The National Geographic Sea Lion dropped anchor at Laguna San Ignacio just after dawn. It was a beautiful morning, perfect for looking for grey whales. At this time of the season, mother and calf pairs are still in the lagoon before they migrate north. We boarded local small boats (pangas) and headed out looking for the whales.
The water was calm and whales were plentiful. We were able to see a variety of behaviors, including spy hopping, logging, and lunging. At times whales would come right up to our boats, lifting up out of the water, allowing us to get a close view of the attached barnacles and even their eye. There were special moments where they came close enough to actually touch. It was a delight to be this close to the whales and to run our hands along their smooth skin.
After lunch we headed back out for another round of spending time with these magnificent creatures. As is common during this time of year, the afternoon winds began to pick up so the bay we visited in the morning was not the calm serene place that it had been. The whale behavior was different as well. Mother and calf pairs would come near the boats, swimming alongside them but not coming as close as they had in the morning. One energetic calf put on a spectacular show, breaching numerous times with several of our boats nearby. As the winds continued to pick up, we made our way back to the National Geographic Sea Lion. There’s little doubt that whales will be swimming…and breaching through many of our dreams tonight!
