Guide Report: San Ignacio Lagoon

Guide Camp Report  Jan-Feb: Families & Friends - The Heart of the Matter!

Noly Lira

Naturalist/Guide

February 22, 2017

 

We are in full swing with our Gray Whale season here at San Ignacio Lagoon, and as whales and people once again converge on this special body of water, it seems to bring out the best in both species.  It’s barely a month into the season, but we have already witnessed many of the wonderful behaviors of the Pacific Gray Whales that have migrated down from their summer feeding grounds.  

The adult whales have been playing and socializing, while the cows have been nursing, nurturing and teaching their young calves all about the lagoon.

While the whales have made their arduous journey from thousands of miles away, our guests have also traveled great distances to watch them.  So far, we have had visitors from all over the United States, some have driven from Arizona & Texas, and others have flown in from Germany and the United Kingdom.  

Our guests have included inquisitive professionals from many fields of scientific study, as well as people just looking to make another check on their bucket list.  

They all eventually become an extended family by the end of their unique experience at Campo Cortez.

                                          

 

Witnessing a wild, 50-ton mother gray whale nudging her baby up to the side of a panga so that members of another species can caress them is a truly remarkable experience that isn’t found anywhere else on earth.  When I am doing my own observations with my cetacean research, I marvel at the whales' behaviors and often wonder which of the two species is doing the "observing".

 

There are many activities to participate in at Campo Cortez, including beginning your morning with a meditative stretch, kayaking, walking the camp and observing the many incredible birds and flora, and even trying your hand at shaping the perfect (and authentic) tortilla in the camp's family kitchen.

Or decompress with a dance, or do nothing at all.

 

Either way, we are all looking forward to experiencing many more activities in and around the lagoon and of course incredible whale encounters.  Everyone here at camp hopes you can join us soon.

Noly, Naturalist/Guide- Baja Eco Tours

"One touch of Nature makes the Whole World Kin!"   ~ William Shakespeare

San Ignacio Lagoon: Camp Report

Campo Cortez:  Everything gets wet

February 18, 2017

By Maria-Teresa Solomons

Guide Report from Campo Cortez at San Ignacio Lagoon, BCS, Mexico

It’s been a windy deluge of a week at Laguna San Ignacio, but then the world at large has been having similar upheavals and environment reflects some of the things we choose to leave behind when we visit here.

Wind, heavy rain, blustery days, but guests come and go and still depart with hugs and tears.

Some of the most unexpected days of heavy weather when we head out into the waves in rain gear can be the days we come back smiling as broadly as any other. In this last group when the whales supposedly shelter a little from the white caps and appear less spontaneously next to the boats than on most other days, we had three mothers and babies turn their noses towards us to come to interact. The panga was in uproar and as one touch followed another there was the usual boat shuffle shifting sides so that everyone could touch.

There are of course down times when the prolific 360 degree spectacle of breaching, spy-hopping and even now, as some displays of mating surprise everyone and it’s important to remember that observing this as much as the touch, is part of the beauty of the adventure.

You are welcome to choose to begin each day with a gentle centering practice of breathwork which I’ve taken from yoga and Qigong meditation. Most guests have had little practice of either and it might come as a pleasant surprise to stretch without the need to be on all fours, or down at ground level, or sweating into unknown poses, but just to stand and become consciously aware of the elements, that as the wind whips around the edges of the cabins, are actually hard to obscure.

The morning wind as the sun rises is part of that experience, the blanketing yellows and reds on the afternoon horizon, and flocks of willets, and royal terns, skating across the sky before the night stars light up…are the lagoon’s magic qualities that are its double blessing.

It’s a perfect opportunity to be able distance yourself for a few days to slow down and be aware of all those things.

Guide Report: San Ignacio Lagoon

Happy Days

Report from Campo Cortez at San Ignacio LagoonGray Whale Blog & update 

February 17, 2017

By Lorna Kate Hill

Things are really spicing up here at San Ignacio Lagoon. We now have over 200 whales in the lagoon and Campo Cortez is full! We have the Gray Whale Reseerch group visiting from Oregon and they are pretty excited to be here. Lots of gray whale enthusiasts amongst us, ready to have fun with the whales. There has been a lot of mating happening recently amongst the whales, some groups were able to witness the action for a good amount time. It proves to be quite some show!

There is a juvenile male whale in the lagoon that has been named Leonardo. Leonardo loves to play and usually comes up to the boat for a rub and sometimes even a kiss! He is easy to spot as he has almost a fully white rostrum with lots and lots of barnacles. Watch those fingers as you're giving him a rub as you might even get a handful of barnacles at the same time!