How blessed we are to live these close and intimate encounters with these gray whales. I’ve wanted to come to San Ignacio Lagoon since 2017. Now I understand why I had that desire. What we experienced today is beyond my understanding. These whales come to the boat. Literally, they swim directly to us looking for an encounter. This morning, several times, they appeared very close, putting their heads out and staring at us. We encountered at least 5 different gray whales. Each interaction was different. Each whale seems to have its personality.
At the end of our tour, two whales came very close to our panga. Even though they came very calmly, it intimidated me because they were huge, at least 25 feet long. One female came even closer to our starboard side, and I could start seeing in languid motion how its dorsal fin came out to the surface. The whale turned, and it was a natural reaction to start touching her. The whale stayed in that position for several minutes. It was an encounter on her terms. That was the most magical part of the interaction. No engines, no looking for the whales. They came to us. She had curiosity, and we only witnessed what she wanted to do.
Looking forward to continuing to learn more about them with the presentation that Randulfo, the most experienced dive guide, is going to give tonight.
DM Celina
