Where to see grey whales in Baja California?
There are three areas in Baja California to where you can see grey whales. All three of these are sheltered bays on the Pacific coast but, in my opinion, the best place to go is Magdalena Bay. The other two bays where you can see grey whales are San Ignacio and Guerrero Negro.
Why watch grey whales at Magdalena Bay?
Magdalena Bay is a world-renowned winter ground of the gray whale. Here they have their calves and the area acts as a nursery as the young whales begin to grow.
What is the best month for whale watching in Baja?
January to March are the best months to see grey whales. Thousands of gray whales migrate from arctic waters, arriving in late December to give birth. After three months in the lagoons, the whales begin their northward migration to the Arctic.
Where are you most likely to see a grey whale?
Baja’s gray whale lagoons are under strict federal regulation. You can only go whale watching with a licensed tour operator. The whale watching guidelines regulate the number of boats and the distance at which boats must keep their distance from the whales.
Can you swim with grey whales in Baja California?
No, but you can touch them!
Are grey whales the friendliest whales in the world?
Social interactions with people have earned Baja’s grey whales the nickname of the “friendlies.” In some locations around the world, whale-watching boats can “chase” whales, and cause visible stress. In Baja’s strictly regulated coastal community, the whales control the interactions with boats. The gray whales often scratch up against the sides of the pangas and rub themselves on the boats.
Is it OK to touch grey whales?
Grey whales initiate interactions with the awaiting pangas in hopes of playing. Sometimes the whales come up to the tourist boats in the hope of a scratch.
What is the best way to observe grey whales?
At Magdalena Bay licenced local motorized panga owners take you out to the deeper waters of the bay where you can see the grey whales. However, the best experiences are when you camp on one of the islands in the bay where you can observe the whales from the shoreline.
Sea Kayak Adventures has exclusive permission to camp on an island where deep waters allow the whales to swim directly in front of your safari style tent.
Once in a lifetime experience watching grey whales in Baja
In my opinion this is one of the most incredible close-up wildlife experiences on the planet. When I visited in January 2023 these whales voluntarily swam right under our boat the boats and came up beside us where you could look into their soles.
Grey whale facts
Grey whales reach a length of 14.9 meters (49 ft) and can weigh up to 41 tonnes (90,000 lb). On average a grey whales lives from 55 and 70 years.
Grey whales have the longest migration of any mammal
Each year grey whales swimming 10,000-14,000 miles as they make their way from the cold Arctic seas to Mexico’s warm water lagoons and back. The annual trek begins every October as the Arctic ice begins to freeze. The whales swim on average 5 mph, but moving day and night they travel about 75 miles per day.
How many grey whales are there?
Whale hunting has stopped and the grey whale population in the pacific has now recovered to a population of about 27,000.
What else can I do in Baja?
Baja is renowned for its winter whale watching but grey whales are just one of many cetacean species you can find.
You can also combine a grey whale watching trip with amazing sea kayaking off Baja’s east coast along the Sea of Cortez.
In February 2023 I went to Mexico to sea kayak in the Sea of Cortez and headed to the Pacific cost to whale the incredible wildlife spectacle of grey whales at Magdalena Bay.