First published: 01/03/21.

Traveling Girl 4.5

Whale Sanctuary Of El Vizcaino

Whale Sanctuary of El Vizcaino (Inscribed)

Whale Sanctuary of El Vizcaino by Traveling Girl

This is a site that I have visited 3 times, and, for animal lovers,  it does not disappoint.   I'm based in Southern California, so it's a long but do-able drive down the west side of Baja.  In 2017, we drove and enjoyed the incredible "super bloom" in the desert.   In March 2020, we flew from Los Angeles to Loreto, and were in the area precisely as the Covid Lockdown was occurring.  The lockdown altered the last few days of our trip only.   

Unfortunately, the Baja area can be challenging to find accommodations.   There are no chain hotels in the central area, such as San Ignacio, which is the most centrally located for whale watching.  There are some bigger places in Guerrero Negro that might be perfect for people driving down.    We booked a small house through hotels.com in San Ignacio.  Internet was very sketchy there and the accommodations are very basic.    Also it can be difficult to plan the boating trips in advance.   This can limit the pre-trip enthusiasm, because it's a long drive in from either the West or East Baja coast, and people prefer to know with certainty that they'll be getting on a boat once they get there.   Somehow, it's always worked out for us.  

It's a fairly long (30-45 minutes) drive to the dock from San Igancio, and about the same if  you're going to the Guerrero Negro sites.   The roads are dirt.  There's little or no traffic.   It's marked but not often.  

The boats, small "panga" fishing boats, hold about 8-12 passengers.   The boats leave from the dock twice a day.  Mornings are usually calmer.   Your captain may or may not speak English.  Many are Spanish speaking only.  There is no educational narrative.   You'll take the boat out of the docking area and into the deeper part of the bay.   If you go in the heart of calving season, and before they head north, there will be whales everywhere.   A fin here, tails there, spouts or breeching there.  Some will be very near the boat, some (most) off in the distance.  Your captain will try to get you close to as many whales as he can.    Ideally, you'll find some whales that are curious about the boat, and hang around or swim slowly nearby.   The very curious ones might come up and hang around the boat for a while... a few minutes to half an hour or more... and come up to have a close look at you.   It's incredible to look eye to eye with a whale that's come up to your boat to have a peek at you.   People will reach out and touch them if they get that close.   

For anyone interested in whales, it's a trip worth doing.  

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