Our day began with gray in every direction as heavy fog surrounded National Geographic Sea Lion at our anchorage off Isla Santa Margarita, near the southern extent of Magdalena Bay. Quickly, the fog lifted and gave way to a different kind of gray: whales! Guests boarded local pangas to search for these massive marine mammals that migrate some 6,000 miles from the Arctic to the warm and protected calving lagoon here. In Bahia Almejas we spotted many, many adult and sub-adult whales that displayed all types of activity, spy-hopping above the surface and approaching boats for a friendly scratch. Knowing that just over a hundred years ago the whales were almost hunted to extinction here made the close encounters all the more special. We continued our adventures with visits to a large frigate bird colony among the bordering mangroves and kayaking and paddle boarding near the sand dunes of Isla Magdalena to the North. All in all, an incredible introduction to the wonders of Baja and Magdalena Bay.