Whale watching tours in Puerto San Carlos -Bahia Magdalena - Magdalena Bay, San Ignacio Lagoon (Laguna San Ignacio), and Guerrero Negro Scammon's Lagoon -  Laguna Ojo de Liebre, Baja California Sur, Mexico.

The gray whale is a natural resource protected by the Mexican Law. Whale watching is regulated. We highly recommend to make your reservations ahead of time and to strictly follow the regulations. Consult your travel club or agent. Do not venture around the area without the guidance of an expert.

Whale watching - During the annual grey whale migration, January thru March, the canals, bays, and bocas of the Bahia Magdalena complex are practically filled with the whales' undulating form.  Puerto Lopez Mateos and San Carlos are the usual centers for whale watching activities.  Often you can spot greys from shore at Puerto Lopez Mateo as they come and go via Boca de Soledad to the north; a public parking and viewing area lies north of the port's fish-processing plant. Pangeros offer two-hour panga tours from this area for approx. $30 U.S. per panga. Ask at any hotel in San Carlos.

Although limited numbers of pangas are allowed in the bay at any one time, early morning and late afternoon are best for avoiding crowds.  Because the waters of San Carlos are deeper, you can usually see more whale acrobatics in this area than off Lopez Mateos.

One of the best viewing spots is Punta Entrada, at the southern tip of Isla Magdelena, which forms the north end of the wide channel between Bahia Magdelena and the Pacific.  The island is accessible only by boat, with the best anchorage on the southeast side of the point, or by small plane (a landing strip lies just north of Punta Entrada).  You can camp at the fish camp near the tip or farther north near the village of Puerto Magdelena.  A San Carlos pangero will drop you off on the island and pick you up the following day.

Laguna Ojo de Liebre is located in the surroundings of Guerrero Negro. To get there from town take the Transpeninsular Highway South up to Km 208 then take the access road of approximately 25 km. By plane, Guerrero Negro has a National Airport 2 km north of the 28th Parallel. ORIGIN Laguna Ojo de Liebre was already known by the primitive settlers of the peninsula who left as a testimony cave paintings and petroglyphs in the area. This site, which was chosen by the gray whale to mate and to give birth to their calves was severely exploited during the 19th century by the whale hunters who were mainly North Americans. It was precisely Charles Melville Scammon, who from 1856 up to 1869, carried out a reckless hunt from Bahía de Magdalena up to Laguna Ojo de Liebre. By then the whale population was estimated around 20 to 30 thousand and they were reduced to near extinction to around 4 thousand. Today, thanks to the protection policies of the Mexican Government the resource has been restored. Mexico is an outstanding country at international level for its protective mission. It was the first nation in the world who created in 1972 the gray whale sanctuary in Laguna Ojo de Liebre, and later on in 1979 in Laguna de San Ignacio.

Boat tours in Laguna Ojo de Liebre for gray whale watching from January to March. Ecological tours available in Guerrero Negro with specialized tour guides. A visit to one of the biggest salt works in the world with a previous permit from Exportadora de Sal, S.A. de C.V.  

Due to the characteristics of the area and to the restrictions to protect the Biosphere Reserve, it is essential to hire the services of an expert guide for any kind of tour. Necessary arrangements can be made through travel agencies in Guerrero Negro.

Southeast of San Ignacio on the Pacific Coast lies a large bay used by calving whales January - March every year.  The grays are closer to shore here than at Laguna Ojo de Libre to the north or Bahia de Magdelena to the south and seem to exhibit friendlier behavior here than at other calving lagoons.  Many mothers and calves at Laguna San Ignacio actively seek out tactile encounters, ie., petting and scratching.  They also like to play hide-and-seek with boats, sometimes blowing bursts of bubbles into the bow, then spy-hopping (extending the head vertically above the sea surface) to see the effect their shenanigans may have had on the passengers.  

During the calving season, only boats with whale-watching permits are allowed on the bay.  Around a half dozen camps along the sand road that parallels the bay offer the services of licensed pangeros, who will take visitors out to meet the whales, usually for $25.00 US per person with a general minimum of four persons (some will go out with as few as two).  Campo La Fridera seems particularly friendly and efficient.  The typical tour last three to four hours; you should be at camp by around 9 a.m. to get one of the boats,  Since the 59 Km (35 miles) drive from San Ignacio takes one and a half hour to two hours due to road conditions (most passenger vehicles can make it - slowly), you must leave town early in the morning or spend the previous night at one of the camps.  If you don't have your own vehicle, taxi transportation to the bay can be arranged in San Ignacio.  Inquire at the taxi stand on the main plaza in front of the church.

Home

 
BajaQuest™