Boca de Soledad in Magdalena Bay, Baja
SEA FEVER
I MUST GO DOWN TO THE SEAS AGAIN
FOR THE CALL OF THE ROARING TIDE
IS A WILD CALL, AND A CLEAR CALL
THAT CANNOT BE DENIED
-JOHN MASEFIELD
The call of the roaring tide beckoned us this morning as we boarded our little inflatable whale boats in search of perhaps the friendliest leviathans in the world. The (Baja) California Gray whales that we hoped to find are almost 45 feet in length and weigh as much as 80,000 pounds, whereas our little craft fully loaded with expectant whale watchers would be a diminutive 20 feet in length and a mere 2,500 pounds, including the boat and motor!
Glass-flat conditions in the morning led us deep into the bay as we encountered adult whales busy in courtship behavior. Cameras clicked away and videos whirred as these amorous cetaceans frolicked about, showing us their flukes, bodies, and even raising their heads out of the water to pose, much to our delight.
Our afternoon was filled with Gray whale mothers and their newborn calves. Our observational skills were challenged as at least seven different cow/calf pairs were identified by individual markings. Half the fun is giving each whale a name. Ingenius monikers such as “Dot” with her calf “Polka Do,t” “Patches” with her calf “Patchito,” and “Momi” and her calf “Momita” are examples of our over-active imaginations. Of course we realize that these are only human terms for our own edification and are meaningless to the whales themselves.
Our perfect whale watching day was capped off with a catered scrumptious fiesta dinner from (where else?) The Ballena Gris Restaurant in Lopez Mateos. Live music and Tres Leches cake brought our amazing day to a satisfying end.
SEA FEVER
I MUST GO DOWN TO THE SEAS AGAIN
FOR THE CALL OF THE ROARING TIDE
IS A WILD CALL, AND A CLEAR CALL
THAT CANNOT BE DENIED
-JOHN MASEFIELD
The call of the roaring tide beckoned us this morning as we boarded our little inflatable whale boats in search of perhaps the friendliest leviathans in the world. The (Baja) California Gray whales that we hoped to find are almost 45 feet in length and weigh as much as 80,000 pounds, whereas our little craft fully loaded with expectant whale watchers would be a diminutive 20 feet in length and a mere 2,500 pounds, including the boat and motor!
Glass-flat conditions in the morning led us deep into the bay as we encountered adult whales busy in courtship behavior. Cameras clicked away and videos whirred as these amorous cetaceans frolicked about, showing us their flukes, bodies, and even raising their heads out of the water to pose, much to our delight.
Our afternoon was filled with Gray whale mothers and their newborn calves. Our observational skills were challenged as at least seven different cow/calf pairs were identified by individual markings. Half the fun is giving each whale a name. Ingenius monikers such as “Dot” with her calf “Polka Do,t” “Patches” with her calf “Patchito,” and “Momi” and her calf “Momita” are examples of our over-active imaginations. Of course we realize that these are only human terms for our own edification and are meaningless to the whales themselves.
Our perfect whale watching day was capped off with a catered scrumptious fiesta dinner from (where else?) The Ballena Gris Restaurant in Lopez Mateos. Live music and Tres Leches cake brought our amazing day to a satisfying end.
