Gray Whale Watching guide in Baja California Sur (Mexico): everything you need to know

In the Mexican state of Baja California Sur there are several lagoons, home of the gray whales, where they are born and return every year, where they feel safe from their main predators, where they reproduce, give birth and strengthen their calves before embarking on their long journey to the Arctic. It is very exciting to contemplate them at home, in their habitat, in freedom and when one of the whales decides to approach the boat, something magical happens that became one of the best experiences we have had in Randomtrip.

The 2025 season has already started, the first gray whales have already arrived!

If you also want to live this experience, in this guide you will find everything you need to do the gray whale watching activity in Baja California Sur (Mexico) with practical information about the best season to go, prices, where to do it, how to get to those places in Mexico where it is possible to see them, who to do it with, how many days, whale watching rules and even where to stay so that your experience is as special as ours was.

Check out our complete guide to Baja California Sur if you are planning a trip to the area.

Basic facts for gray whale watching in Baja California Sur

How to get there: Baja California Sur has 3 airports, Los Cabos, La Paz and Loreto, being La Paz and Loreto airports the closest to the gray whale watching spots. We recommend that you use flight comparators such as Skyscanner and Kiwi and be flexible with dates to get the best possible price. Once in the peninsula, the easiest way to get around is to rent a car. More info here

When to go: From December to April (depending on the year). The best time to go is usually between February and March. More info here

How many days: If you want to have more chances to see gray whales, or if you want to enjoy this wonder several times (in the same place or in several places), it is advisable to make several sighting attempts on different days.

Rules: Whale watching is happily regulated in Mexico. In the case of gray whales, NOM-131-SEMARNAT-2010 and/or the specific Management Program for the El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve apply, depending on the location. At Randomtrip we always advocate animal welfare over human entertainment. More info here.

How to do the whale watching: On boat tours with authorized operators. More info about the tours here.

Who to do the tours with: It is important to choose a responsible company. At Randomtrip we recommend an operator at each sighting site, with whom we did the tour(s). More info here.

How much does it cost: The price of the tours varies between between 50 USD and 130 USD depending on the place and the operator. More info here.

Weather: The weather during gray whale watching season is usually cool/cold at night and in the early morning, and sunny/hot during the day.

What to bring: Sun protection (sunscreen, sunglasses, cap/cap…), a windbreaker for the cold at dawn and on the fast boat rides, cameras (smartphone, GoPro, professional camera…), water (preferably in a refillable bottle). More info here.

Where to stay: The ideal is to sleep near the sighting sites (Guerrero Negro, San Ignacio, Puerto San Carlos, Puerto Chale), although in the case of Puerto Chale you can sleep in La Paz. More info here.

Language: Most tourists tend to be from the United States, so it is common for both Spanish and English to be spoken, although most captains only speak Spanish.

Currency: MXN ($) Mexican Peso (1$ equals 20$ MXN approx.). Check the updated exchange rate here

Internet connection: If you are visiting for a few days, your phone supports eSIM and you don’t want to complicate things, we recommend Holafly eSIM (unlimited data, 5% discount with the code RANDOMTRIP) or Airalo eSIM (limited data, but cheaper, 15% discount with the code RANDOMTRIP15). Otherwise, the cheapest way is to get a local SIM (we recommend Telcel). More info here

Where is Baja California Sur?

Baja California Sur is the southern half of the Baja California peninsula, which is located in western Mexico:

How to get to Baja California Sur

The airports in Baja California Sur are the following:

• Loreto Airport
• La Paz Airport
• Los Cabos Airport

Depending on your goal when visiting Baja California Sur (if you are going to do a multi-day tour or if you are coming exclusively to see gray whales in one of the specific spots) we recommend you to choose the most suitable airport(s) for you and use flight comparators such as Skyscanner and Kiwi and be flexible with the dates to get the best possible price. The closest airports to the gray whale watching spots are La Paz and Loreto.

Once in Baja California Sur, the easiest way to get around is by car (owned or rented), so you can have the freedom to move around at your own pace and avoid wasting a lot of time getting around. In our case we rented a car at the Los Cabos airport, where we landed, for our one month trip through Baja California Sur.

The other options are private transportation, or public transportation, although the times are longer and the combinations are worse. Autobuses Aguila connects the main cities of the peninsula between Los Cabos and Tijuana.

Where in Baja California Sur is it possible to see gray whales?

