Gray Whale Watching in Ojo de Liebre (Guerrero Negro, BCS, Mexico): everything you need to know

Did you know that the state of Baja California Sur in Mexico is one of the best places in the world for gray whale watching? Here you will find several lagoons, home of the gray whales, where they are born and return every year, and where we lived one of the most incredible experiences of our lives.

We did gray whale watching in several of these lagoons and in the Ojo de Liebre Lagoon, in Guerrero Negro, we were luckiest as it was where the highest number of whales decided to approach our boat!

In this guide you will find everything you need to do the gray whale watching activity in Ojo de Liebre Lagoon with practical information such as the best season to go, prices, who to do it with, how many days, whale watching rules and even where to stay to make your experience as special as ours was.

Basic data for gray whale watching in Ojo de Liebre Lagoon (Guerrero Negro)

How to get there: The closest airport is in Loreto (5h30) but you also have the airports of La Paz (9h30) and Los Cabos (11h30). We recommend you to use flight comparators such as Skyscanner and Kiwi and be flexible with dates to get the best possible price. More info here

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

How many days: If you want to have more chances to see gray whales in Ojo de Liebre Lagoon, or if you want to enjoy this wonder several times, it is advisable to make several sighting attempts on different days.

Rules: Whale watching is happily regulated in Mexico. In the case of the gray whales of Laguna Ojo de Liebre, the specific Management Program for the El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve applies. At Randomtrip we always advocate animal welfare over human entertainment. More info here.

How to do the whale-watching: In a 3 to 4h boat tour with authorized operators. More info about the tours here.

Who to do the tour with: It is important to choose a responsible company. At Randomtrip we recommend Mario’s Tours, with whom we did the tour. More info here.

Cost: 950 pesos or 60 USD with Mario’s Tours (includes introductory talk, transportation, and box lunch). 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: Ideally you should stay in the town of Guerrero Negro. 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.

Currency: MXN ($) Mexican Peso (1 USD equals 20 MXN approx.). Check the updated exchange rate here. Since most tourists are from the United States, prices are usually in dollars.

Where is Ojo de Liebre Lagoon?

Ojo de Liebre Lagoon is located in the northwest of Baja California Sur, Mexico. The most common access point is the town of Guerrero Negro, famous for being home to the largest salt mine in the world, on the border with Baja California.

Guerrero Negro is located:

• 2 hours from San Ignacio
• 3h from Santa Rosalía
• 3h30 from Mulegé
• 5h30 from Loreto (where the nearest airport is located)
• 9h30 from La Paz (where the next closest airport is located)
• 11h30 from Los Cabos (where the next closest airport is located)

Here you can see a more detailed map with the location of Laguna Ojo de Liebre and other nearby places like Guerrero Negro, San Ignacio, Santa Rosalía or Mulegé:

How to get to Guerrero Negro

The airports in Baja California Sur are the following:

• Loreto Airport, 5h30 from Guerrero Negro
• La Paz Airport, 9h30 from Guerrero Negro
• Los Cabos Airport, 11h30 from Guerrero Negro

Depending on your goal when visiting Baja California Sur (if you are coming for a multi-day trip or if you are coming exclusively to visit Laguna Ojo de Liebre) we recommend you to choose the most suitable airport for you and use flight comparators such as Skyscanner and Kiwi and be flexible with the dates to get the best possible price.

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 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. In this case, Autobuses Aguila connects the main cities of the peninsula between Los Cabos and Tijuana.

Best time to see gray whales in Ojo de Liebre Lagoon

The best time to see gray whales 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 Ojo de Liebre Lagoon

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 Ojo de Liebre Lagoon 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 in 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 extremes of the season (December and April) to have a better chance of seeing them.

The good thing about Ojo de Liebre Lagoon is that being the northernmost lagoon, the gray whales arrive earlier and leave later, so the gray whale season here lasts longer than in other lagoons in Baja California Sur.

In our case, with the main goal of doing whale watching, we visited Baja California Sur from February 7 to March 7 and managed to see whales at all the points in Baja California Sur where we went whale watching.

