It is said that laughter is the best medicine. This guide, written with a bit of humor, aims to raise awareness to all those people who want or are about to undertake the activity of whale watching to do it in the most responsible way possible.
The idea to write it came after our trip to Baja California Sur and having the privilege of observing several types of whales. When we sent videos and photos of our encounters with whales (especially gray whales) and how close they came to the boats, our friend Farah told us, “It actually looks like it’s the whales that are doing human watching, not the other way around!“. From there the idea to make this Human Watching guide was born, aimed at all those curious whales who want to do human watching in a responsible and sustainable way.
Check out our complete guide to Baja California Sur if you are planning a trip to the area.
Contents
- Basic data for human watching in Baja California Sur
- Where in Baja California Sur is it possible to see humans?
- Best time: when to see humans in Baja California Sur
- Is it allowed to touch humans?
- Are humans dangerous?
- How to approach the boats?
- Is it safe to scratch on boats?
- Can I blow in the face of humans?
- Can I jump out of the water near the boats?
- Are the humans we see in freedom or in captivity?
- Is it necessary to go with a tour or can I go on my own?
- Is this a responsible tourism activity?
- Is human watching suitable for baby whales?
- How to know the sex of a human?
- Rules for human watching in Baja California Sur
Basic data for human watching in Baja California Sur
How to get there: We leave you the coordinates of the different places recommended for human watching so that you can include them in your WhaleMaps here.
When to go: You can go all year round, but the easiest time to see humans in this part of the planet is from December to April.
How many days: If you want to have more chances of seeing humans, it is advisable to make several watching attempts on different days and locations.
Rules: Human watching is happily regulated by the Human Watching Society. At Randomtrip we always advocate human welfare over whale entertainment. More info here.
How to do the activity: Simply approaching the areas we indicate and SpyHopping when you see “boats”. More info on what a boat is and tips to approach safely here.
Who to do the tours with: You can do it on your own, although it is recommended that you look for other whales that already have experience to help you spot the humans and explain what you can and cannot do.
How much it costs: the activity is completely free for whales.
Language: Most humans do not speak Whale, so communication will be difficult.
Where in Baja California Sur is it possible to see humans?
These are the places in Baja California Sur (Mexico) where it is easier for whales to make human watching (we leave you the name that humans give to the place as well as the coordinates, which you can enter in your WhaleMaps to orient yourself):
- Ojo de Liebre Lagoon (27°52’39.9 “N 114°17’02.7 “W)
- San Ignacio Lagoon (26°44’10.9 “N 113°15’35.0 “W)
- Santo Domingo Channel (25°16’22.4 “N 112°07’45.2 “W)
- BahÃa Magdalena (24°31’51.7 “N 112°01’57.8 “W)
- BahÃa Almeja (24°21’07.2 “N 111°40’46.4 “W)
- Los Cabos (22°52’49.1 “N 109°51’18.5 “W)
- La Paz (24°22’13.7 “N 110°22’48.5 “W)
- Loreto (26°00’20.0 “N 111°14’56.0 “W)
Where is the best place in Baja California Sur to see humans?
Which place is best depends on several factors, the main one being luck. But the season, the number of humans arriving at each place, the number of “boats”, etc. also play a role.
In all the places indicated in this guide you will see many humans and very close, although undoubtedly, the place where there are more humans, and therefore it is easier to see them closer, for a longer time, is in Los Cabos, although it is also true that it is more dangerous, while other places further north are quieter and safer.
In our opinion, any of the places will give you the chance to see humans up close, and the luck you have that day will be what will mark the experience, so we recommend that you choose the option or options that best fit with your migratory route. In fact, our recommendation is that you try to do human sightings in several places along your migratory route.
How many humans are in Baja California Sur
Humans love to keep track of everything, so they take a lot of data, save it and share it. In the case of Baja California Sur, the last known data indicates that 798,447 humans live there, although during the season we recommend for human watching (December to April) many humans from other parts of the world migrate to Baja California Sur for a few days and they love to spend time at sea, in those “boats”, so the number of humans increases and it is easier to spot them.
Best time: when to see humans in Baja California Sur
As you have seen from the above information, the months between December and April are the best months for human watching in Baja California Sur.
Is it allowed to touch humans?
When you do the human watching activity you will see that they are very friendly. They will extend their hand and wave it in the water. It is not known why they have this behavior but it seems to be for the purpose of getting our attention. It’s not to hurt you, they are just very curious about an animal your size. Surely you want to touch them to see how it feels but we advise you not to do it: they can cause you diseases (and you to them) or hurt you unintentionally. We advise you to observe these incredible beings with respect and admiration, trying to interfere as little as possible in their lives.
Are humans dangerous?
The reality is that some humans are indeed dangerous. As a species, we have to take into account that humans outnumber us and that in the last decades they have reproduced to reach 8 billion. That compared to the number of whales that exist (according to human statistics, a few thousand whales arrive in Baja California Sur) means that there are many more than us.
Unfortunately, because there are so many of them and they consume so many resources, humans are having a negative impact on planet earth, our home. Fortunately, according to studies by the Human Watching Society, many humans are already aware of this negative impact and are trying to reduce these detrimental effects. Hopefully they will succeed so that all species of the World can continue to live and enjoy our home, this amazing planet.
