San Ignacio, and whale watching at San Ignacio Lagoon
One of the greatest attractions of the Baja California Peninsula and its Pacific side is the presence of grey whales. These animals migrate to four coastal lagoons in Baja California every year in order to mate and give birth. We designated this day as an exciting whale watching opportunity. We anchored at the picturesque town of Santa Rosalia, the most important copper mine center in the whole peninsula. It is not active anymore. Santa Rosalia is located in the Gulf of California, so we had to board vans in order to reach the western shore.
As we progressed over the trans-peninsular highway, we ascended the hills until we reached Las Tres Virgenes (The Three Virgins) volcanoes complex, with their fantastic lava flows cut by the highway. The tortuous road also gave us the chance to contemplate other features of the terrain, like mesas, valleys and small, but steep canyons. The desert vegetation, usually dry and monotonous in color, was at this time in a multi-color dress of yellow of the brittlebush, purple lupines, orange mallows and the deep green of the cardon cacti, organ pipes, yuccas and other typical desert plants. Our vans eventually reached the town of San Ignacio, where we enjoyed coffee and local cakes and empanadas made of dates, banana and cajeta (name for the candy made of goat’s milk). All this was framed by the old Jesuit mission and the typical Mexican-style square.
Later, we arrived at the whale watching camp, had lunch and went aboard the popular fiber-glass boats called pangas. These boats moved to the Boca or mouth of the lagoon and soon we found grey whales. Two of them were solitary young individuals, but one was a pregnant and very tame and gentle female. She moved slowly for a time, apparently comfortable with the human presence of the boats. Then she spy-hopped, and rolled over on her side several times. We were so close that she sprayed us with her powerful exhalations. The whole experience of whale watching included, as a bonus, hundreds of birds, including surf scoters, terns, brants, pelicans, gulls, godwits, cormorants and others, as well as many bottle-nosed dolphins.
One of the greatest attractions of the Baja California Peninsula and its Pacific side is the presence of grey whales. These animals migrate to four coastal lagoons in Baja California every year in order to mate and give birth. We designated this day as an exciting whale watching opportunity. We anchored at the picturesque town of Santa Rosalia, the most important copper mine center in the whole peninsula. It is not active anymore. Santa Rosalia is located in the Gulf of California, so we had to board vans in order to reach the western shore.
As we progressed over the trans-peninsular highway, we ascended the hills until we reached Las Tres Virgenes (The Three Virgins) volcanoes complex, with their fantastic lava flows cut by the highway. The tortuous road also gave us the chance to contemplate other features of the terrain, like mesas, valleys and small, but steep canyons. The desert vegetation, usually dry and monotonous in color, was at this time in a multi-color dress of yellow of the brittlebush, purple lupines, orange mallows and the deep green of the cardon cacti, organ pipes, yuccas and other typical desert plants. Our vans eventually reached the town of San Ignacio, where we enjoyed coffee and local cakes and empanadas made of dates, banana and cajeta (name for the candy made of goat’s milk). All this was framed by the old Jesuit mission and the typical Mexican-style square.
Later, we arrived at the whale watching camp, had lunch and went aboard the popular fiber-glass boats called pangas. These boats moved to the Boca or mouth of the lagoon and soon we found grey whales. Two of them were solitary young individuals, but one was a pregnant and very tame and gentle female. She moved slowly for a time, apparently comfortable with the human presence of the boats. Then she spy-hopped, and rolled over on her side several times. We were so close that she sprayed us with her powerful exhalations. The whole experience of whale watching included, as a bonus, hundreds of birds, including surf scoters, terns, brants, pelicans, gulls, godwits, cormorants and others, as well as many bottle-nosed dolphins.