Best time of the day to see gray whales in Ojo de Liebre Lagoon

Based on data and statistics, there is no best or worst time of the day for gray whale watching in Ojo de Liebre Lagoon: 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, depends on a multitude of factors: the whales themselves, luck, the state of the sea, 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 to see one or some of them come close to your boat. We would even say that it is better to see only one gray whale near the boat than 10 or 20 in the distance! Although just seeing them, near or far, is a thrill and a privilege.

If you get seasick on the boat, ideally you should have 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 their habitat, 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).

How many gray whales are there in Ojo de Liebre Lagoon?

The number of gray whales in Laguna Ojo de Liebre varies by week and year. Laguna Ojo de Liebre, due to its size and location (it is the northernmost lagoon in Baja California Sur) is the one that usually has the largest number of whales, the first lagoon where gray whales arrive, and the last one they leave on their migration north. It is estimated that more than 60% of the world’s gray whales are born here.

In 2024, this is the number of whales according to the official census, published on Mario’s Tours’ Instagram account:

Date	Whales (total)	Whales with calves	Whales alone
15/01/2024	42	14	14
24/01/2024	194	55	84
29/01/2024	370	117	136
12/02/2024	594	179	236
19/02/2024	758	177	404
26/02/2024	629	180	269
14/03/2024	125	27	71
20/03/2024	99	29	41
28/03/2024	39	14	11
Date	Whales (total)	Whales with calves	Whales alone

In the previous season (2022-2023) the maximum peak was 1246 whales (458 with calves, 330 single), while in the 2021-2022 season the maximum peak was 948 whales.

Information and curiosities about the gray whales

Here are some facts about gray whales. You can see more in our complete guide to gray whale watching in Baja California Sur, which we will publish shortly:

• Gray whales 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.

• They were hunted almost to extinction in the same lagoons of Mexico where today we can see them very closely. Fortunately, whaling was banned in the 80’s, since then the gray whale population has been growing and today it is not in danger of extinction.
• They are called gray whales precisely because of their characteristic gray color. In addition, especially adult whales, 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.

• 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.
• Gray whales come to the lagoons of Baja California Sur from December to April to mate, give birth and teach their calves. Their gestation process lasts one year, and they can have a calf every 2 years. Pregnant mothers are the first to arrive at the lagoons.
• Gray whales are believed to live approximately 40 years.
• 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.

• In the past, gray whales were known as “devil fish” because during the time when they were hunted, the mothers defended themselves very strongly and attacked boats to protect their calves. Today, however, they are not dangerous and come very close to boats.
• Killer whales are the largest predator of gray whales. The other threats to gray whales are people (illegal hunting, collisions with boats, fishing nets, noise pollution, climate change…), and to a lesser extent, polar bears and sharks.

You can learn more about the gray whales, as well as other cetaceans and wildlife in the area, at Mario’s Tours‘ Guerrero Negro Whale Museum.

About El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve and Ojo de Liebre Lagoon

The El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve, created in 1988, is one of the largest nature reserves in the world (and the largest in Mexico), with more than 2 million hectares.

In addition, El Vizcaino Whale Sanctuary has been a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site since 1993.

Laguna Ojo de Liebre was also formerly known as Scammon’s Lagoon, after the person who discovered it, Charles Melville Scammon, an American whaler, naturalist and writer, who was the first to hunt gray whales in these waters. Despite this, the book he wrote about it, “The Marine Mammals of the North-western Coast of North America”, is today a classic and provided a lot of information about gray whales to the scientific community (if you are interested, you can consult the book for free here).

Gray whale watching rules in Ojo de Liebre Lagoon

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 Laguna Ojo de Liebre, the applicable rule is NOM-131-SEMARNAT-2010 (if you are curious, you can read it here) but some of the rules are modified because the lagoon is part of the El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve, included in the Reserve’s Management Program (which you can read here). 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 2 boats with each whale or group of whales. If other boats wish to observe the same whale or group of whales, they must wait at a distance of 80 meters.
• The maximum distance the vessel may approach the whale is 30 meters, except if the whale or group of whales approaches the vessel.
• 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.
• Indefinite maximum time with whale or group of whales
• If the whale or pod exhibits evasive behavior, the vessel(s) should immediately move away.
• During whale watching it is forbidden to:
  • Harass (“Act of persecution that interferes with the behavior of the whale, as well as forcing physical contact that results in mistreatment.”) or harm the whale.
  • 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 boats (jet skis, kayaks, etc.).
  • Throwing waste into the sea
  • Catching or collecting wildlife, as well as bringing it in.
  • Bringing pets on board (except for guide dogs).
  • Feeding whales
  • Towing objects or hauling ropes, nets, hooks, etc.

