BonzoBaja
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Posts: 12
Registered: 4-11-2012
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Whales in Scammons' Lagoon this season?
Hey there! I don't post too often, but I would like to do a surgical strike and take the wife/kids down to Scammon's Lagoon around March 24th. Do
you think the whales will still be present that late? Does anyone know how this year has been? I've heard that numbers seem to be up on the San
Diego/L.A. coastline earlier in the season, but has anyone been to Scammons' this year? Oh yea, is San Ignacio much better? It's a farther drive, so
I'd rather just hit Scammons! Thanks ahead of time for any advice!
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WideAngleWandering
Nomad
Posts: 416
Registered: 3-13-2012
Location: US-Based but traveling
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Scammons is better. Whales came early and are leaving early but they are still here. No idea for how long though ...
Traveling the Americas via my old land cruiser
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Whale-ista
Super Nomad
Posts: 2009
Registered: 2-18-2013
Location: San Diego
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Mood: Sunny with chance of whales
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Depends on how you consider "better." What amenities do you want besides seeing whales? (e.g., showers, restrooms, food/drink, palapas, etc.)
I've done both recently, here's my .02$
Both lagoons have lots of whales. Cost of tours same:$45
More English speaking guides available at Kuyima vs. Scammmons.
San Ignacio: More of a wilderness/ecotourism feel. About 120 miles more to south than Scammons and far from towns, so more "foreigner" here from
abroad- I've met many Europeans as well as US/Canada visitors.
Kuyima campgrounds are $10/night but have better restrooms/showers which might matter to families. Family style dining options $8-10.meal, not a la
carte from menu. Drive from hwy is longer/bumpier. No shade/palapas at camp- it's in a biosphere reserve so pemanent structure rules are different.
Great mangroves/bird watching, kayaks can be used near camp, which is a longer distance from main area w/whales; difficult to see/hear them from
campground. Not sure if you can have campfires.
Scammons/Ojo de Liebre: closer to highway on smoother road. Managed by local ejido members. Lots of locals from Ensenada, TJ, GN, closer to town, so
more of a Mexican outing place vs. Ignacio lagoon. Bus loads of people show up weekend mornings.
Camping is $5 total (entry fee), but shower/bathroom facilities are more limited and long walk from campsites. Restaurant has more options from menu
vs. family style. Offers nice large Palapas, some w/electrical hookups. Good bird watching, no mangroves, no kayaking in lagoon. Campsites are on edge
of main whale lagoon, so you can easily see/hear them from shore. Campfires allowed.
So...depends on what comforts/experience you are looking for. Locals vs. foreign visitors. On edge of lagoons with whales vs. a distance away.
Proximity to bathroom/shower vs long walk. Both have restaurants with wine/beer/c-cktails, but food/Drinks on patio looking at lagoon full of whales
(Scammons) vs. indoor dining only (Kuyima)
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
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Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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Scammon's
And if you go with Shari of Whale Magic Tours, you will also get an education that the other operators at Scammon's or San Ignacio don't give you.
Been with Shari several times and always come away with more whale knowledge then before the trip.......in fact, will be down March 24-26 with the
grandkids (9 and 6).....will be a hoot!!!!
| Quote: | Originally posted by Whale-ista
Depends on how you consider "better." What amenities do you want besides seeing whales? (e.g., showers, restrooms, food/drink, palapas, etc.)
I've done both recently, here's my .02$
Both lagoons have lots of whales. Cost of tours same:$45
More English speaking guides available at Kuyima vs. Scammmons.
San Ignacio: More of a wilderness/ecotourism feel. About 120 miles more to south than Scammons and far from towns, so more "foreigner" here from
abroad- I've met many Europeans as well as US/Canada visitors.
Kuyima campgrounds are $10/night but have better restrooms/showers which might matter to families. Family style dining options $8-10.meal, not a la
carte from menu. Drive from hwy is longer/bumpier. No shade/palapas at camp- it's in a biosphere reserve so pemanent structure rules are different.
Great mangroves/bird watching, kayaks can be used near camp, which is a longer distance from main area w/whales; difficult to see/hear them from
campground. Not sure if you can have campfires.
Scammons/Ojo de Liebre: closer to highway on smoother road. Managed by local ejido members. Lots of locals from Ensenada, TJ, GN, closer to town, so
more of a Mexican outing place vs. Ignacio lagoon. Bus loads of people show up weekend mornings.
Camping is $5 total (entry fee), but shower/bathroom facilities are more limited and long walk from campsites. Restaurant has more options from menu
vs. family style. Offers nice large Palapas, some w/electrical hookups. Good bird watching, no mangroves, no kayaking in lagoon. Campsites are on edge
of main whale lagoon, so you can easily see/hear them from shore. Campfires allowed.
So...depends on what comforts/experience you are looking for. Locals vs. foreign visitors. On edge of lagoons with whales vs. a distance away.
Proximity to bathroom/shower vs long walk. Both have restaurants with wine/beer/c-cktails, but food/Drinks on patio looking at lagoon full of whales
(Scammons) vs. indoor dining only (Kuyima) |
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Whale-ista
Super Nomad
Posts: 2009
Registered: 2-18-2013
Location: San Diego
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Mood: Sunny with chance of whales
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IMO, the guides at San Ignacio are also very good naturalists who have experience with wildlife, and go out with every boat. They speak English. (That
is a downside of going out with some of the boats from the ejido- spanish only)
\"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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vgabndo
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3461
Registered: 12-8-2003
Location: Mt. Shasta, CA
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Mood: Checking-off my bucket list.