Gray whales travel thousands of miles from the Arctic, every year, to spend the winter in the warmer and safer waters of Baja California Sur. Because of this, there are 5 main places where it is possible and easy to see them:

• Ojo de Liebre Lagoon (Guerrero Negro)
• San Ignacio Lagoon (San Ignacio)
• Santo Domingo Channel (Adolfo Lopez Mateos Port)
• Magdalena Bay (Puerto San Carlos)
• Almejas Bay (Puerto Chale)

Here you can see the 5 locations on a map:

Where is the best place in Baja California Sur to see gray whales?

In the case of Randomtrip we did tours in 4 of the 5 places where gray whale watching is possible (we missed the Santo Domingo Channel, where the tours were cancelled the day we were going due to bad weather). Which place is best depends on several factors, the main one being luck. But the season, the number of whales arriving at each place, the number of boats, etc. also play a role.

In all the tours we saw many whales and very close, although without a doubt, the place where we saw the most whales, the closest, for the longest time, was in Ojo de Liebre Lagoon (Guerrero Negro), where we had up to 6 whales interacting with our boat for almost an hour.

In our opinion, any of the places will give you the chance to see the gray whales up close, and the luck you have that day will mark the experience, so we recommend that you choose the option or options that best fit with your itinerary and the other plans you want to make. In fact, if like Randomtrip you make a long trip to Baja California Sur, our recommendation is that you do tours in several places, to increase your chances of enjoying the gray whales.

How many gray whales are there in Baja California Sur?

At all 5 sites the number of whales is monitored every year, so there is some data to compare the number of whales at each site. This does not mean anything either, since what makes gray whale watching special is when they come close and interact with the boat, and in our opinion, it is better to see only a single whale close interacting than 10 or 20 in the distance.

This is the official data on the number of gray whales during the 2025 season (data obtained from here and here):

Week (Monday)	Bahía Almejas (Puerto Chale)	Bahía Magdalena (Puerto San Carlos)	Canal de Santo Domingo (Puerto Adolfo López Mateos)	Laguna San Ignacio (San Ignacio)	Laguna Ojo de Liebre (Guerrero Negro)
13/01/2025					67
20/01/2025	52	1	0	9	97
27/01/2025				5	174
04/02/2025	178	15	2	17	235
10/02/2025				28	318
17/02/2025	296	81	9	50	484
24/02/2025	230	110	6	63	568
03/03/2025				112	385
10/03/2025	168	126	9	87	334
17/03/2025				78	151
Week (Monday)	Bahía Almejas	Bahía Magdalena	Canal de Santo Domingo	Laguna San Ignacio	Laguna Ojo de Liebre

This is the official data on the number of gray whales during the 2024 season (data obtained from here and here):

Week (Monday)	Bahía Almejas (Puerto Chale)	Bahía Magdalena (Puerto San Carlos)	Canal de Santo Domingo (Puerto Adolfo López Mateos)	Laguna San Ignacio (San Ignacio)	Laguna Ojo de Liebre (Guerrero Negro)
15/01/2024		1	0	14	42
22/01/2024	64			15	194
29/01/2024		10		50	370
05/02/2024	219		4	79
12/02/2024				123	594
19/02/2024	243	35	19	219	758
26/02/2024				98	629
04/03/2024	40	5		85
11/03/2024			1	67	125
18/03/2024				9	99
25/03/2024					39
Week (Monday)	Bahía Almejas	Bahía Magdalena	Canal de Santo Domingo	Laguna San Ignacio	Laguna Ojo de Liebre

As you can see in the 2024 data , the week with the most whales was February 19 (we have put the data in bold), although this may vary from year to year. The area with the most whales was undoubtedly Laguna Ojo de Liebre (in Guerrero Negro), and a total of 1274 gray whales were counted in that week of February for all sites.

At Randomtrip we did all 6 tours right on those dates, and we had excellent experiences in all of them. Specifically we did the tours on these days:

• 15th of February: Almejas Bay (Puerto Chale)
• 19th of February: Magdalena Bay (Puerto San Carlos)
• 20th of February: Magdalena Bay (Puerto San Carlos)
• 21th of February: Magdalena Bay (Puerto San Carlos)
• 24th of February: Ojo de Liebre Lagoon (Guerrero Negro)
• 25th of February: San Ignacio Lagoon (San Ignacio)

Best time to see gray whales in Baja California Sur

As you have seen in the table above, the best time is usually between February and March, although it is possible to see gray whales from December to April, depending on the year (remember that we are talking about wild animals in their habitat). Here we explain why.

Gray whale season in Baja California Sur

The “official” season runs from December to April, but it is important to understand that we are talking about a free-ranging migratory species. Gray whales start arriving in the lagoons of Baja California Sur usually at the end of December and begin to leave back to the cold Arctic waters at the end of March.

During all this time it is possible to see gray whales, although the “peak” (when there are more whales) is usually between February/March.