On the other hand, the lagoon is zoned, establishing only two observation zones; the rest of the zones are exclusive for the whales. For example, the El Bajo zone is reserved for whales, where they give birth and spend time with their young calves.

In zone 1 (the one we visited on Randomtrip) 3 family businesses work (on Randomtrip we went with Mario’s Tours), while in zone 2 ejidatarios and fishermen work.

Can gray whales be touched or kissed?

This is a rather controversial topic: if you have searched for some information about gray whale watching in Laguna Ojo de Liebre (in Baja California Sur, Mexico) or in other areas of Baja California Sur, you have 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 Management Program of the El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve) 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 it 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 Ojo de Liebre Lagoon 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 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 his 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 are 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 goal 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 Laguna Ojo de Liebre?

In our experience, most of them do comply, and it is clear that the people involved (most of them are fishing captains) have respect for the animals and good intentions. In the area where we did the tour in the lagoon there are only 3 authorized companies, and at no time did we see or detect that any of the rules were broken, although we know that pressure from tourists can lead the captains to violate them.

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 is the gray whale watching tour in Laguna Ojo de Liebre?

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 the tour we did with Mario’s Tours was the luckiest of the 6 we did in Baja California Sur, as we had up to 6 curious whales with our boat simultaneously for more than an hour.

In the tours of the Ojo de Liebre Lagoon the boats go out to the areas where whale watching is allowed, and they sail in search of a sign of a whale (usually a blowing), an event that can take minutes or hours (you have to be patient). There is also communication between captains to let them know when they see some.

Once a whale or group of whales is detected, the boat sail 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 running 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 in every tour. At Randomtrip we were very lucky with the Ojo de Liebre Lagoon tour, since as soon as we arrived at the first group of whales, they approached immediately and then more came, having up to 6 gray whales very close to our boat for more than an hour. On the other hand, another boat that left at the same time as ours and did another route had less luck. So adjust your expectations!

RandomTip: Always adjust your expectations but according to what we were told, if you go from January 15 to March 15, you are guaranteed to see them (but you don’t know how far away since 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, stick their heads out, etc. At Randomtrip we had the opportunity to see them up close 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, 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 tour seeing gray whales farther away, so once 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 boats.
• 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 panga or its sides, getting close, sticking their heads out nearby… this is the behavior that everyone who goes on the tour wants to see and we had the privilege of seeing it several times.
• Fluking: usually indicates that the gray whale is going to dive to deeper areas, so if we see the tail it means that the whale is leaving and it will take a few minutes to resurface.

How long does the gray whale watching tour last?

It depends on the tour, the company and the price. The tours of Mario’s Tours, with whom we did the activity, last between 3 and 4 hours, leaving from the Whale Museum (they have two shifts, one at 8am and the other at 11am).

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…

On the tour we did with Mario’s Tours the boat had capacity for 14 people and the captain, and we were 13 tourists. While we had no problem seeing and enjoying the show, the lines are 3 people long, so whoever is in the middle is a little more conditioned to the people on the sides to make it easier for them to see/approach the water.

How much does the gray whale watching tour in Laguna Ojo de Liebre cost?

The price depends on the company you go with, the duration, the type of boat used, the number of people, etc. …. In the case of Mario’s Tours, the shared tours cost 950 pesos (60 USD) per person.

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 a little research on who you are going to do it with and their position regarding the welfare of these animals.

Recommended company for responsible gray whale watching

Based on what we have indicated, fortunately the activity is regulated and you can only do the tour with authorized boats. Given that even then there may be 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.

In our case we did it with Mario’s Tours and we highly recommend them as it was the only tour of the 6 we did in Baja California Sur where they gave us an introductory talk, they have a Whale Museum where they contribute their bit by sharing information about the whales and other fauna present in the area, and they have as a goal the conservation of the gray whale.

