M
Super Nomad
Posts: 1922
Registered: 9-3-2003
Location: California High Desert
Member Is Offline
|
|
Guerrero Negro
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]
|
|
|
John M
Super Nomad
Posts: 1922
Registered: 9-3-2003
Location: California High Desert
Member Is Offline
|
|
We're going in these?
Was our first comment!
|
|
|
John M
Super Nomad
Posts: 1922
Registered: 9-3-2003
Location: California High Desert
Member Is Offline
|
|
One of dozens of encounters
You can't imagine how small the little boats seemed!
|
|
|
turtleandtoad
Senior Nomad
Posts: 730
Registered: 1-20-2005
Location: Wherever I park. See sig for current location.
Member Is Offline
Mood: Good if fishing
|
|
Here's one that will give you a sense of scale!
Mike & Robin; Full-Time RV\'ers
37\' Georgetown w/3 slides & 275 Watts of Solar Power
06 Taco TRD
www.turtleandtoad.com
I am here
To paraphrase Frank Lloyd Wright; I\'m all in favor of keeping dangerous weapons out of the hands of fools. Let\'s start with keyboards. --
Mike Dean |
|
|
roverdude
Junior Nomad
Posts: 74
Registered: 10-1-2005
Location: Garden Grove
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Bad Days, Mornings Maybe...
|
|
Do you remember the prices? How long ago?
|
|
|
John M
Super Nomad
Posts: 1922
Registered: 9-3-2003
Location: California High Desert
Member Is Offline
|
|
$35.00
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
Senior Nomad
Posts: 730
Registered: 1-20-2005
Location: Wherever I park. See sig for current location.
Member Is Offline
Mood: Good if fishing
|
|
I think it was about the same in March 2005, incuding the box lunch.
Mike & Robin; Full-Time RV\'ers
37\' Georgetown w/3 slides & 275 Watts of Solar Power
06 Taco TRD
www.turtleandtoad.com
I am here
To paraphrase Frank Lloyd Wright; I\'m all in favor of keeping dangerous weapons out of the hands of fools. Let\'s start with keyboards. --
Mike Dean |
|
|
oladulce
Super Nomad
Posts: 1625
Registered: 5-30-2005
Location: bcs
Member Is Offline
|
|
| 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.
|
|
|
John M
Super Nomad
Posts: 1922
Registered: 9-3-2003
Location: California High Desert
Member Is Offline
|
|
Perhaps we were just lucky
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
Super Nomad
Posts: 1625
Registered: 5-30-2005
Location: bcs
Member Is Offline
|
|
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
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64857
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
|
|
| 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
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6886
Registered: 10-4-2004
Location: San Jose del Cabo,BCS
Member Is Offline
|
|
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
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3326
Registered: 12-13-2002
Member Is Offline
Mood: Mellow
|
|
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
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6886
Registered: 10-4-2004
Location: San Jose del Cabo,BCS
Member Is Offline
|
|
Ken
I agree, I think
[Edited on 12-20-2005 by bajajudy]
|
|
|
wilderone
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3824
Registered: 2-9-2004
Member Is Offline
|
|
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
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6886
Registered: 10-4-2004
Location: San Jose del Cabo,BCS
Member Is Offline
|
|
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
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64857
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
|
|
Bajajudy's link
|
|
|
Don Alley
Super Nomad
Posts: 1997
Registered: 12-4-2003
Location: Loreto
Member Is Offline
|
|
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
|
|
|
| Pages:
1
2 |
![[*]](images/xmbforum/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
