Gray Whales In Magdalena Bay (Private Tour)

Gray whales perform one of the longest recorded migrations of any mammal. Annually, 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.

In late fall, gray whales begin their journey south where they spend the winter and early spring to give birth and reproduce in three coastal lagoons in the state of Baja California Sur, Mexico.

Magdalena Bay is 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 California gray whales that come here during the winter to mate. The bay is also popular for commercial and sporting purposes such as fishing. Near the mangroves and swamps are several seabird sanctuaries.

For these expeditions, 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 gray whale sighting points.

Puerto San Carlos, is a small fishing village where the austerity of this place has a unique charm since it only lives from artisanal fishing, sport fishing and ecotourism.

It is an unforgettable adventure of approximately 4-5 hours that will leave you speechless after seeing these beautiful mammals that measure between 12 and 15 meters long.

The tour is in roofed little boats with captains who are local fishermen that know Magdalena Bay intimately.

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

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

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

On many occasions they directly approach the boats 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 to happen 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 expedition, we will pass through the sand dunes. Here you will find a dune system that is home to local coyotes that extends to the shoreline 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. Everything is possible in these expeditions, if you are lucky you will have encounters with schools of dolphins, sea lions and much more.