February 25, 2020 ~ Ojo de Liebre Lagoon
Laguna Ojo de Liebre lies along the Pacific Ocean, about half way between the U.S.-Mexico border and the southern tip of Baja. The lagoon was formerly known as Scammon’s Lagoon, named after Charles Melville Scammon, a whaling captain who discovered this breeding ground back in 1857.
For a period of 15 years, whalers returned and slaughtered 100’s of gray whales for their oil. By 1873, the whale population was so low, and the amount of oil obtained so greatly reduced, that they abandoned hunting there.
Today, located just outside of the town of Guerrero Negro, the lagoon is within the Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a protected crucial habitat for the wintering and reproduction of the gray whale, harbor seal, and other marine mammals including the blue whale, California sea lion, and the northern elephant seal. Additionally, it is a refuge for waterfowl in the winter and four species of endangered marine turtles.
Gray whales are thought to have the longest migration of any marine mammal, traveling between 10,000 to 12,500 miles between their breeding grounds in Baja, to their summer feeding grounds in the Arctic, off of Alaska and Russian shores.
A full grown gray whale will be 40-50 feet long and weigh 30-40 tons
There are only three lagoons in the world where gray whales give birth, and all three are in Baja. Besides here at Guerrero Negro, the other locations are San Ignacio and Bahia Magdalena. The lagoons are protected from the open ocean and are shallow. The gray whales only known enemy (other than man) is the orca (killer whale) and they will not enter the shallow water. This is the perfect environment for mothers to nurse their newborn calves, teach them to swim, feed, dive and interact with other whales.
It is in this lagoon, in Baja, that the pregnant females arrive first from late December to mid January to give birth. By early to mid February the bulk of the whales have arrived and the lagoon is filled with nursing, calving and mating whales.
We arrived early in the hopes of getting on the boat captained by Gil, (we succeeded), who Dick and Karen had gotten to know over several trips here. In peak season, boats fill up fast and can sell out.
It did not take us long to get out to the area where we began to see whales. They actually enjoy interacting with humans, and will even bring their young right up to the boat. The squeals, laughter and hollering was only surpassed by the number of photos taken by all on board.
What a thrill it was (and that is an understatement) to reach out and actually touch them!
Gil reached in the water and pulled out this beautiful blue jellyfish for us to see. The color was stunning. I don’t remember the exact name he called it, but he said it was harmless to hold
Sadly, far too soon our time was over, and we had to return to shore.
We were all starving by now, so treated ourselves to a delicious lunch at Santo Remedio back in Guerrero Negro.
But, our day was not over. Gil had graciously invited the four of us to his home for dinner. We brought the wine, his wife made homemade tortillas and salsa, and Gil fried huge batches of shrimp and freshly caught fish.
GRATITUDE MOMENT: Well, first and foremost, I’m so grateful that Dick and Karen were persistent in telling us about this incredible and unforgettable place. And, even after our initial reluctance, managed to convince us that it was safe to travel by car down here. To have the opportunity to commune so closely with these magnificent and HUGE creatures is beyond awe inspiring. I somehow KNEW that I had made a connection when looking directly in the eye of one of our visitors. This is an experience I will never forget, and am so thankful for the opportunity. Also a very special thank you to Gil and his family for welcoming us, preparing a delicious meal and making us feel so at home.
COMING NEXT: Our RV trip to Puerto Penasco, Mexico
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A Note From Abroad 
Thanks for sharing this awesome adventure! We got to experience these magnificent creatures many years ago and we will never forget it.
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I’m so happy for you that you got to experience this for yourself! It would be impossible to forget just how special this interaction was. 👍👍👍
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I spent a week in Laguna San Ignacio to celebrate my 50th birthday. It had long been on my bucket list and did not disappoint. The entire week was magical!
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How fortunate you were to have an entire week in San Ignacio. Next time we go to Baja (and I’m counting on there being a next time), I want to see that area as well. Did you get to touch the whales?
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What a amazing experience all around. I’ve never touched a whale although our older daughter and I did see several whales during a sunset cruise in Costa Rica. Even just that was exciting. Having someone invite you into his home and fix such a delicious dinner is in many ways just as wonderful.
janet
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It was a special day from start to finish.
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I really enjoyed your post Joanne. I was very surprised by the size of your boat – it looked quite small. Here in Australia you can do whale watching cruises in Hervey Bay in Queensland during August/September. Hervey Bay is also a sheltered area and mothers and calves rest here a while before continuing south to Antarctica. One of the bonuses with these cruises is that you can also get in the water and swim with the whales. It’s on our must do list.
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Glenn, actually getting into the water and swimming with the Gray Whales sounds A.MAY.ZING! I did not know that was even possible or allowed. What an experience that must be.
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Very inspiring. Thanks for sharing!
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You are welcome! Glad you stopped by.
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What a neat experience, Joanne and a very well done post with photos. It’s been 20 years since we were there. Thanks so much for the reminder. –Curt
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Curt, I think you are overdue for a revisit next year. As amazing as this was, I’m now jealous that in Australia they can get out of the boat and SWIM with them. How incredible would that be!!!
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I’m ready for Baja, period, Joanne. I probably mentioned this, but Peggy and I once spent a month hanging out in Mulege and absolutely loved it! –Curt
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That is cool that you saw the whales so close. I can’t wait to get back to Baja!
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I did not dream of ever being able to actually touch a whale in the wild. Pretty amazing experience!
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I long to go out and be among the whales. I fervently hope someday to be able to travel if not to Baja, another place to see those magnificent creatures in person. Thanks for posting the pictures.
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It was a very memorable experience and only possible to do in a few places in the world. Highly recommend it!
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Reblogged this on Time Traveler on the road of Life.
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Thank you for sharing ❤️
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This sounds like a wonderful experience, priceless I’m sure. I can only imagine, how cool to not only see them up close but to touch them too. Just wow! Our planet earth is certainly a cool place indeed!
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Amy, you are so right! Getting to see them was wonderful, but that they would come right up to the side of the board where we could reach out and touch them was beyond amazing. I think they were as interested in us as we were in them.
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