San Ignacio Lagoon
We have spent much of this voyage in the company of whales, but on this day we made real contact, for this was our day among the gray whales.
Early this morning, the Sea Bird came alongside in Santa Rosalia, a town best known for its mining heritage and active squid fishery. Boarding a fleet of vans, we crossed the Peninsula towards the Pacific, passing through the striking volcanic terrain of Tres Virgenes – the Three Virgins – a trio of volcanic cones that dominate the landscape in this part of Baja.
After a brief stop in the oasis town of San Ignacio, with its dense stands of date palms and handsome mission (built in 1728), we continued into the Pacific lowlands, abandoning the tarmac for a simple dirt track through the desert. The route was long and bumpy, but we eventually emerged at the end of a vast lagoon, shimmering in the late morning sun. We were fortunate: often the wind can whip this glassy surface into a frenzy, making whale-watching a difficult, and soggy, endeavor. But today there was little or no wind, and nothing disturbed the water’s surface but the occasional dolphins, and wintering waterfowl.
Boarding our pangas we set out into the lagoon in search of whales. Many of us did not have to wait long. San Ignacio Lagoon is legendary for its “friendly” whales, and today they did not disappoint. Several boats were quickly approached by baby whales and their mothers – animals that will soon leave these sheltered waters for the open ocean and their long migration to the Bering Sea.
Like playful puppies, unaware of their size, a few young whales pushed our boats around in circles, and splashed water simply for the fun of it. Others rolled over onto their backs or rose to the surface as if begging for a scratch. Some of us were lucky enough to look directly into a young whale’s eye, or stroke it’s smooth, rubbery skin, while a few can boast that a whale spouted directly into their faces. The entire experience was exhilarating and fun, making squealing children out of grown men and women.
But, in the end, it was also so much more; a deeply-moving encounter with an animal that chose to make contact with us. With their enormous size and power, these whales could have smashed our boats to pieces, but they deliberately chose not to. Astonishingly, they do not perceive us as a threat – despite the fact that we once nearly drove them to extinction. There is, perhaps, a valuable lesson in that, and a glimpse of redemption.
We have spent much of this voyage in the company of whales, but on this day we made real contact, for this was our day among the gray whales.
Early this morning, the Sea Bird came alongside in Santa Rosalia, a town best known for its mining heritage and active squid fishery. Boarding a fleet of vans, we crossed the Peninsula towards the Pacific, passing through the striking volcanic terrain of Tres Virgenes – the Three Virgins – a trio of volcanic cones that dominate the landscape in this part of Baja.
After a brief stop in the oasis town of San Ignacio, with its dense stands of date palms and handsome mission (built in 1728), we continued into the Pacific lowlands, abandoning the tarmac for a simple dirt track through the desert. The route was long and bumpy, but we eventually emerged at the end of a vast lagoon, shimmering in the late morning sun. We were fortunate: often the wind can whip this glassy surface into a frenzy, making whale-watching a difficult, and soggy, endeavor. But today there was little or no wind, and nothing disturbed the water’s surface but the occasional dolphins, and wintering waterfowl.
Boarding our pangas we set out into the lagoon in search of whales. Many of us did not have to wait long. San Ignacio Lagoon is legendary for its “friendly” whales, and today they did not disappoint. Several boats were quickly approached by baby whales and their mothers – animals that will soon leave these sheltered waters for the open ocean and their long migration to the Bering Sea.
Like playful puppies, unaware of their size, a few young whales pushed our boats around in circles, and splashed water simply for the fun of it. Others rolled over onto their backs or rose to the surface as if begging for a scratch. Some of us were lucky enough to look directly into a young whale’s eye, or stroke it’s smooth, rubbery skin, while a few can boast that a whale spouted directly into their faces. The entire experience was exhilarating and fun, making squealing children out of grown men and women.
But, in the end, it was also so much more; a deeply-moving encounter with an animal that chose to make contact with us. With their enormous size and power, these whales could have smashed our boats to pieces, but they deliberately chose not to. Astonishingly, they do not perceive us as a threat – despite the fact that we once nearly drove them to extinction. There is, perhaps, a valuable lesson in that, and a glimpse of redemption.