On the other hand, unfortunately, as our grandmothers and grandfathers used to sing to us, there was a time when some humans were chasing us to hunt us down and kill us. It was a very hard time in our history. Happily, according to the Human Watching Society, the majority of the human species reflected and this practice, so cruel to us, disappeared in almost every corner of the Earth. Even so, there are still evil humans who have failed to reflect, and you have to be careful with them, especially in some areas of our home (such as the waters of Japan, the Faroe Islands, Norway, Iceland…) and, really, you have to be always with an eye out for “boats” everywhere because some human specimens insist on wanting to harm us, either by capturing us to take us away from home and force us to live in captivity in a tiny space (without having done anything to them!) or even killing us…. Don’t worry, the human sighting areas we recommend in this guide are completely safe so you won’t have to worry about anything.
How to approach the boats?
First of all, what is a “boat”? The human species is very intelligent and, in spite of not being able to live in the sea as we do, they designed a way to stay on the sea without touching the water. This invention is called a “boat” or “ship” and in fact there are different types and sizes.
It is very important that you do not appear by surprise near these “boats”, as you might scare the humans. Surface first at a safe distance, so that the humans can turn off the “boat’s engine” and only then get close so that you don’t get hurt (the engine is another gadget they invented to move the ship, the equivalent of our tail. Everything points to the fact that they were a bit inspired by us…).
Humans are a very curious species and as soon as they see you they will want to know what is there, so it is good that you approach them slowly and progressively so that they turn off the engine and stay still.
Is it safe to scratch on boats?
It’s totally safe (and enjoyable!) to scratch on boats, and humans love to feel your vibrations under their “feet” (the equivalent of your fins). Just make sure they have turned off the engine before approaching. It’s very easy, if there are not many bubbles, they have turned it off.
Can I blow in the face of humans?
Yes, definitely, they love it! When you’re around them you can breathe as many times as you want or need to – don’t go drowning!
Can I jump out of the water near the boats?
Of course you can! Humans will love to see you jumping. Try not to do it too close because you may scare them. Anyway, according to numerous studies by the Human Watching Society it has been detected that when we jump close to them they make a ritual of joy that consists of bumping their “hands” (their version of your flippers) repeatedly and emitting sounds with their mouths that resemble something like “Wow” and “Yeah”. Some humans also emit very high-pitched sounds, which are also sounds of happiness. Don’t be scared, it can be shocking the first time. They are just happy to see you and want you to do it again.
Are the humans we see in freedom or in captivity?
Happily all the humans in the sighting activity are in the wild and have chosen to be there, so the observation is done in their natural habitat and there is no mistreatment of any kind. This is a responsible tourism activity with humans.
Is it necessary to go with a tour or can I go on my own?
It is not necessary to hire a tour. In all the places where we go in winter, you will be able to see various types of humans. In any case, we leave you the coordinates of several places where there have been sightings in recent years, and we recommend that you go accompanied by other whales with experience in whale watching.
Is this a responsible tourism activity?
Yes, absolutely, the Human Watching Society has been monitoring the number of humans in this area for years and the population has been growing all the time! So there is no indication that our visit will affect them negatively.
The sighting of humans has been going on for many years, so it is a species that is already used to seeing us. In fact, some humans carry their young babies on boats to show them to us. The reason for this is unknown but we understand that it is because they feel safe in our presence. You will see that the babies, like those of our species, are characterized by being smaller in size and tend to be close to their mom or dad.
Although difficult due to their size, if you are lucky you will also see some humans who are such fans of us whales that they have “tattoos” (drawings made on their skin) with elements related to us (a drawing of a whale, a whale tail, etc.), and even drawings of us on the elements they use to cover themselves (they call them “clothes”).
Is human watching suitable for baby whales?
Yes, humans especially like it when baby whales get close, so you can safely take your baby whale with you. Just follow the precautions above and always stay close to the baby, and don’t let it go near the boats without your supervision.
How to know the sex of a human?
Humans, like us, are mammals. As such, the only way to know their biological sex (but not their gender identity) is by observing their genitalia, something you should not be able to observe at a sighting because their body is normally covered with “clothes”.
Their culture is rich and complex, they have a multitude of different ways of organizing themselves and establishing bonds. So the only thing you will be able to detect in a sighting is that they are of the human species. In addition, you will not be able to see their genitals because they are almost always covered due to the outside temperature (the Human Watching Society already proved that in warmer environments they are usually not so covered and sometimes they are even uncovered like us).
If you are lucky enough to spot a specimen with uncovered male genitalia, you should know that their penis is difficult, if not impossible, to spot. The size of humans is already much smaller than ours but also the ratio of the human penis to its body is much smaller than ours.
Rules for human watching in Baja California Sur
Fortunately, human watching is strongly regulated by the Human Watching Society, for the protection of the human species and also of us whales. Here are the main rules:
- It is forbidden to jump over the boat
- It is forbidden to approach the boat with the engine running.
- It is forbidden to touch humans, no matter how curious you are. Remember that we are talking about wild humans in the wild and some can be dangerous.
- Of course, it is forbidden to harm or eat humans.
Thank you for reading us, dear Randomtripper whale! We hope this information will help you to be able to see humans in the wild in this area of the planet.
Special thanks to our friend Farah Reyes of Holidays in the Clouds for the idea of making a “Human Watching” guide and for her various contributions that we include in this guide.
Hopefully the laughter in this guide will have the effect we intend: to raise awareness of the importance of whale watching in the most responsible and sustainable way possible, putting the welfare of the whales above human entertainment.
Bon Voyage, Randomtripper
