The first time we were at Baja Expeditions it was nothing short of a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We had then decided that a repeat second expedition would be high on our bucket list. Not only have we fulfilled our dreams now and made it to Baja Expeditions for the second time but we have brought along our next generation so that the youngsters can understand the beauty and vastness of nature from a very early age.
There were two distinct sides to our trip – the amazing whale-watching and close encounters with the sea creatures and the equally important incredible hospitality provided to us by the staff and the crew. Both have contributed greatly to making our venture in the open seas an incredible experience.
Mind-Blowing Whale-Watching at the San Ignacio Lagoon
San Ignacio was an unforgettable adventure. It made me very emotional to share this experience with my son for whom it was his opening opportunity to pet the whales and their babies.
I will never forget the first time that my son touched a whale and this scene will be engrained in my mind for a long time to come. My deepest thanks to the staff who has always been very warm and welcoming especially our guides Ranulfo and Pato, both of whom are extremely knowledgeable and attentive.
San Ignacio Lagoon is a story that is full of love and joy with the principal characters being the majestic mother whales and their cute little babies frolicking beside them. They are very comfortable and playful here, not only because of the safety and security that the Lagoon gives to them but also because all the males have just left to migrate to the North, the longest migratory route on the planet.
During the first two sessions, we had the chance to interact with a very friendly baby and the mom. Both were very relaxed, comfortable, and friendly too. Surprisingly, around this time, we found a baby whale that was almost completely white, something that we were seeing for the first time this season. It was so surreal and beautiful!!
Tico, the captain, and I have two different takes on this issue. One is that this cute and rare baby came with his or her mom from another Lagoon, possibly from the south: Magdalena Bay or Puerto Chale. The other is that they stayed during the full season inside San Ignacio Lagoon, near to the bottom. No one can say for sure the reason behind the exclusive skin color of the baby whale.
Along with this sighting, we also enjoyed some Spy Hoping activity while another mom and baby joined them during their training day. But clearly, the Gray Whale season was coming to an end and the gentle giants were moving to the North.
During the third whale-watching activity we were joined by a lot of Common Bottle Noise Dolphins that started surfing the waves while we were looking for the whales.
Great Hospitality, Excellent Guides
As I said, half the fun and excitement that we had was because of the excellent and knowledgeable guides who were constantly pointing out things of interest closely associated with wonderful Mother Nature. I really enjoyed the presentations where the experts shared their knowledge and love for the whales and nature. Tito was a great captain and Pato was a great guide. We loved Ranulfos time and again showing us birds in the mangrove and taking pictures of our girl with the whales.
Pam was another guide who made our lives so wonderful. We loved our adventures and excursions and the boys, all of 6 and 7 years old, were transfixed by the whales and resident dolphins. It was quite a feat to keep two young boys occupied but she managed it so well. This experience and the place are things that we will recommend to all our friends.
The food was amazing and the tent was warm and comfortable. But the icing on the cake was the availability of Wi-Fi with Starlink. Just imagine how excited we were to upload our pictures with the whales and kids petting these massive creatures to our friends and family back home. It is an experience of a lifetime that will always be in our memories.
How would I rate my experience? A full 10/10 for sure.
