The Sea Bird anchored off Laguna San Ignacio late this morning. We enjoyed an early lunch and boarded our Zodiacs for a trip through the breakers and into the observation area of the lagoon. Our boat drivers knew the waters and the whereabouts of the whales and with expert boat handling we were soon in the presence of many whale spouts. Slowly each Zodiac began approaching a cow-calf pair. Anticipation was high as the whales surfaced and became curious about the giant black rubber toys that had come into their nursery lagoon. In the murky water we began to see a baby gray whale come up, mouth open, approaching several of our Zodiacs. Slowly the whales moved to the side of the Zodiac and raised their faces toward the eager humans. We were sentient, curious beings observing each other. Every one of our guests and many of the ship's crew experienced friendly behavior with California gray whales today.