This can vary from year to year, so there is no way to predict it exactly, but it is best to avoid the shoulders of the season (December and April) to have a better chance of seeing them.

It is also important to understand that the season varies in different areas: the whales tend to arrive earlier and leave later to the northernmost lagoons (Ojo de Liebre and San Ignacio), having a somewhat longer season, while they arrive later and leave earlier to the southern lagoons.

On the other hand, the number of whales is not the only important factor for the tour experience: remember that gray whales migrate to these waters during the winter to calve and mate, so their behavior also varies. We were told that:

• The first gray whales to arrive, at the end of December/beginning of January, are usually those that are pregnant and about to give birth, which are more protective and therefore come less close to the boats.
• From mid-January to mid-February, the number of gray whales begins to increase in all areas, with all types of whales (mothers, calves, adult males, adult females, juveniles…). In mid-February the maximum number of whales is usually reached (in 2024 it was the week of February 19), so the chances of seeing many and very varied whales is very high at this time of year.
• From mid-February onwards, the whales begin to leave to start their migration northwards again, the last to leave being the mothers with their calves.

In our case, with the main objective of whale watching, we visited Baja California Sur from February 7 to March 7, we did the tours between February 15 and February 25, and we managed to see gray whales in all the points of Baja California Sur where we did whale watching.

Best time of the day to see gray whales

Based on data and statistics, there is no best or worst time of day for gray whale watching: it is possible to see them at any time of the day.

Whether we can see them, whether they are closer or farther away, more curious or less curious, whether they come closer to the boat, depends on a multitude of factors: on the whales themselves and their personality, on luck, on the state of the sea, on the weather, etc.

In gray whale watching what stands out the most is when they come very close to the boats, more than any other type of whale, so luck in this case is not measured by how many whales you see, but by having the opportunity that one or some of them come close to your boat. As we said, in our opinion it is better to see only one gray whale close to the boat than 10 or 20 in the distance. Although just seeing them, near or far, is a great experience and a privilege.

If you get seasick on the boat, ideally you should take a pill before, and choose the tours that leave earlier, since the sea is usually calmer, although as everything depends on the day.

RandomTip: An important thing to keep in mind before you go whale watching is to adjust your expectations! Remember that just the fact of being able to see them is a gift of nature (it is the wonder of seeing wild animals in the wild, the feeling that you won the lottery) and it is always the whales that choose whether to get closer to the boat or not (and never the other way around).

Information and curiosities about the gray whales

Here are some facts and curiosities about gray whales

Brief history of gray whales

Gray whales are one of the oldest species of whales, having existed for 30 million years. They are a migratory species, with one of the longest known migratory routes among all mammals, traveling between 16,000 and 22,000 kilometers in total.

During the whaling era, they were hunted almost to extinction in the same lagoons of Mexico where today we can see them very closely, taking advantage of their fragility (this is where they come to mate, give birth and begin to raise their calves). Fortunately, whaling was banned in the 1980s, and since then the gray whale population has grown.

Although they also existed in the Atlantic in the past, that population is considered extinct due to whaling, and today we find them in the Pacific. Recently (March 2024) the sighting of a gray whale in the Atlantic was confirmed, although the reason is not to rejoice. Everything indicates that the passage from the Pacific to the Atlantic (normally blocked by ice) was possible as a consequence of climate change.

Why are they called gray whales?

The name of gray whales comes precisely from their characteristic gray color. Although, especially the adults, they usually carry “complements” or the marks left by these complements. These complements are called “barnacles” and are crustaceans (you may have seen them in the shells of mussels) that cling to the whales when they go down to the bottom of the sea to feed.

How big are gray whales and how much do they weigh?

Adult gray whales measure between 11 and 15 meters, and can weigh up to 45 tons. Newborn gray whale calves measure between 4.6 and 4.9 meters, and weigh between 680 and 920 kg.

What is the migratory route of gray whales?

Gray whales are a migratory species, which follow more or less the following route:

According to what they told us, this is their route every year:

• From December/January to March/April they are in the lagoons of Baja California Sur, mating, giving birth and teaching their offspring.
• From March/April to May/June they make their northward migration to the Arctic.
• From July/August to October/November they are in the Arctic, where they mainly feed.
• From October/November to December/January they migrate south to Baja California Sur.

It is the longest known migratory route among mammals, traveling between 16,000 and 22,000 kilometers in total.

When and how do they have their calves?

Gray whales mate in the lagoons of Baja California Sur, Mexico, during the winter. Their gestation process lasts one year, so when they return from their migratory route, they arrive to these same lagoons, with warmer waters, to give birth and start teaching the calf and allow it to gain strength and blubber to endure its first migration to cold waters in the arctic. Gray whales may give birth to a calf every 2 years.

