The specially designed, removable bait tank (used for sportfishing trips) is easily moved today to make room for our whalewatchers table with seating and storage for snorkeling gear on the back deck, as seen in the photo. It’s one more step towards starting our season!
Captain Art videoed the process: MAKING WHALEWATCHING SPACE!
The UABCS (Universidad Autonoma de Baja California Sur) biologists conducted their second census in Laguna San Ignacio and counted the following: 30 mothers and calves, and 15 single whales, for a total of 75 whales.
A very special mother and calf gray whale in Laguna San Ignacio. Photo by Rob Nawojchik.
The numbers are building! The shore-based census in LA has tracked almost 600 southbound gray whales, most of which will enter one of more of Baja’s lagoons. Keep track of that census here: http://www.acs-la.org/daily.htm.
We’re getting ready to take our lucky eco-tourists south for that family reunion!
UPDATE: The Reserve biologists completed 2017’s first official census of two Baja lagoons on January 16. There are 308 gray whales in Ojo de Liebre and 39 whales in Laguna San Ignacio!
Many thanks to our friends and colleagues at Kuyima for sharing the gray whale news from their home and treasured work space, Laguna San Ignacio.
Click here: Gray Whale Natural History
We look forward to meeting up with these and more gray whales, as our first tour departs on February 7. It’s the start to our annual “family reunion!”
BBC Wildlife Magazine has teamed up with The Travelling Naturalist to offer a special whale watching trip to the tip of Baja California, Mexico, which includes exclusive extras for readers. Click here for details about the tour and the extras–BBC Wildlife Magazine: Discover Wildlife
Rob Nawojchik guides Searcher passengers around the elephant seal haul-out areas on scenic Isla San Benito.
Searcher passengers are vigilant for the moment a whale breaks the surface.
Comfortable indoor salon for meals and programs.
Dolphins on the bow!
BBC WILDLIFE READER HOLIDAY HIGHLIGHTS
Exclusive extras for BBC Wildlife Magazine readers:
Wildlife viewing while enjoying the comfort of a shaded back deck!
WHALE WATCHING IN BAJA CALIFORNIA
When 7 — 20 April 2017
TO BOOK: Call 01305 267994 or email sales@thetravellingnaturalist.com and quote BBC Wildlife Magazine Baja.
Surf Scoter 1
Western Grebe 9
Brandt’s Cormorant 700 Double-crested Cormorant 4 Brown Pelican 17
Great Blue Heron 1
Snowy Egret 10
Willet (Western) 1
Heermann’s Gull 110
Western Gull 195
Caspian Tern 1
Royal Tern 8
Elegant Tern 1
Rock Pigeon 8
Black-footed Albatross 1
Pink-footed Shearwater 21
Sooty shearwater 2
Black-vented Shearwater 650
Leach’s Storm-Petrel 3
Black Storm-Petrel 254
Least Storm-Petrel 5
Brown Booby 2
Red-necked Phalarope 69
Pink-footed Shearwater 4
Sooty Shearwater 1
Leach’s Storm-Petrel 5
Pomarine Jaeger 6
Jaeger sp. 2
Craveri’s Murrelet 5
Sabine’s Gull 3
Western Gull 234
California Gull 2
Common Tern 14
Elegant Tern 28
Black Storm-Petrel 15
Western Gull 20
Common Tern 3
Surf Scoter 1
Black-footed Albatross 7
Pink-footed Shearwater 125
Sooty Shearwater 18
Black-vented Shearwater 564
Ashy Storm-Petrel 2
Black Storm-Petrel 1
Brandt’s Cormorant 556
Pelagic Cormorant 4
Marbled Godwit 5
Red-necked Phalarope 345
South Polar Skua 1
Pomarine Jaeger 4
Parasitic Jaeger 1
Long-tailed Jaeger 11
Common Murre 1
Cassin’s Auklet 8
Sabine’s Gull 3
Western Gull 330
California Gull 5
Common Tern 3
Royal Tern 1
Elegant Tern 13
Brown-headed Cowbird 2
Black-footed Albatross 19
Pink-footed Shearwater 11
Buller’s Shearwater 1
Sooty Shearwater 5
Wilson’s Storm-Petrel 1
Leach’s Storm-Petrel 177
Townsend’s Storm-Petrel 8
Ashy Storm-Petrel 7
White-faced Ibis 1
Red-billed Tropicbird 1
Peep sp 1
Red-necked Phalarope 52
Red Phalarope 50
Pomarine Jaeger 4
Parasitic Jaeger 3
Long-tailed Jaeger 4
Jaeger sp. 2
Cassin’s Auklet 2
Sabine’s Gull 2
Western Gull 12
Arctic Tern 11
Mourning Dove 1
Yellow Warbler 2
Wilson’s Warbler 1
Brown-headed Cowbird 1
Black-footed Albatross 9
Pink-footed Shearwater 14
Wilson’s Storm-Petrel 3
Leach’s Storm-Petrel 306
Townsend’s Storm-Petrel 14
Black Storm-Petrel 88
Red Phalarope 9
Pomarine Jaeger 1
Long-tailed Jaeger 6
Murrelet sp. 1
Sabine’s Gull 1
Western Gull 14
Arctic Tern 2
Black-footed Albatross 11
Pink-footed Shearwater 24
Sooty Shearwater 6
Leach’s Storm-Petrel 15
Townsend’s Storm-Petrel 1
Black Storm-Petrel 12
Red-billed Tropicbird 1
Brown Booby 1
Brandt’s Cormorant 2
Double-crested Cormorant 1
Red-necked Phalarope 64
Red Phalarope 37
Pomarine Jaeger 1
Parasitic Jaeger 6
Long-tailed Jaeger 9
Jaeger sp. 1
Guadalupe Murrelet 1
Craveri’s Murrelet 6
Murrelet sp. 5
Sabine’s Gull 2
Western Gull 235
Common Tern 29
Arctic Tern 1
Elegant Tern 43
Pink-footed Shearwater 5
Black-vented Shearwater 15
Leach’s Storm-Petrel 1
Black Storm-Petrel 105
Least Storm-Petrel 5
Brown Booby 1
Brandt’s Cormorant 1
Red-necked Phalarope 75
Western Gull 20
Common Tern 40
Elegant Tern 3
Many thanks to leaders Todd McGrath, Dave Pereksta, Shawneen Finnegan, and Dave Povey!
Travellers on Tour #2 (click for booking details) will be joined by Searcher naturalist, Lindsay Janes. A British Columbia native, Lindsay is a professional teacher, naturalist, marine biologist, and photographer. She has worked as a multi-day hiking guide, high school science teacher, professional interpreter for the Vancouver Aquarium, and as a fish monitor for the department of Fisheries and Oceans.
Lindsay has been working as a professional naturalist and wildlife guide in the Pacific Northwest for more than 15 years where she has assimilated a wealth of knowledge about the wildlife and cultural heritage of the region. She is an experienced bear guide, has a particular passion for marine wildlife and the ecology of temperate rain forests, and a boundless enthusiasm for sharing her extensive knowledge and experience of this subject too.
Lindsay and husband Lee Morgan operate a natural history tour company based in Canada, www.lutrawildlife.com
Join Searcher crew and Lindsay on this amazing adventure, migrating with the whales and wildlife of Baja California!
