January 11 report for Laguna San Igancio
Our Mexican friends and colleagues in Laguna San Ignacio report that at least two babies and 10-12 adult gray whales have arrived!
13 southbound gray whales counted 2 January 2011
Message from the LA-based shore observers: “Best gray whale day so far despite the rain! First we tracked a large pod of five large, fast-moving whales; most fluked. Shortly after that, we found a pod of three whales. Most of the sightings came within a mile offshore, but one gray whale pair stayed out about two miles offshore. We also spotted common dolphin and bottlenose dolphin.”
Here come the grays!
Shore-based census programs are just starting to count the first southbound gray whales of the season. Travel safe and we’ll meet you in Laguna San Ignacio!
Why do some gray whales allow people to touch them?
Paul Jones answers…
“No one knows why gray whales come so close as to let us touch them and their newborn calves. It’s one of the greater mysteries in the natural world. No other wild mammal—or other large vertebrate—brings its offspring close enough to people for physical contact. It’s awe inspiring. No matter how often I go back to San Ignacio, I’m filled with the same sense of wonder and exuberance.
What does it feel like to touch a whale?
A gray whale feels like tons of solid rubbery wonder, punctuated by large, sharpish shells of barnacles and patches of gritty little whale lice. It’s taut, like a wetsuit on solid muscle. At the same time, it’s smooth and resilient. Should you be lucky enough to touch a follicle, it feels hairy— invoking its mammalian ancestry. To me, gray whales feel like all those wondrous, wet, and wild things.”
Paul will be a naturalist on the February 2011 tour
Research data from Steven Swartz
Some of our passenger may remember Steven, as he rides down aboard Searcher to his research station on Laguna San Ignacio. We help transport some gear as well. The sponsoring organization has an updated web site with research data on gray whales and other wildlife at the lagoon: http://lsiecosystem.org/2010/08/gray-whale-survey-2010/
Laguna San Ignacio’s Gray Whales
It’s Baja California’s “friendly” whales that first attract
many of the people who come here from across the globe.
Eastern Pacific gray whales migrate to Laguna San Ignacio
for mating and calving. Thousands of them gather
between late January and mid-April. We’re honored to be
granted permits from Mexico to share this remarkable
place with our guests, and we make the legendary lagoon-
nursery our home for two days on every Searcher Natural
History Tour.
Due to circumstances no one seems to completely under-
stand, gray whales here—and only here with any regularity
—approach our pangas (small fishing boats) and choose to
interact with humans. Some whales, adults and calves
alike, allow us to touch them on the face and back, and
actually appear to seek out this attention from people.
We’ve been working with local pangueros(fishermen) of
Laguna San Ignacio’s Kuyima co-operative for more than
10 years. We call these men and their families our friends,
and are proud to engage them during the whalewatching
season (when they refrain from fishing so as not to inter-
fere with the whales). Their knowledge of the whales and
the lagoon is vast.
Laguna San Ignacio part of Mexico’s Vizcaino Biosphere
Reserve and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which
provides international attention, concern, and protection to
its gray whales, dolphins, fishes, birds, and other wildlife.
Its pristine state is testimony to Mexico’s efforts to pre-
serve and protect the gray whales and their environment.
A large area of the lagoon is protected from boat traffic
during the gray whale season; here the whales can choose
to be away from boats and people. But the huge lagoon
also includes an observation area where Searcher anchors
and where we can board pangas for a closer look.