How long do gray whales live?

Gray whales are believed to live approximately 40 years.

Where are the gray whales from?

The gray whales are from the World, but since they are born and breed in the lagoons of Baja California Sur, the Mexican people told us that they are from there, Mexican.

They are a symbol in Mexico, and even appear on 500 peso bills.

What do gray whales feed on?

Gray whales feed mainly on krill (a type of crustacean) and other small organisms such as small fish and plankton.

To feed, they go to the sandy bottoms where they crawl sideways and obtain food by filtering the sand thanks to their baleen. Yes, gray whales have baleen and not teeth. There are baleen cetaceans, such as the gray whale and the humpback whale, and toothed cetaceans such as sperm whales, dolphins and killer whales.

Are gray whales dangerous?

In the past, gray whales were known as “devil fish” because during the whaling season, mothers fought back fiercely and attacked boats to protect their calves.

Whaling was banned in the 1980s, and since then, gray whales are not only not dangerous, but they are the type of whale that comes closest to boats, slowly and delicately.

As we told you before, gray whales, like the rest of the whales, do not have teeth, but baleen, so in that sense we cannot consider them a danger either. Although you don’t want to put your hand in their baleen either, because once they close their mouths, you won’t be able to take your hand out and they will drag you… One more reason to observe and not to touch that we will discuss in detail in the section of the guide Can you touch and kiss gray whales?

On the other hand, the size of the whale would not allow it to be able to swallow a person. In fact, according to what we were told, the throat of a gray whale only swallows a maximum of about the size of a human fist.

How do gray whales sleep?

Unlike other mammals, gray whales do not sleep “completely”: they take a kind of naps in which they keep moving, close to the surface in order to breathe, and during these naps they are not fully asleep. In theory, one of the hemispheres of their brain rests while the other remains active, allowing the gray whale to maintain a small level of consciousness.

What are the gray whales’ predators?

Killer whales are the largest predator of gray whales. Hence they are called killer whales, which should be rather the other way around (whale killers), because killer whales are not whales (they are dolphins). Killer whales are very intelligent and social, they hunt in groups and their prey are normally gray whale calves, as they are easier to attack. Another interesting fact is that once they manage to hunt a gray whale, the only thing they eat is its tongue, which is the largest muscle with the most protein, leaving the rest of the body for other animals in the food chain.

The other threats to gray whales are people (unfortunately illegal hunting persists, as we were told, mostly from countries such as Japan, China and Russia, in addition to other threats such as collisions with boats, fishing nets, climate change…), and to a lesser extent, polar bears and sharks.

Are gray whales endangered?

Although during the time of their hunting, gray whales were on the verge of extinction, thanks to the hunting ban they are no longer endangered.

Why do gray whales come so close to boats?

It is not known for sure why gray whales have this behavior and come so close to boats, to the point of “letting themselves be touched” by people. There are many theories about it (curiosity, trust in people, to be scratched…) but none confirmed. Since we are not gray whales nor can we think like them, it is a very difficult mystery to solve.

All we can do is enjoy this activity and see them up close, responsibly and with the welfare of the gray whale as a top priority.

Gray whale watching rules in Baja California Sur

Mexico is a country that, fortunately, has a strong regulation and protection of whales, so whale watching activities must follow certain rules and the boats must have the corresponding official permit.

In the case of gray whale watching in Baja California Sur, the rule that applies is NOM-131-SEMARNAT-2010 (if you are curious, you can read it here), and in the specific case of the El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve and Laguna Ojo de Liebre, to which Laguna Ojo de Liebre and Laguna San Ignacio belong, the specific Management Program for the El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve applies. The following is a summary of the rules

