Magdalena Bay, 2/2/2023, National Geographic Sea Bird
Aboard the
National Geographic Sea Bird
Baja California
Our whale search started early this morning. Before breakfast, a grey whale cow and her calf were spotted off the bow of our ship. We spent the entire day admiring different females with their recently born calves. On the way to La Boca de Soledad, where the lagoon opens up to the Pacific, we observed various seabirds.
The day ended with a beautiful beach barbecue, a stunning sunset, and lots of toasted marshmallows.
Lisa grew up in the mountains of the Black Forest in Germany. When she was 18, she moved to Italy where Lisa spent two years of working in different places meanwhile studying Italian. At 20 years old, returning from Italy, she moved to Hamburg and fi...
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This morning and afternoon, we spent several hours among dozens of gray whales in Bahia Almejas. It was fascinating to observe gray whale behaviors in a breeding lagoon. We watched pairs and trios of whales surface and roll near one another. We listened to them breathe and we felt the misty air from their exhalations. At times, gray whales swam very close to our small boats, and it was thrilling!
We began the day anchored in front of Puerto Magdalena. During the stretch class led by Julie, a gray whale was spotted, bringing joy to our guests. After breakfast we headed to the island to enjoy different hikes. Some guests walked along the beach while others hiked up the hill to enjoy a magnificent view of the Pacific Ocean. Along the hike we found different plants, like the galloping cactus, some false elephant trees, and the endemic margarita agave. We finished the morning visiting the gray whale skeletons. We had lunch on board and in the afternoon, we headed back to the island. Chejo led a visit to the desalination plant explaining the whole process, and we also visited the abalone shell handicrafts workshop. We ended the visit at Chejo’s restaurant to listen to his stories while our guests enjoyed margaritas, guacamole, and pico de gallo.
What can I say about today? Magical . . . unforgettable . . . spectacular . . . “whale soup”. We went out in pangas in the morning and again in the afternoon, seeking gray whales in Bahia Almejas. With ideal conditions, calm wind and water, we were rewarded with excellent views of gray whale blows, backs, heads, and flukes as they rolled at the surface, took breaths, and occasionally came close to our pangas. They spy hopped (lifted their heads vertically out of the water) and swam slowly. We were grateful to observe them so peacefully in this lagoon where they were once hunted. It was an absolutely wonderful and memorable day.
