Bajaboy
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4375
Registered: 10-9-2003
Location: Bahia Asuncion, BCS, Mexico
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Whale Petting in Baja
Just came across this but haven't watched it yet although I have seen a few from this series....usually pretty good stuff.
http://www.kpbs.org/news/2013/oct/30/crossing-south-guerrero...
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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
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A few years ago, the Feds reduced the number of pangas allowed in the lagoon. The result is much more likely to ave the actual encounter.
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Baja Bernie
`Normal` Nomad Correspondent
Posts: 2962
Registered: 8-31-2003
Location: Sunset Beach
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Mood: Just dancing through life
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Jaime here,
wow....great video, thank you Bajaboy. Reminds me of when Bernie and I met Shari from ascension and she took us in a group whale watching! It is so
humbling to have a 30 ton creature bring her baby up to meet us....so very emotional....Thank you for the memories!
My smidgen of a claim to fame is that I have had so many really good friends. By Bernie Swaim December 2007
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Bajaboy
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4375
Registered: 10-9-2003
Location: Bahia Asuncion, BCS, Mexico
Member Is Offline
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Yes, I watched it after posting and got goose bumps recalling my trip with the kids earlier this year.
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bajabuddha
Banned
Posts: 4024
Registered: 4-12-2013
Location: Baja New Mexico
Member Is Offline
Mood: Always cranky unless medicated
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I have been doing the trek down to my 'favorite spots' for many years now, and always blew by Ojo de Liebre for points more... what i thought...
scenic. I've done the whale tours in Lopez Mateos and Laguna San Ignacio, and with my li'l 14' Achilles inflatable with a 9.9 motor have had
INCREDIBLE experiences with whales in the 'wild' in Bahia L.A., Bahia Concpcion, Isla San Marcos; had face-to-face encounters with mommas and babies,
fin-backs, humpies, grays, and every one was an encounter set in stone in my psyche for my eternal walk.
Last March, i finally stopped in at Scammon's. Just had the urge. Different time of year, different itinerary, different reason for traveling, so
what the heck, went in to 'do the tourist deal'. The camping there is really not quite what i expected; i thought, flat barren sand dunes, no
scenery, big boats with over-loaded camera-packing 'shoot-and-scoot' touristas brought in by the bus-load. TRES CONTRARE, i was immediately greeted
by spouts visible on the water from the first viewpoint of the lagoon. Nice palapas, reasonable rates, visitor center / restaurant, good
interpretational materials, good food, very friendly staff. The restaurant is run solely on solar, so you eat while the sun shines.
Whale tours are not 'huge pangas w/200hp motors'.... small fleet of small boats, and i was totally enchanted with the ambience of whale/boat amistad.
A good friend of my community in Baja is a whale expert, he feels it is not a good thing that we've become so 'friendly' with the momma-baby-panga
thing, it's just not the natural wave of how it should be... but actually rubbing that hairy-smooth nose of the baby gray that put his chin on our
starbord gunnel hooked me for life. My Baja days are coming closer to closure, and i will NEVER miss a late Feb-early March trip to Ojo de Liebre
again. We saw probably close to 100 whales that day.
Two years ago i went to Lopez Mateos with a friend who'd never done the whale-gig, and much to my chagrin, camping was HORRIBLE, and the whale trip
was even worse. The panga outfit had purchased new boats and motors, all BIG BUCKS worth, and when one spotted a whale, ALL converged. We had 14
pangas on one mom & kid, needless to say, she didn't want anything to do with the lot. 2 Hours wasted from my life. I hear the fleet in Bahia
San Ignacio gets fined for more than 3 boats at a time per sighting, which i applaud. While at Ojo de Liebre, no such problems whatsoever.
I've spent a lifetime observing wildlife, guiding on rivers, hunting, fishing, eating and communing. I WILL be there this coming late winter, and as
long as i have a chance, it's at the apex of my Bucket List now. What a rush.
I don't have a BUCKET LIST, but I do have a F***- IT LIST a mile long!
86 - 45*
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