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Baja Jones Adventure Travel
Many people have been on whale watching trips in the United States or Canada. They went out on an ocean going vessel. Frequently these large boats are fishing vessels taking whale watchers out as a means of extending their season and incomes. Some of these trips have good naturalist guides or speakers who can answer questions along the way. More commonly the guides aren’t too experienced. To enhance the chance of spotting a whale, some outfits use helicopter spotters. Others take their chances and frequently a trip ends without a gray whale sighting. These whale tours focus upon the opportunity you have to observe the many different species of animal life that live in the ocean. But let’s face it. If you’re going whale watching, you want to see some whales up close.

The laws in the United States are currently interpreted that if you touch or pet a marine mammal in the wild, you can be prosecuted for harassment of the animal. The U.S. government has prosecuted many cases of "harassment" , both along the Pacific coast and in Hawaii.

There are restrictions about how close a vessel may approach to a marine mammal. These rules and regulations, while enforced to protect the animals, act as barriers to getting close to the animals.

Whale watching in the Mexican lagoons is entirely different. You will not be going out onto a tossing ocean, in a vessel that has you standing 10 feet above the water. Your boat won’t be pitching and rolling. You won’t get sea sick.

We motor out into the protected lagoon waters on 20 foot fiberglass pangas. These small boats keep you down close to the water. You can reach over the side and touch the surface without difficulty. The lagoons have scores of animals in them at all times during the whale watching season. A recent and representative census of whales inside the lagoons, performed by the Mexican government showed the following figures; Approximately 400 gray whales in Laguna San Ignacio and 2,500 whales in Laguna Ojo de Liebre where we go.

There is little question that you will see whales. During the week you will experience a multitude of individual sightings, 20, 30 or a hundred and twenty sightings would not be unusual for a week long trip. You will experience close encounters with the whales in the lagoon. How close? I cannot say for sure. I’ve touched and "petted" whales that have approached the boat that close. Is this normal? Not really. Is it unusual? Not really. You will likely be close enough to a whale, that if the wind’s in the right direction we’ll get oversprayed by the whale spout when she surfaces near by.

When you’re done with the trip you will know why I’m not concerned about how many animals there were or how close they came. Every single trip is unique and wonderful in some way. Bow riding dolphins, tumbling whale calves who play like a brood of puppies, spyhoppers in the distance, or a flippant tail as another shy lady flits away are all experiences I’ve encountered before. I go out without a specific expectation other than to experience another exciting and unique encounter with some of these huge wonderful animals.

All images © 2001 Keith Jones
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