Boca de Soledad, Magdalena Bay
Someone in the Zodiac asked the question: “What day is today, Sunday or Monday?” Exchanging blank looks, we decided it didn’t really matter – whatever day of the week, it was a pretty spectacular day.
Wispy, white clouds decorated the blue skies like party streamers, a constant breeze kept us cool, and the water was a vibrant shade of aqua. Pelicans, cormorants, terns, and an osprey were spotted overhead and along shore. Alternating between beach combing and whale seeking, our day was both relaxing and exciting.
As we explored the calm laguna, we kept our eyes and ears wide open for any glimpse or sound of the gray whales. Setting out from the Sea Bird, several Zodiacs received surprise visitors. Dolphins and curious sea lions cavorted amongst the Zodiacs, acting as our honor guard in the bay, helping “guide” us to the gray whales.
Throughout the day we witnessed behaviors distinctive to gray whales. Spy-hopping, fluke flashing, and young baby gray whales rolling off their mother’s backs had us gasping and cheering repeatedly. Single whales were spotted cruising, while mothers and calves went by at a more relaxed pace. Some whales seemed to be enjoying a siesta, seeming to hang on the surface, a behavior known as “logging.” With the whales remaining motionless at the surface for such long periods of time, we were able to see just how huge these animals are.
Many cow-calf pairs were spotted amongst the breakers at the mouth of the lagoon, an area known as the “playground” where mothers helped their young grow accustomed to the rolling waves. The young whales were in constant motion – some even lifted their tiny (relatively speaking!) heads completely out of the water, stretching to get a glimpse at the strange world around them.
By the end of the day, we were beginning to recognize certain whales by their different markings – the shapes of barnacle clusters on their backs and various color markings. Regardless of the number of sightings, it was impossible to be blasé about spending a day in these gentle creatures’ company. Each time a whale surfaced, the force of its exhalation sending a heart-shaped plume of spray high in to the air, we’d quickly whip our heads around, searching for the source of the “Whooosh!” In late afternoon, it was if we were spectators at a tennis match – Whales up on the left! Whales on the right! We didn’t know where to look first!
With the sun sinking lower, we reluctantly headed back to the Sea Bird, enraptured in our experiences amongst these great gray whales.
Someone in the Zodiac asked the question: “What day is today, Sunday or Monday?” Exchanging blank looks, we decided it didn’t really matter – whatever day of the week, it was a pretty spectacular day.
Wispy, white clouds decorated the blue skies like party streamers, a constant breeze kept us cool, and the water was a vibrant shade of aqua. Pelicans, cormorants, terns, and an osprey were spotted overhead and along shore. Alternating between beach combing and whale seeking, our day was both relaxing and exciting.
As we explored the calm laguna, we kept our eyes and ears wide open for any glimpse or sound of the gray whales. Setting out from the Sea Bird, several Zodiacs received surprise visitors. Dolphins and curious sea lions cavorted amongst the Zodiacs, acting as our honor guard in the bay, helping “guide” us to the gray whales.
Throughout the day we witnessed behaviors distinctive to gray whales. Spy-hopping, fluke flashing, and young baby gray whales rolling off their mother’s backs had us gasping and cheering repeatedly. Single whales were spotted cruising, while mothers and calves went by at a more relaxed pace. Some whales seemed to be enjoying a siesta, seeming to hang on the surface, a behavior known as “logging.” With the whales remaining motionless at the surface for such long periods of time, we were able to see just how huge these animals are.
Many cow-calf pairs were spotted amongst the breakers at the mouth of the lagoon, an area known as the “playground” where mothers helped their young grow accustomed to the rolling waves. The young whales were in constant motion – some even lifted their tiny (relatively speaking!) heads completely out of the water, stretching to get a glimpse at the strange world around them.
By the end of the day, we were beginning to recognize certain whales by their different markings – the shapes of barnacle clusters on their backs and various color markings. Regardless of the number of sightings, it was impossible to be blasé about spending a day in these gentle creatures’ company. Each time a whale surfaced, the force of its exhalation sending a heart-shaped plume of spray high in to the air, we’d quickly whip our heads around, searching for the source of the “Whooosh!” In late afternoon, it was if we were spectators at a tennis match – Whales up on the left! Whales on the right! We didn’t know where to look first!
With the sun sinking lower, we reluctantly headed back to the Sea Bird, enraptured in our experiences amongst these great gray whales.