Our gray whale watching experience with Mario’s Tours

Mario’s Tours has two shifts for the tour: at 8am and 11am. In our case we went on the 11am tour, which was the one with availability. We arrived an hour before, to have some breakfast at the restaurant and half an hour before, a guide gave us an introductory talk (it was the only tour of the 6 we did in Baja California Sur where we got some kind of didactic information) at the Whale Museum of Guerrero Negro, and then we were taken in a kind of bus/truck to the pier, crossing part of the salt mine, which took about 30 minutes.

The guide also came in the vehicle, giving more information about what we were seeing (information about the salt mine, the bird watching area, about the osprey and its nests on the light poles…). Did you know that here in Guerrero Negro is the largest salt mine in the world?

The pier is quite rustic, there are 3 booths (one for each authorized operator in this area of Laguna Ojo de Liebre) where you can pick up your mandatory vest, and from there you will go to your panga (the local boat used for whale watching).

Our captain took us in the direction of the mouth of the lagoon, and during the trip we started to see blows everywhere. After a while, he stopped the boat, we waited a few minutes and suddenly 2-3 very curious whales approached us, scratching themselves with the boat, sticking their heads out of the side of the boat, etc.

As time went by, some more arrived, up to a total of 6, who were with our boat, with no other boats in the vicinity, for more than an hour. It was incredible!

When these whales left us, we continued our journey towards the mouth of the lagoon, and more whale blows continued to appear. We were approached by another very curious one, which also came up to the boat, and which the captain said he recognized (and that her name was Micaela).

After 2 hours with the whales, we start our way back, where we get our “box lunch” (with water, a sandwich, fruit and cookies), pass near an orange platform with some sea lions, and return to the pier, where we return the vests, and get on the bus back to the Whale Museum. We still make a stop at a mountain of salt from the salt mine, to take some pictures.

We took the opportunity to revisit the museum at a leisurely pace, as it has a lot of interesting information, before heading to our next destination.

Get inspired by the stories of our gray whale sighting in Laguna Ojo de Liebre

You can see the featured Instagram stories about our visit to Laguna Ojo de Liebre here.

You can also watch a reel with our experience seeing gray whales in Guerrero Negro here:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by RandomTrip Travel Blog (@randomtrip_blog).

Things to see and do in Guerrero Negro

Although the main attraction of Guerrero Negro is being able to see the gray whales in freedom in the Ojo de Liebre Lagoon, and although Guerrero Negro itself does not have much to visit, in the surrounding area there are some incredible plans that you cannot miss:

• Crossing the border between Baja California Sur and Baja California: since Guerrero Negro is right on the border, you can change states by crossing the border, especially to do the plan we propose below
• Visit the Soledad Dunes: you will have to cross a few minutes to Baja California, and the sunset here is incredible.

• Bathe and float in Los Amargos: it’s not the Dead Sea, it’s Guerrero Negro! In the Guerrero Negro Salt Mine, the largest in the world, there is an area known as Los Amargos, where there are small pools whose water contains a lot of salt, which is why you will float. Besides being fun, this water is good for exfoliating the skin, but it is very important that you do not bring it near your mouth or drink it (they say it gives you horrible diarrhea), and that you limit your time in it (they recommended a maximum of 20 minutes). It is also an excellent place to watch the sunset.

• Visit the bird refuge: from there you will be able to see different types of birds.
• Visit the old lighthouse

Where to Stay in Guerrero Negro

Since the sighting tours are in the morning, ideally you should sleep the night before in Guerrero Negro. There are not many lodging options so it is best to book as soon as possible. In this case, we recommend Hotel Malarrimo by Rotamundos.

Check the prices and the information on what is included before paying, as in Mexico taxes usually have to be added to the initial price you see on the platform.

Recommendations for visiting Guerrero Negro and sighting 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: On our tour we were lucky and almost all the time we had whales nearby, but other boats on the same day were not so lucky. 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 lagoon 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”. If the whale wants to approach your boat, it will and in fact it does 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 tour 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. We were also touched by a person who played music on the boat during the tour, and to whom we had to call attention and remind that we were in a natural space. 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 Ojo de Liebre Lagoon

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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If after reading our experience you feel like living it, we encourage you to do it responsibly and we tell you with all sincerity: the photos do not do justice to what we lived, it was one of the most exciting experiences of all our trips. If you have any questions, leave them in the comments!

Disclaimer: Mario’s Tours allowed us to experience this gray whale watching adventure in exchange for reporting our experience here on the blog, but all opinions and information expressed in this post are our own.