• The vessel/captain must have official authorization and carry the flag (distinctive) visible on the vessel.
• In the presence of whales, the maximum speed is 5 knots (9km/h), decreasing to 2 knots (4km/h) when entering the observation zone. The boat should always go at a slower speed than the slowest whale and avoid accelerating or decelerating abruptly.
• Maximum 4 boats with each whale or group of whales (2 in the case of Laguna Ojo de Liebre and Laguna San Ignacio). If other boats wish to observe the same whale or group of whales, they must wait at a distance of 240 meters.
• The maximum distance the boat can approach the whale is 60 meters (30 in the case of Laguna Ojo de Liebre and Laguna San Ignacio).
• The approach to the whale or group of whales must be made diagonally, from the rear side, and the vessel must sail parallel to the whale or group.
• If the whale or group of whales stop, the vessel must remain with the engine running and in neutral position. It is at this time that the gray whales may decide, voluntarily, to approach the vessel.
• Maximum 30 minutes with the whale or group of whales, although if what is explained in the previous point happens (with the boat stopped, the whale or group of whales approaches) the time limit is when the whale or group of whales decide to leave (maximum time limit is indefinite in the case of Laguna Ojo de Liebre and Laguna San Ignacio, although the tours have a time limit).
• If the whale or pod exhibits evasive behavior, the vessel(s) should immediately move away.
• During whale watching it is forbidden to:
  • Harass (“Act that interferes with the natural behavior of whales, as well as forcing physical contact with them”) or harm whales.
  • Dispersing whales
  • Interfering between mother and calf, or approaching whales that are mating or calving
  • Engage in other activities such as fishing, diving, swimming, etc…. (i.e. it is strictly forbidden to jump into the water in the presence of whales).
  • Use other vessels (jet skis, kayaks, etc.).
  • Throwing waste into the sea
  • Catching or collecting wildlife, as well as bringing it in.
  • Carrying pets on board (except guide dogs).
  • Feeding whales
  • Towing objects or dragging ropes, nets, hooks, etc.

In addition, the sighting zones in each lagoon or bay are clearly marked or defined, so that only those permitted areas are operated in.

Can gray whales be touched or kissed?

This is a rather controversial topic: if you’ve looked up some information about gray whale watching in Baja California Sur, you’ve probably already seen images or videos (either on social networks or on the websites of service providers) in which people are seen touching, petting or even kissing a gray whale.

If you read the norms that regulate the activity and that we summarized in the previous point (NOM-131-SEMARNAT-2010 and the El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve Management Program) you will see that there is no explicit reference to touching gray whales, and therefore, probably unintentionally, it is not prohibited by law to touch gray whales. Obviously, just because something is not prohibited does not mean that it should be done, and in our opinion, this type of interaction should not be allowed, at least not the way it is currently done.

After talking and asking questions during our trip to different people with knowledge on the subject (mostly biologists that we have met during our month in Baja California Sur), they all agreed that physical contact with the gray whale should not be allowed and that it should be prohibited, because besides being ethically questionable, it can also be dangerous, for the following reasons:

• Whales, like other species, have maternal instincts. Gray whales come to Baja California Sur to mate and give birth, so it is common for them to be with their calves. Any approach, well-intentioned or not, can be perceived as a threat and generate violent behavior on the part of the mother.
• Touching them can expose the person to diseases (some of those associated with marine mammals are brucellosis, tuberculosis and leptospirosis), and vice versa.
• Whales have lice, which we saw at the Whale Museum in La Paz, that can cause diseases to people, as there have already been cases.

Although we could affirm that the interaction is initiated by the whale, and that this behavior of the gray whale in these Mexican lagoons and bays is unique in the world, the impact that this interaction may be having on them is unknown. The companies and people involved defend that there is no evidence that touching them is harmful to them, but the rules do state the following:

Principle 15 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development states: “In order to protect the environment, the precautionary approach shall be widely applied by States according to their capabilities. Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation“.

On the other hand, even if there was certainty that touching them does not have a negative impact on the gray whales, the popularity that the activity is reaching means that, based on our experience, more than 95% of the people who come to do the activity have the goal of touching/kissing a whale. During the different 6 tours we did (in Magdalena Bay, Almejas Bay, San Ignacio Lagoon and Ojo de Liebre Lagoon) we were able to observe behaviors caused by the desire to touch the whale that were detrimental to the whale:

• On one of the tours, a person from another boat fell into the sea while trying to touch a whale, which clearly was not close enough to the boat and did not seem to be interested in being touched. The person was not wearing a life jacket.
• On another tour, a person who came on our boat wanted to kiss a whale. When she had the opportunity (which lasted a few seconds) the person ran to where the whale was, jumped over me, and pounced on the whale to kiss it, dropping her cap on top of the whale, which she quickly picked up roughly. The whale left immediately afterwards.
• On another tour, the whales that day were not particularly friendly: we were seeing many but they were not approaching the boat. One of the people on our boat was also expressing her goal of touching one. As soon as one whale came close enough to the boat, he ran over to touch it and take a photo, which caused the whale to change its behavior and leave.

These 3 cases, in our opinion, do qualify as harassment, and therefore illegal under the rules established in NOM-131-SEMARNAT-2010. The problem with allowing whale touching without educating tourists about it and without surveillance, is that as tourism increases in the area, the cases that we know are harmful will also increase, generating a tourism that is neither sustainable nor respectful of these majestic animals. As tourism increases, if the number of “friendly whales” does not increase, the pressure on captains and on the whales increases, due to the intention and objective of the people who come here to touch one.

