Gray Whale Migration In Magdalena Bay

If you are in Baja California Sur between the months of January and April, you cannot miss the opportunity to see Gray Whales make one of the longest recorded migrations of any mammal. They travel between 15,000 and 20,000 kilometers from their feeding grounds in the Arctic, to the warm waters on the west coast of the Baja California Peninsula, where they give birth to their young. At Gluup we have selected the best tours for this activity that you can do in a private panga at a very reasonable price.

Gray whale watching in Magdalena Bay is an unforgettable adventure of approximately 4 hours that will leave you speechless after seeing these beautiful mammals that are between 12 and 15 meters long. The panga tour leaves from Puerto San Carlos, a small fishing village that is located three hours from La Paz where the austerity of this place has a unique charm because it only lives on artisanal fishing, sport fishing and the sighting of these magnificent creatures. The tour will begin towards Bahía Magdalena, a 50 km long bay along the western coast of the Mexican state of Baja California Sur. The bay is protected from the Pacific Ocean by the barriers of the sandy islands of Magdalena and Santa Margarita.

This bay is especially known for the seasonal migration of the California gray whale that comes here during the winter to mate. The bay is also popular for commercial and sporting purposes such as fishing. Near the mangroves and swamps there are several sanctuaries for seabirds.

For the gray whale watching in Magdalena Bay , it is recommended to arrive the night before at the San Carlos port or the same day in the morning to start the tour between 8 or 9 am towards the sighting points of gray whales.

After 30 minutes of travel, you will begin to see your boat surrounded by these gigantic mammals. On lucky days you will be able to see more than 50 whales around you accompanied by dolphins. Gray whale watching in Magdalena Bay is an unparalleled experience that will fill your heart with joy since thanks to this ecotourism practice, gray whales ceased to be in danger of extinction in 2010 and their population has increased by almost 40%.

The tour is in shaded small boats with captains who are local fishermen who know Magdalena Bay intimately.

On the tour it is common to find fishermen to observe them and understand a little more about artisanal fishing. Artisanal fishing produces shrimp, lobster, clams and octopus in a sustainable industry and is limited to the internal parts of the bay. If possible, your captain will invite you to some delicious chocolate clams.

Another stop will be a sandbank, in the middle of the bay, known as Bird Island, where hundreds of birds, ducks and pelicans rest, until a boat passes by and they begin to fly around us.

Thanks to the conservation efforts in Magdalena Bay, in which the same fishermen operate these ecotourism practices in the gray whale watching in Magdalena Bay, it seems that the whales feel very comfortable and curious in interacting a lot with people.

On many occasions they approach the boats directly to rub against them and even allow people to touch and hug them. It is common for an adult mother whale to introduce us to her calf. For this it is important that they feel comfortable, at peace and that we are there to respect and admire their presence.

It will be a unique and wonderful feeling to be able to look into the eyes and connect with these beautiful mammals.

On the way back from the gray whale watching in Magdalena Bay we will pass through the sand dunes. Here you will find a dune system that is home to local coyotes that extends to the coast and also protects a mangrove estuary. These dunes offer precious seashells and beautiful landscapes for a spectacular photo session.

These are conservation-oriented marine life encounter expeditions. Anything is possible on these expeditions, if you are lucky you will have encounters with schools of dolphins, sea lions and much more.

Get ready to connect with nature and be filled with indescribable emotion to see that this species has recovered. Let's go SEA THE PLANET!