Bahia Magdalena
We all had a good night’s sleep in the calm, protected waters of Bahia Magdalena. This morning a mysterious ambience surrounded us; a dense fog wrapped the Sea Lion, and the visibility around us was quite short. Some of the staff went out to check the conditions, to try to hear gray whales. The results were favorable. So after breakfast, half of us had a chance to go ashore and explore the beach and sand dunes in this special lighting, while the rest went whale watching. The fog built up the excitement and anticipation, while making our way through the fog we could suddenly hear the distinctive blows of whales. We stopped. Close by a mother and baby gray whale appeared from nowhere, always a magical encounter. A beautiful maternal sighting, with both whales swimming side by side. With curiosity, they got closer for a better look.
Along the day we had four opportunities to go whale watching. All were enjoyable and successful, as more than six pairs of mothers and calves gathered around the Zodiacs. Nice calm conditions allowed us all to take good pictures and have a wonderful time.
It is so gratifying to witness the incredible comeback that the gray whales have achieved as a population. First protected by Mexican laws, and then by the International Whaling Commission in 1948, Mexico then declared the four calving lagoons as Whale Sanctuaries in 1954. Fifty years later, gray whales were the first Cetacean removed from the endangered species list. Successful conservation stories like this encourage all of us to keep fighting for a better and more balanced world.
We all had a good night’s sleep in the calm, protected waters of Bahia Magdalena. This morning a mysterious ambience surrounded us; a dense fog wrapped the Sea Lion, and the visibility around us was quite short. Some of the staff went out to check the conditions, to try to hear gray whales. The results were favorable. So after breakfast, half of us had a chance to go ashore and explore the beach and sand dunes in this special lighting, while the rest went whale watching. The fog built up the excitement and anticipation, while making our way through the fog we could suddenly hear the distinctive blows of whales. We stopped. Close by a mother and baby gray whale appeared from nowhere, always a magical encounter. A beautiful maternal sighting, with both whales swimming side by side. With curiosity, they got closer for a better look.
Along the day we had four opportunities to go whale watching. All were enjoyable and successful, as more than six pairs of mothers and calves gathered around the Zodiacs. Nice calm conditions allowed us all to take good pictures and have a wonderful time.
It is so gratifying to witness the incredible comeback that the gray whales have achieved as a population. First protected by Mexican laws, and then by the International Whaling Commission in 1948, Mexico then declared the four calving lagoons as Whale Sanctuaries in 1954. Fifty years later, gray whales were the first Cetacean removed from the endangered species list. Successful conservation stories like this encourage all of us to keep fighting for a better and more balanced world.
