I am privileged to work in a number of places with whales. People so often ask if I have a favourite species and a best place. I try very hard not to have, because everywhere can be amazing and difficult (usually weather related), and whales of course do many different and incredible behaviours.
But one place certainly does stand out and that is Baja California-Sur and the unbelievable phenomenon of the ‘friendly’ Grey Whales. The season for this is fast approaching once again. Right now more and more grey whales are arriving in the lagoons in Mexico where they go to breed and give birth. I look forward to meeting them there in just a couple of weeks when Whale Magic Tours, who I work for, starts their new whale camp.
We get to camp on the beach in tents, listening to the whales swimming past as we go to sleep at night and seeing them from our camp. It is one very special place.
Last year a high number of grey whales washed up dead all along the west coast of Mexico, the USA and Canada and many were very emaciated. There is clearly a problem with their food and there has been unusually high temperatures off Alaska recently, their feeding ground.
The whales have started arriving in Baja but they are very late indeed on their migration and we wait to see what kind of numbers manage to make it all the way down this season.
I hope that the ones we see in Ojo de Liebre Lagoon, where I work will appear well fed and healthy and I look forward to hopefully experience some of the incredible curious encounters these whales are famous for in Mexico, where they come and interact with the panga boats and people that go out to see them.
-Judith
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