Mexico, Whales, and Cave paintings
Whales
Each winter, hundreds of gray whales return to their traditional breeding and birthing grounds along the Pacific coast of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula. Their 6,000-mile migration from Alaska’s Bering Sea to these sheltered lagoons is the longest mammal migration on Earth. Nearly hunted to extinction in the past, these gentle leviathans have made a dramatic comeback. Friendly and engaging, they are often intrigued with humans, swimming right up to our open boats in the warm, shallow waters of San Ignacio Lagoon. We may see mothers “showing off” their babies, and our small groups frequently interact with them at close range. The whales entertain us with breaching and spy-hopping, and we sometimes observe mating behavior as well.
Though whale watching is a year-round activity, Baja whale season peaks in the winter months of January through March. However, you can expect to see gray whales off the coast of the Baja peninsula from late December through April.
The first of the gray whales arrive in Baja’s calving lagoons by late December to early January, beginning the Baja gray whale season. Among the first gray whale arrivals in Baja are the pregnant mothers who seek the protection of warm, calm waters in which to bear their calves. Single, fertile female whales seeking mates are also leading the charge. The majority of the gray whales reach Baja’s lagoons by mid-February to mid-March. Once there, they can be seen socializing, mating and giving birth in the calving lagoons.
Cave Paintings
On our last day in San Ignacio we will have breakfast at the camp in Laguna San Ignacio and then join a tour to visit the cave paintings of Cueva del Raton, one of the most accessible cave paintings found in the Sierra de San Francisco. The paintings in the Sierra de San Francisco are thought to be somewhere around 2,000 years old, but recent carbon dating tests have suggested that some of the paintings may have been painted as many as 7,500 years ago. The tour will take 6 hours and require a short hike up a stepped path to the cave.