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When we were last at Ignacio lagoon the English speaking guide was a German woman with Atlantic dolphin experience, and read to us from a book about
Gray Whales. I had done that already so it would have been better if she'd been silent. When we got a chance to spend time with a whale, the guide
was so GA GA, that she became one of these people who just won't shut up with the baby talk. She forgot she was guiding, and it made no difference
except for being an extra person in the boat.
Ojo de Liebre, which is in the same Biosphere Preserve as Ignacio Lagoon, has the advantage of the fun of Whale Magic Tours, but I wouldn't count on
the restaurant on weekends especially if you aren't Mexican. I recently had the unfortunate experience of placing my order with three locals ahead of
me. Then a busload placed their orders behind me. When they had all been fed I was so Gringo bold as to ask about my order and it had been so long
that the guy who took it wasn't working there any more!!! I drove to Vizcaino for my lunch with many thoughts, that I didn't like, running through my
head.
Undoubtedly, there are people who cannot afford to give the anchor of sanity even the slightest tug. Sam Harris
"The situation is far too dire for pessimism."
Bill Kauth
Carl Sagan said, "We are a way for the cosmos to know itself."
PEACE, LOVE AND FISH TACOS
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Whale-ista
Super Nomad
Posts: 2009
Registered: 2-18-2013
Location: San Diego
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Mood: Sunny with chance of whales
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that's the downside of the Scammons convenience: big groups of people.
San Ignacio is more difficult to get to so fewer people overall.
Sorry to hear you had a bad guide experience. They have had very good guides when I've been there but it varies from time to time and boat to boat.
The original poster did not ask about costs. Shari charges $50 for her guided tours versus $45. There is also the matter of tipping the panga
captain.
\"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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DianaT
Select Nomad
Posts: 10020
Registered: 12-17-2004
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San Ignacio is always our first choice and is where we have had the far better experiences. We used to go to both lagoons, and once we went to Lopez
Mateos. One bad experience with some extremely rude and inconsiderate boat guides at Ojo de Liebre has kept us from ever going back there!
In addition the town of San Ignacio is a great place to be and we enjoy the drive out to the lagoon. It is beautiful! As Whale - ista said, it is a
bit more difficult to get out there, which means fewer people.
We do not book tours in town, but we use Kuyima when we arrive at the lagoon. This time of year, we usually check in town first, however to see if
the wind is blowing too hard.
We have not camped out there, but the facilities are great, the people super friendly and the food good. There are always young interns there from
the mainland of Mexico, Mexican researchers, and people from Europe. We always enjoy the interaction with people from other places. And we have
never been in a crowded boat.
Kuyima officially ends whale watching the end of April. To find out about what is happening out at the lagoon, you can contact them via their
website.
Where ever you go, have a great time.
[Edited on 3-11-2014 by DianaT]
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BajaDanD
Senior Nomad
Posts: 745
Registered: 8-30-2003
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Just got back from Scammons lagoon lots and lots of whales there many friendly mothers and calves great trip one of my best ones yet I have also been
to SI and like Scammon's lagoon better like the camp ground better too.
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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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Whale report from Whale Magic Tours.....friggin AWESOME whale encounters this week!!!!! Lots and lots of whales everywhere in the inner lagoon still
and the babies are getting so big and boisterous these days.
Perry, actually that bus tour ordered before they arrived so they ordered before the gringos...and that was not a normal day at all and the only big
bus we saw this season. Yes, Sundays are local mexicanos day at the beach but the place empties out before sunset.
March 24th is getting late for Ojo de Liebre but I saw lots of calves today who are small and will be around another couple weeks at least so
definitely do-able.
The weather this week is stupendous, calm and hot hot hot....back to camp...ta ta whale lovers.
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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
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Last time we went down, we stayed at Los Caracoles in Guerrero Negro, and took a tour from there. A wonderful guy named Waldo, who lived for some time
in the LA area drove us out in the morning, and was fluent in English. Once we got there, we were out on a boat in just about 15 minutes. We also ran
into Shari when we came back in. We didn't go out with Shari only because of a communications mix up. My understanding about Ojo De Liebre is that
They are limited to a small number of pangas (6?) at any one time. Doesn't sound crowded to me.
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805gregg
Super Nomad
Posts: 1344
Registered: 5-21-2006
Location: Ojai, Ca
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After 150 years of killing and harassing whales while they just try to have their calves, should we just let them be? They don't want to see you close
up just stay away
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Whale-ista
Super Nomad
Posts: 2009
Registered: 2-18-2013
Location: San Diego
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Mood: Sunny with chance of whales
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the whales control the interactions
| Quote: | Originally posted by 805gregg
After 150 years of killing and harassing whales while they just try to have their calves, should we just let them be? They don't want to see you close
up just stay away |
The whales are in total control of whether or not to interact with the people in boats. If they don't want to play they simply swim/dive away from the
pangas.
Remember, they were the ones who originally approached Pachico Mayoral in the mid 70s- he certainly did not seek them out!
They had a (deserved) reputation of being "devil fish," which is derived from their efforts to protect the calves from whalers 150 years ago. They
could easily smash the pangas to bits. The fact that they don't, and even lift their calves up to see people, is part of what makes the experience so
amazing.
\"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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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
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Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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Have you ever been to Guerrero Negro or San Ignacio, in a panga, to see the whales??? If you have, you would know your statement is absurd....if you
haven't you don't know what you are talking about.
| Quote: | Originally posted by 805gregg
After 150 years of killing and harassing whales while they just try to have their calves, should we just let them be? They don't want to see you close
up just stay away |
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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
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Agree totally with Whale-ista and Baja guy. Having been out multiple times in both San Ignacio and Ojo De Liebre, I can vouch for the fact that if the
whales don't want to interact with you, they won't.
I've always been amazed at how the mamas actually encourage their calves to swim up to the panga and interact. That is probably the single greatest
wonderment of the experience.
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