Gray Whales Facts

Have you heard that gray whales are no longer in danger of extinction?

In the XVII century the populations of Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus) which belonged to the Atlantic, became extinct due to the insatiable hunting and now we can only find these beautiful mammals, which can measure up to 15 meters long and weigh approximately 30 tons, in the northern Pacific Ocean.

Gray whales travel 22,000 kilometers in a period of between 2 and 3 months, making it the longest annual migration of any mammal. Every October, as the northern ice pushes south, small groups of gray whales in the eastern Pacific begin their journey from the Bering and Chukchi Seas, near Alaska. There they feed on small crustaceans that live at the bottom of the sea, and end their journey in the warm water lagoons of the Baja California, Mexico and the southern Gulf of California. Specifically in San Ignacio, in Magdalena Bay to the south and, to the north in the Ojo de Liebre Lagoon where they have their offspring.

The whale watching industry that practiced in these coasts, provides to the ecotourists and marine mammal enthusiasts the opportunity to see groups of gray whales while migrating and it is thanks to this practice that the alarming numbers of gray whale population have increased by almost 40% since 2010. In the West Pacific it is estimated that today there are approximately 20 thousand gray whales, unlike the population of eastern gray whales that live in the Asian continent where there is no practice ecotourism and hunting for food, products and fuel derived from the whale, has reduced the population to just 150 adult whales.

The abuse of human activities on the marine ecosystem has not corresponded to the rational use of all the resources that it offers us, but has given us present and future development opportunities related to the conservation and sustainable use of it. This waste is generally related with disorganized urban growth, poor planning of the use of primary production processes, pollution and the application of inadequate technologies that have transformed our ecosystems on a large scale.

Observation tourism is considered a non-lethal use, since it does not put into risk the survival of organisms; however, it is not done properly can affect their quality of life, becoming a possible threat. That is why at Gluup we take care of investigating and selecting the operators

of all our tours, making sure they are trained to protect you and the ecosystem. We are also committed to supporting research institutions that are responsible for designing, integrating and executing conservation programs of the environment by donating 3% of the profits we receive with your reservation.

At Gluup we want to continue creating mechanisms that allow the adequate ecosystems´ development and growth. Let's hold hands and together go SEA THE PLANET.

To pay a visit to these beautiful creatures it is important that you plan your trip between January and April. If you want to know more about tourism in this region, see our article with tips for Whale Watching in Puerto Chale.