Field Notes 2011
Laguna San Ignacio, Baja California, Mexico
(26.80N, -113.25W)

Guides Norma, Patrycja and Caroline report:

April 27, 2011: The lagoons are emptying out and just a few whales remain. BajaEcotours sent this video so you could see!

Click and watch the few remaining whales at nursery Laguna San Ignacio at sunset.
Video: BajaEcotours
April 13: Here's a new video clip taken at Laguna San Ignacio. This is the longest whale blow (exhale) we've seen. Look and listen!
Click to see and hear the longest whale blow ever!

March 30: Right now (as is normal), we have mostly mother and calf pairs in the lagoons and a few single females. By this time many of the males and breeding females have departed the lagoon. The whales are deep in the lagoon this season compared to last year when they were mostly lingering at the mouth of the lagoon. This year they are at the back of the lagoon all the way to the front, with many just logging in front of our base camp. I don't have a new count of cow /calf pairs, but this is a fantastic year compared to last five years.

2011 Season
Census Date
Calves
Adults
Total Whales
Mar. 18, 2011
68
107
175
Mar. 10, 2011
58
225
283
Feb. 10, 2011
122
55
177
Jan. 26, 2011
35
76
111
Jan. 20, 2011
19
41
60

February 24: Ten-year-old guest Alex wrote: "I always hoped to touch a whale and my hopes skyrocketed when we went to Campo Cortez to whale watch. I thought I would be petting whales like dogs on the first day, but each day I would lose more confidence because I never got my chance until today when I got to pet a mother whale and her calf. They are unbelievably soft. You’d usually think that they would have pretty hard skin. The baby was in a good mood because it was rolling over her mom and blasting us in the face with water. When you rub the barnacles on the mother she looks up at you with those bead-like eyes and you could tell that she felt grateful for it because she has been so busy with her calf."

February 17: Addie, age 9, was a guest this week. She wrote, "My whale watching trip was the best vacation ever! I got to touch both a baby whale and its mother! Their skin felt soft and thick, sort of like a hard-boiled egg but sturdier. I felt awed by their big size and yet they were so friendly and gentle."

February 15: Wow! The Feb. 10 census showed 177 whales inside the lagoon! Guide Norma describes some close whale encounters in recent days: "Some days the Great Gray would follow right along with the panga [small boat] and allow us to rub and scratch her, and put our hands in her mouth to touch her baleen. She shared her calf, pushing her up for us to see. One day, a calf decided to stay with us while its mom was moving out. The calf circled our small boat and attempted a spy hop! On another day we had a whale at every point: on each side of us, behind, in front! We were showered more than a few times by the blows, followed by significant bubble blasts. Once a mom came over to the panga, rolled over and went directly under us—just lying there. When she finally moved on, her calf had moved in front as if to lead the way. She gave a short spy hop with her calf on her back, an amazing sight!"

February 10: Guide Patrycja writes: "Buenos dias from Laguna San Ignacio! There are a lot of whales here! all whales seem to be healthy and in a good condition. And there are a lot of baby whales who want to play with us! It’s only the beginning of February but some of them are already curious and brave enough to take a close look at the visitors watching them from the boats. Every day we’ve had interesting encounters with some of them, and they are coming close enough that we can identify characteristic features like barnacle and whale lice patterns to keep track of individuals. We spent a lot of time with another mom and her little baby who was still too shy to come closer. Mom was holding her baby on her back almost completely out of the water, so the baby could have a very close look at us without swimming in the current or even moving. The little whale was so shy and still a little bit scared of all these funny creatures in the boat looking and reaching out their hands for a touch."

February 2, 2011: It looks like it might be a record-setting year for number of gray whales at San Ignacio Lagoon! Tours are just getting started; more news and photos next time. Take a look at the official whale counts (census) as the season unfolds: ( ONLY whales in the designated whale watching area are counted. Whales just out of the area, near the mouth of the lagoon, are not included.

Predict: See census totals from past seasons. How do you expect the numbers to change by our next report? As the season continues?

 

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Baby gray whale in nursery lagoon
Photo Jim Taylor
Tourist touches a gray whale in the nursery lagoon.
Photo Jim Taylor

Photo: Jim Dorsey, BajaEcotours,

Photo: Patrycja Kaczynska

 

 

 

 

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