We understand that for many people it is a dream to be able to touch a whale, but if you are reading this, we urge you to reconsider: just seeing them up close is incredible enough and you will be contributing to a more responsible and sustainable activity.

Are gray whale watching rules adhered to in Baja California Sur?

In our experience, for the most part they are adhered to, and it is clear that the people involved (mostly fishing captains) have respect for the animals and good intentions. Unfortunately, not always and not everyone complies with the rules, and due to the tipping culture and people’s anxiety to touch/kiss the whales, captains are pressured to perform actions they should not, which they fail to stop for fear of losing money and/or lack of communication skills (most tourists are English speaking, and most captains do not speak English).

In our case, in one of the 6 gray whale watching tours we did in Baja California Sur (we did tours in Magdalena Bay, Almejas Bay, San Ignacio Lagoon and Ojo de Liebre Lagoon), at a particular point where a whale was located there were at one point 14 boats (exceeding the limit of 4). When we initially approached the whale our captain told us that we could not approach because there were already several boats and we had to wait our turn, but other boats arrived that did not respect the rule and that group of 14 boats was formed.

That is why it is important to hire tours with authorized operators, with good reputation and that you can verify that they comply with the rules. It is also very important that you read the rules, and give a warning and/or report to the authorities in case of non-compliance, and even share them with other people on the same boat, who may not know what the rules are.

In our opinion, it should be mandatory to have a guide on board (a biologist) to ensure that the rules are followed, explain to the people who are doing the tour what they see, and call attention in case someone does something wrong or tries to pressure the captain.

How are the tours to see gray whales in Baja California Sur?

Since these are wild animals in their habitat, there is no way to know for sure if you will see the whales or not, in which area they are or anything like that, and that is why it is important to adjust your expectations, although in all the tours we did we saw lots and lots of gray whales.

On gray whale watching tours, the boats go out to the areas where whale watching is allowed, and they sail in search of any sign of the whale (usually the blowing), an event that can take minutes or hours (you must be patient). There is also communication between captains to warn when they see some.

Once a whale or group of whales is detected, the boat sails towards them up to the maximum distance allowed. Once close, if the whale is moving, the boat can accompany it in parallel from a maximum distance allowed, and if it stops or approaches the boat, the boat must stop and leave the engine in neutral position.

It is at this moment when the magic can happen: the gray whale or group of whales approaching the boat. It is important to understand that this does not happen every day, nor on every tour. In Randomtrip we did 6 tours, and in 2 of them the whales were less friendly (we still saw many, some close, but they did not come so close to interact with the boat). On the other 4 we did have better luck and several magical encounters of this type. So adjust your expectations!

RandomTip: Always adjust your expectations but according to the captains we did the tours with the year we went, if you go from January 15 to March 15, you are guaranteed to see them (you don’t know how far away they are because the approach depends on them). As always, this was our experience and the dates may even vary from year to year (and even more so with the acceleration of climate change).

If you are lucky enough to have the gray whale come close to the boat and stay, you will be able to enjoy seeing it up close. Normally the gray whales pass under the boat, “rub” or scratch against the boat (you will notice how they move it! some gray whales are bigger than the boat), come out to breathe very close to the boat, poke their heads out, etc. At Randomtrip we had the opportunity to see them up close (especially in 4 of the 6 tours), as you can see in the pictures, and even record them underwater with our GoPro from the boat. It is a spectacle of nature and a privilege to be able to attend this kind of encounters.

How long that encounter lasts and what happens during it will depend exclusively on the whales. It is said that if you splash your hands in the water when they are close and/or if you talk to them, it is possible to encourage them to come closer, although there is no scientific evidence in this regard. During this type of encounter, the boat should remain with the engine on and in neutral position, without moving, and can stay there until the gray whale or group of gray whales decides to move away.

Keep in mind that even if you are lucky enough to have one of these magical encounters happen, it may only last a few minutes, so you will most likely spend most of the hours of the tour watching gray whales further away, so again, adjust your expectations!

Observable behaviors of gray whales

These are the most common behaviors of gray whales on the surface that you will see during the tour:

• Blowing: when they come out to breathe, they emit a blowing sound that can reach several meters high and be seen from far away.
• Breaching: they take a large part of their body out of the water vertically and fall on their back, generating a large splash. This is not as common in gray whales, and if they do it is usually farther away from the boats. In Randomtrip we were able to see some of them jumping (in Magdalena Bay, Almejas Bay and Laguna San Ignacio), but very far away.
• Spyhopping: they only stick their heads vertically out of the water, observing their surroundings. We have seen this behavior on almost every tour and it is one of our favorites, we love it when they do it!
• Slapping: they hit the water with their fin or tail, generating a splash.
• Interaction with the boat: rubbing against the bottom of the boat or its sides, getting close, sticking their heads out nearby… this is the behavior that every person who takes the tour wants to see and we had the privilege of seeing it several times.
• Fluking: usually indicates that the gray whale is going for a deep dive, so if we see the tail it means that the whale is leaving and it will take a few minutes to resurface.

