Location: Agua Verde
Weather: Clear Skies, NNE Wind (5kts), Swell (1ft)
We are currently anchored at Agua Verde, Sea of Cortez, a pretty little cove with several beaches about 10 miles south of the Loreto National Park. Just arrived and loaded the RHIB with guests and bar supplies for an afternoon beach hike, kayaking, and sunset cocktails. After sunset, we’ll have taco night onboard before getting underway for El Mogote.
This morning we had two pangas from Loreto pick up our guests and take them out for 4 hours of whale watching inside the Loreto national park as part of our Baja Ultimate Whale Adventure. Given that our guests had spent the previous several days with the gray whales in San Ignacio, I was concerned that perhaps the whale encounters in Loreto would not be as spectacular. However, as soon as the guests returned from their tour my concerns were proven to be unfounded. Not only did everyone get to see the largest animal to have ever lived on earth, the blue whale, but they also had such close encounters that it really just blew everyone away. An adult female that must have been in the range of at least 25m (80ft) passed directly underneath the pangas only a couple of meters below the surface, so that everyone could see the entire, considerable length of the animal just under their feet. Another female blue whale with a newly born calf also came up very close to the pangas, the first calf of the season.
Everyone also got to see fin whales and a humpback, as well as all kinds of dolphins that were in the area. “Best day ever” was heard several times as the guests came back to the Gallant Lady to refuel with lunch. During lunch, we motored two hours south to the beautiful bay of Agua Verde where we enjoyed cocktails on the beach and our famous taco night.
Today we had a very smooth, comfortable ride south from Agua Verde to the Bahia of La Paz. The Baja Expeditions pangas came to pick up our guests as planned to take them for the whale shark snorkeling experience. They returned just before noon with tales of 10-12 whale sharks around, with many of the whale sharks just maintaining their position as they fed on the krill and plankton that are so abundant here this time of year, and are of the course the reason all these big whales and whale sharks are in this area. This made for a great snorkel experience, allowing the guests to get eye to eye with the sharks without any need to be swimming hard to keep up with them. Everyone returned at noon for lunch and we are currently heading north to Los Islotes, where the pangas will pick the guests up again for an afternoon of snorkeling with the playful sea lion pups that live at Islotes. This evening we will run south back inside
the southern part of Bahia de La Paz and anchor for the night near Pichilingue.
- Captain Gordon Kipp
