Bahia Magdalena, Baja California
You know it’s a good day when the Captain of the Sea Bird has said “I love you” to a baby gray whale while looking in her eyes and petting her beautiful head. It’s hard to believe this is only our second day on board this beautiful ship. We awoke to the quiet fog of a still morning, whale breaths sounding in the closeness of the early light, ready for our day of intimate encounters with the great whales.
Our Zodiacs launched shortly after breakfast, following the muses of the whale’s breaths that surrounded the Sea Bird. We saw whales spy hopping, breaching, rolling, logging, mamas and babies, solitary individuals – a feast of whale activity. But we all converged in the middle of Bahia Magdalena when a mom and her baby became interested in us, swimming slowly around our Zodiacs, to the giggling glee of everyone. Then, in the inexplicable generosity of nature, this perfect baby gray whale swam right up to us, raising her head on the boat’s pontoons, letting us caress her and coo to her, and to look right into her eyes. Magic…it was an experience none of us will easily, if ever, forget. And this is not an experience that comes easily, as we often get close looks, but no contact.
The afternoon brought us a great diversity of opportunities. Some of us chose to relax on the Sea Bird and read, sort photos, nap, or just stare at the horizon. Others decided to head to the dunes and play in the sand, jumping and tumbling down cliffs of sand; or walk the wide, flat beaches to admire a colorful array of shells at the water’s edge. Others, not content with just a morning of close encounters with whales, headed off for more watching moms and babies cruising languidly through the bay.
The evening brought us a fabulous feast of local Mexican food, and better yet, live music performed by local artists; a perfect cap to a perfect day in Baja.
Perhaps this is a good time to say something about the crew and how great they are, to a guest. There is a real enthusiasm and love for this place and work that shines in the eyes of the people that run this complex operation. It would be difficult to overstate how much their spirit and talent enhances the quality of our experience. We can only hope they realize how much we appreciate their obvious care and concern for this ecosystem and our interaction with it. Thank you, Sea Bird and her crew!
You know it’s a good day when the Captain of the Sea Bird has said “I love you” to a baby gray whale while looking in her eyes and petting her beautiful head. It’s hard to believe this is only our second day on board this beautiful ship. We awoke to the quiet fog of a still morning, whale breaths sounding in the closeness of the early light, ready for our day of intimate encounters with the great whales.
Our Zodiacs launched shortly after breakfast, following the muses of the whale’s breaths that surrounded the Sea Bird. We saw whales spy hopping, breaching, rolling, logging, mamas and babies, solitary individuals – a feast of whale activity. But we all converged in the middle of Bahia Magdalena when a mom and her baby became interested in us, swimming slowly around our Zodiacs, to the giggling glee of everyone. Then, in the inexplicable generosity of nature, this perfect baby gray whale swam right up to us, raising her head on the boat’s pontoons, letting us caress her and coo to her, and to look right into her eyes. Magic…it was an experience none of us will easily, if ever, forget. And this is not an experience that comes easily, as we often get close looks, but no contact.
The afternoon brought us a great diversity of opportunities. Some of us chose to relax on the Sea Bird and read, sort photos, nap, or just stare at the horizon. Others decided to head to the dunes and play in the sand, jumping and tumbling down cliffs of sand; or walk the wide, flat beaches to admire a colorful array of shells at the water’s edge. Others, not content with just a morning of close encounters with whales, headed off for more watching moms and babies cruising languidly through the bay.
The evening brought us a fabulous feast of local Mexican food, and better yet, live music performed by local artists; a perfect cap to a perfect day in Baja.
Perhaps this is a good time to say something about the crew and how great they are, to a guest. There is a real enthusiasm and love for this place and work that shines in the eyes of the people that run this complex operation. It would be difficult to overstate how much their spirit and talent enhances the quality of our experience. We can only hope they realize how much we appreciate their obvious care and concern for this ecosystem and our interaction with it. Thank you, Sea Bird and her crew!
