Five Day Air Trip To Laguna San Ignacio
By: Noly Lira
From December to March the Pacific Gray whales (Ballena Gris) make their
7,000-14,000 mile annual migration from the frigid Bering sea to the
wonderful, warm waters of the Baja Peninsula.
They travel this great
distance in order to give birth and to care for their young here in the
peninsula's protected lagoons.
Many fortunate people travel by train, plane or automobile just to
witness the unique experience first-hand. On this trip, most of our
group chose to arrive by plane, while a few were self-arrivals who
shared their stories from their own journeys.
Our own adventure began in San Diego and continued on as we boarded our plane and set out for
Campo Cortez a family operated camp right in the middle of the quiet beauty of the
El Vizcaino Bioshere Reserve. 
Campo Cortez is nestled at a point in the lagoons with wonderful views of the gentle, rolling coastline and some beautiful geological scenery.
The camp has comfortable cabins to keep you warm and cozy when the bright Baja sun goes down at the end of another beautiful day.
The initial send off was filled with excitement, not only to see the whales, but the anticipation of the overall experience of the trip and all it had to offer.
Although it may have been a return visit for me, I was still astounded to experience the rugged beauty of the arid desert meeting the shore of these wonderful waters. This vast reserve happens to be Mexico's largest protected area. Perhaps that's why the Ballenas appear so happy here.
We did not have to venture far. The camp is right on the water and
it doesn't take long to get out to all the action: moms with calves, and
single (and amorous) males. The days
began with the most amazing sunrises and just as magnificent sunsets.
The camp is surrounded by a considerable variety of vegetation, including Cardon - a very robust succulent-cactus. To various Cholla, Elephant Tree and Galloping cactus.
The area also has a wealth of bird life, the camp area is ideal for photographers and/or birdwatchers.
After observing some of the different kinds of birds such as the American Oyster Catcher, Brown Pelican, Double Crested-Cormorant and the majestic Osprey near shore, we headed out to the lagoons in search of the Gray Whales
While the camp guests may not know each other when they arrive,
when they leave, they can't help but make some incredible friendships
that I personally hope will last a life
time.
We have all experienced such joy and kindness, from the
Campo Family to the
Great Gentle Giants out in the lagoons. I
Can't wait to visit again.
Of all the experiences one would ever want to have in life, this is an absolute must.
Hope to see
you there sometime soon!
Cheers, Noly
It is so nice when we have little groups… you
are able to connect with everyone on a personal level and give them the most
incredible service. We try to be as awesome with all but small groups are
always more manageable. Enthusiasm does not start to describe the energy this
people brought with them; they were full of passion and love for the whales to
such an extent that it did seem like it was the first time for us as well. 
Highs
in the lower 70s
Some people have luck with the whale trips and
the sightings, but this is the group with more encounters from all the ones we
had so far! Just one time (the last trip) they didn´t touch a whale! The other
five opportunities, they touched mothers and babies and even single females on
heat that were displaying courtship behaviour by rolling on their backs,
showing their tails and pectoral fins and becoming very friendly! We had two at
one occasion at one point were we had two females approaching to the boat and
playing with each other and us for more than 45 minutes! I must say that was
incredible!
Awesome sunshine and heat! This group had the
most amazing luck with the weather… from the winter; it seems that we had moved
to summer without a doubt! We have enjoyed the beautiful grey whales on
t-shirts and believe me that is the first for me! The lagoon gave us a break
from the bad wind and surprised us with a calm and still water that was epic!
And as you can imagine, with good weather, we have found more active babies,
playing nicely in the surface, jumping and trying to breach, while mama stays
close to help him with anything. It is beautiful to see how this behaviour encourages
the mothers to become playful and roll, jump and play with both, their babies
and us! How lucky are we?
I am sure some of you will be happy to know
that on the 2nd of this month, some captain saw CUCARACHAAAAAAA!
Apparently he was with his mother at the end of the lagoon, close to the moth
where it meets with the sea. Maybe that is the reason why we have not been able
to see him for all these days! It is nice to know we can keep hoping to meet
him once more before he goes away! Miss you so much little character!
The lagoon is nearly free of erotic behaviour…
The adults that came to mate here, are already going away and we have reach the
point where the change from activity is already taking place. Now it is time
for the mothers and babies to colonise all the space! And from now on, that is exactly
what it is going to happened! The possibility of encountering a “friendly
whale” increases just because they are the only ones left here! I should tell
you that sometimes, males arras females with babies even when they are not
sexually receptive and that in our whale watcher point of view is not good
news! It makes the mothers and their babies to run away and stress them
unnecessarily. From now on it will be just you little ones, your mothers and
US! Let’s enjoy!
Lows in the mid 40s
Again, as I have stated before, on the windier whale
watching segments there seems to be more spy hopping and breaches. Almost as if
the whales utilize the fast currents with the winds to help gain speed for the
breaching and perhaps spy hopping to get a closer look at it's surroundings. 
We had a great trip exploring the Mangroves on one of the whale watching trips to take shelter from the winds, as we searched for the Tricolored Heron. We can only enter the Mangrove maze on the high tides. We did manage to have some mellow winds for a bulk of the whale watching experience where we had a chance to play with "Princessa" and even an occasional cow and calf. 
Again, as I have stated before, on the windier whale watching segments there seems to be more spy hopping and breaches. Almost as if the whales utilize the fast currents with the winds to help gain speed for the breaching and perhaps spy hopping to get a closer look at it's surroundings. Overall, this too, was another amazing whale watching experience. When the winds kick down, you can really feel the warmth of the desert heat while you soak up some Vitamin D while sipping on a margarita or a cool beer. 
Also notice in the picture of Princessa spy hopping
close to our boat while see exhales through her blowhole. She loved to roll
over and over while we had the privilege to scratch her on her belly. We
examined the barnacles on her head and took caution when petting her not to cut
our fingers. When this does occur, again, no one seems to mind at all. It's
just such an amazing experience that takes place and everyone is filled with
joy. We had an afternoon of slight rain, where it casted a rainbow off in the
distance while we were in the observation area. I was able to catch a spy hop
and the rainbow in the same frame!!
Yes, I have to admit… some people really get
into you and this big group with their energy, sense of humour and amazing
enthusiasm, has been an unforgettable adventure to let go! What a nice mixture
of ages and good vibe! We had live music (guitar and voices) and dancing going
on in the nights, completely unexpected. I am telling you that the term here of
“happy hour” has to be changed to happy evening!
