The calm waters of “Magdalena Bay Norte” made for a very tranquil morning as guests and crew alike enjoyed the sunrise over Mexico. The last stretch class of the trip prepared participants for a final morning of gray whale watching. Local boats, or pangas, arrived at 0830, and guests set off to find the mothers and calves that occupy the protected waters of one of Baja’s most productive breeding lagoons. The slick, dark back of a week-old calf was spotted within inches of the much larger mother. The morning was a productive one as all boats found their quarries along with some cooperative bottlenose dolphins and a plethora of wonderful birds. The pangas returned to the ship for lunch, and National Geographic Sea Bird repositioned to a nearby anchorage that allowed access to Sand Dollar Beach. This strip of shore earned its name from the many sand dollars that litter its wave-beaten beach. Guests explored dunes and breakers as staff members helped identify plants, insects, and birds.
3/10/2025
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National Geographic Sea Bird
Bahia Almejas
The day began with an exhilarating stretch class just after sunrise. Gray whales were spotted on our way south and guests enjoyed the early morning at the bow looking at whales, dolphins, and a couple of curious sea lions. Essentially, we saw whales all the way to the mouth of Bahia Almejas. During the morning whale watch outing, we boarded pangas with local captains who took us to the best spots. The experience with the whales was characterized by the number of spy hops we saw. At one point we counted up to 10 whales in the same area! For the second outing in the afternoon, some boats were lucky enough to see whales up close and even touched them. We were fortunate to have perfect weather all day which allowed us to calmly enjoy the whales going about their daily activities. Back on board National Geographic Sea Bird , guests felt inspired by what we’ve experienced and put it in watercolor. At the end of the day, we attended a presentation about climate change with guest speaker, Joy Ward.