How long are the gray whale watching tours?

It depends on the area, the tour, the company and the price. Here we leave you the duration of the different tours that we did or of which we requested information:

Location	Company	Duration	Price per person
Bahía Almejas (Puerto Chale)	Camacho’s Tours	2h	600 pesos (30 USD)
Magdalena Bay (Puerto San Carlos)	Magdalena Bay Whales	4 to 6h	127 USD
Santo Domingo Channel (Adolfo Lopez Mateos Port)	Gray Whale Sanctuary	2h	800 pesos (40 USD)
San Ignacio Lagoon (San Ignacio)	Antonio’s Ecotours	2h	75 USD
Ojo de Liebre Lagoon (Guerrero Negro)	Mario’s Tours	3h	950 pesos (50 USD)

How many people go on the boat?

It depends on the tour, the company and the price: there will always be a captain and the number of tourists that corresponds to the maximum number of places that the boat has. Of course, the ideal is that there are not many people per boat but, in our opinion, we do not believe that there should be private tours (which there are, although in Randomtrip we did not want to do it this way) because the more private tours, the more boats on the water…

In the tours we did, most of the boats had a capacity for 12-14 people, and were almost always full or with one person less, except in Magdalena Bay, where the boats had a capacity for 6 people and we were always 5-6 people.

How much do gray whale watching tours in Baja California Sur cost?

The price depends on the company you go with, the duration, the type of boat used, the number of persons…

The prices in 2024 from the operators we did the tours with or contacted were as follows (they may go up in 2025), in all cases for shared tours:

Location	Company	Duration	Price per person
Bahía Almejas (Puerto Chale)	Camacho’s Tours	2h	600 pesos (30 USD)
Magdalena Bay (Puerto San Carlos)	Magdalena Bay Whales	4 to 6h	127 USD
Santo Domingo Channel (Adolfo Lopez Mateos Port)	Gray Whale Sanctuary	2h	800 pesos (40 USD)
San Ignacio Lagoon (San Ignacio)	Antonio’s Ecotours	2h	75 USD
Ojo de Liebre Lagoon (Guerrero Negro)	Mario’s Tours	3h	950 pesos (50 USD)

Since it is an activity with wild animals in their habitat where the main goal is that they are respected and that it is done under the current regulations, we recommend that you do not look for the cheapest operator, and that you do some research on who you are going to do it with and their position regarding the welfare of these animals.

Recommended companies for responsible gray whale watching

Based on what we indicated, fortunately the activity is regulated and you can only do the tour with authorized boats. Given that even then there are boats that do not comply with the rules, the most important thing is that you choose well with whom you are going to do the tour, and that you express when the tour starts your intentions to make a responsible sighting and following the rules.

These are the companies we recommend for gray whale watching tours in every part of Baja California Sur that follow the rules and care about the welfare of the gray whales:

Location	Company	Duration	Price per person
Bahía Almejas (Puerto Chale)	Camacho’s Tours	2h	600 pesos (30 USD)
Magdalena Bay (Puerto San Carlos)	Magdalena Bay Whales	4 to 6h	127 USD
Santo Domingo Channel (Adolfo Lopez Mateos Port)	Gray Whale Sanctuary	2h	800 pesos (40 USD)
San Ignacio Lagoon (San Ignacio)	Antonio’s Ecotours	2h	75 USD
Ojo de Liebre Lagoon (Guerrero Negro)	Mario’s Tours	3h	950 pesos (50 USD)

Things to see and do in Baja California Sur

Besides seeing gray whales, Baja California Sur has a lot to offer, so take advantage of your trip to see some of its wonders. Soon we will publish our complete guide to travel to Baja California Sur, but for now here are some of the things to see and do:

• In addition to the gray whales, at about the same time you can also see humpback whales in Los Cabos and blue whales in Loreto.
• Also at the same time you can snorkel with whale sharks in La Paz, and also with sea lions.
• Be sure to visit the famous and beautiful beaches of La Paz, as well as the city itself with its incredible sunsets.
• Los Cabos (Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo) are the most touristic area, so it is best to avoid them during the famous Spring Break, but they are worth a visit for whale watching, the famous arch and the
• If you dive, Cabo Pulmo is one of the best places to do it; if you don’t dive it also has wonderful beaches and good snorkeling.
• Todos Santos is a magical town with charm
• Loreto, in addition to the blue whale, has a national park with beautiful islands.
• Heroica Mulegé, besides being a green oasis in the peninsula, has next to it some of the most beautiful beaches in Baja California Sur, Bahía Concepción.
• Guerrero Negro, in addition to the gray whales, has the largest salt mine in the world, where it is possible to float in its pools and watch magical sunsets in the dunes of solitude.

