Magdalena Bay, Baja California Sur, Mexico
Those going to the boats early were awakened by gentle knocks on their doors this morning instead of the usual soft, gentle voice of our expedition leader over the PA system. The sky was overcast, the winds calm and the lagoon waters placid. As our Zodiacs made their way toward Boca de Soledad, the gray whale’s pathway to and from the Pacific, a host of spouts were visible in the North Channel.
Soon we were among the great whales, surrounded by 35-ton leviathans that were much more interested in rolling about with each other than they were in us. Some were spy hopping, one breached quite close to one of our Zodiacs, one surfaced with mud streaming from the baleen plates in his mouth and many rolled about with flukes and flippers tangled in an interesting variety of ways. These whales were part of the single’s scene that develops near lagoon entrances in the early season and is fascinating to watch. At some point these courtship bouts evolve into actual mating that ends up in a new baby gray whale that we might meet down here in the Baja lagoons next season.
Things had changed, as they always do in the lagoons, for the second round of whale watching. With a rising tide and strong current, the courting group had dispersed and we were able to watch single whales swimming very steadily and rhythmically against the current—blowing, rolling and sometimes spy hopping. Both groups of whale watchers had wonderful final moments with the gray whales before we heaved anchor on the National Geographic Sea Bird and headed south toward La Entrada, the main entrance to Magdalena Bay and our exit into the Pacific.
During our BBQ deck lunch and transit south through the mangrove-lined Hull Canal, we were escorted by various groups of bottlenose dolphins that took advantage of a free ride on the bow pressure wave of our ship. For 5 or 10 minutes at a time, we watched transfixed as these graceful 600 pound beauties played directly under our gaze from the bow.
Later in the afternoon, as we approached La Entrada, we were met by well over 50 gray whales milling about, courting and throwing their mighty flukes high into the air as they dove into the clear water of the Pacific. The grand finale for this wonderful day came just at dusk as we were abeam of Punta Tosca and the late afternoon light turned the rain clouds all around us into a pastel wonderland. There we watched 3 gray whales and 2 humpbacks mixed together in what appeared to be a somewhat coordinated feeding dance, choreographed for our absolute delight and wonder!
Who, among us, could experience such a day and not be moved to care for and protect for future generations these precious and extraordinary wild places.