Recommendations to visit Baja California Sur and watch gray whales as a responsible tourist

At Randomtrip we always advocate animal welfare over human entertainment, so here are our recommendations for this activity, based on our experience:

• Adjust your expectations: If you go during the season we recommend at Randomtrip, you will probably see whales, but there is no guarantee how far away you will see them as it depends 100% on them.
• Increase your patience: In our 6 tours in Baja California Sur, 70/80% of the time we saw the whales far away (in social media we show only the most exciting bits) so most of the time is spent in contemplation and waiting. You never know what nature is going to give you that day but remember that just being there is a privilege.
• Never ask the captain to get any closer. The captains know the rules by heart, they know the boat and the area like the back of their hand, the changes in the tides and the wind and they have been observing the behavior of the whales for years so listen to them and do not force them to break the rules. If the whale wants to approach your boat, it will and in fact it does so many times in this unique place in the world. Unfortunately, even though there are regulations to abide by, sometimes captains, in order to please clients, give in to forcing some rules because of client pressure. Don’t do it and remember to always put the welfare of the animal before your entertainment.
• Do not touch or kiss the whale. No matter how many photos and videos you see on social media touching (or even kissing) the whale, based on everything we have discussed in this guide, it should not be allowed and we ask you to reconsider.
• Be kind to other people: During our tours we were fortunate to share the experience with people who lived this incredible activity from emotion and respect and, unfortunately, with others whose main (and perhaps only?) priority was a photo touching and even kissing a whale. With the aim of getting the coveted photo, everything in their way was an obstacle, so they were constantly moving from their place, stepping on other people’s toes and we even received nudges of “I’m coming!”, moving the boat and even compromising in some cases the safety of the entire boat. Don’t be this person, please.
• Be responsible with waste and resource management: Remember the unique and special environment you are in, don’t throw absolutely nothing into the sea and bring a reusable water bottle to avoid buying single-use plastic bottles.

Checklist: what to bring for gray whale watching in Baja California Sur

Here is the list of products that we believe you should bring for this adventure with gray whales:

• A  reusable water bottle like one of these to carry water with you all the time and void single-use plastic.
• Water proof dry bag like this one, very useful to keep your photographic equipment, cell phone and wallet safe from getting wet on the boat (whales sometimes blow near the boat or even hit the water with their fin or tail near the boat, and water can reach the boat).
• A neck gaiter like this one to protect yourself from wind and cold
• Sun screen: the sun is strong in Baja California Sur so it is a must to take care of your skin. Always look for a Coral Friendly Sunscreen, i.e. one that protects your skin without harming marine ecosystems by avoiding ingredients such as oxybenzone and octinoxate, which are harmful to corals. Nor that it has been tested on animals.
• A hat or a cap (like this one) and sunglasses to protect yourself from the sun
• Windbreaker waterproof jacket: like this one. On the boat, depending on the conditions, it can be a bit chilly, so the ideal is to wear a windbreaker to protect you from the cold, the sun, and the water if it splashes.
• A phone lanyard: due to the wind and sometimes the jumps of the boat, it is advisable to have some protection for your smartphone so that you do not drop it (either inside the boat or at sea).
• A floating sunglass strap: as with the smartphone, it is advisable to have something similar for the glasses (we witnessed a couple of cases of people who had their sunglasses “blown” into the water and could not recover them, plus it is plastic that pollutes the sea).
• A good camera to register your adventures. At Randomtrip we carry a Sony ZV-E10 and a Gopro Hero12 Black (for underwater pictures)
• A Power bank: taking so many pictures will drain your batteries, so it’s always a good idea to carry a good powerbank. At Randomtrip we travel with these 2 (Anker 20000 mAh and  Anker 10000 mAh), which allow us to charge both our phones and our cameras.
• First aid kit: In our first-aid kit there is always a medicine against seasickness (such as biodramine for seasickness on boats), antibiotics, anti-diarrhea medication (and a probiotic to recover more quickly), antihistamines, painkillers and antipyretics and, of course, travel insurance. If you hire your travel insurance with IATI using this link you will get a 5% discount

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Did you know that you could live this incredible experience on your trip to Mexico? Do you have any questions? Do you want to share your experience? Tell us all about it in the comments!