Daily whale watching trips in the San Ignacio Lagoon, Baja California
Join a boat trip from the San Ignacio lagoon to meet the Gray Whales with their calves and stay at the ecocamp to a full nature experience.

The San Ignacio Lagoon is one of the best spots in Baja to watch the Gray Whales during their breeding season.
Great tours are run by the Mayoral family, who are amongst the pioneers of whale watching in the whole Baja Peninsula and started running whale trips in the the mid/early-seventies.

What we like about these tours is the fact that they do not pursue, chase, or harass the whales to ensure that 'friendly encounter' which is so much advertised and even 'guaranteed' by most local operators.
You will board a 22 feet long boat with a maximum capacity of 7-8 passengers, featuring all the safety equipment required by the Port Captain. You will gently glide up next to the whales, and it is a guarantee that you will see them within a few meters of the boat, but it is solely the whale's decision to come closer to the boat to be pet.

These packages include whale watching adventures, good local food, and accommodation in rustic solar powered and wind proof cabins. You will be camping in one of the most remote areas on the Baja Peninsula, and from your cabin you will fall asleep lulled by the breathing of whales and the howling of coyotes.
Bathrooms are shared but clean and comfortable, with composting toilets and showers.

The camp has a big tent that serves as central meeting point for all visitors, complete with a library stocked with volumes about whales and whale-watching, chairs for relaxing and reading, and a fridge full of beer and soft drinks. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are occasion to socialize with other guests and enjoy the local food, like fresh scallops, sea bass, halibut and other seafood according to the season.

You can take part to daily whale watching tours, either solo or double. The Solo Tour includes a scenic trip to the most populated area of the lagoon and at least an hour and a half in the prime observation area.

The Double Tour maximizes time in the lagoon and allows a group to really bond with the whales and the surroundings. You will leave camp shortly after breakfast and observe an incredible variety of seabirds and other marine life (including green sea turtles) en route to the observation area, where you will spend 90 minutes in close encounter with the whales. Following a walk on the beach and lunch it will be time for more gray whale encounters during a second 90 minute session.

A special 24 Hours Package is the most convenient option for your whale watching experience in San Ignacio. It includes your choice of either two Solo or one Double Whale Watching Trip, 1 night accommodation in cabin complete with sleeping kit, 3 meals with 1 drink per meal, whale lectures, naturalist guide, use of all camp facilities, and required biosphere reserve daily park fees. Basically, you arive at the Lagoon in the evening for dinner, spend the night in the cabin at the camp and take part to the whale watching experience the next day (the double whale watching tour will end at around 2.30 - 3pm.

Weather and what to bring:
Unlike elsewhere in the world, the weather in Baja is somewhat unpredictable. Northwest winds are quite strong in the mornings, and usually calm down by 11am. As afternoon and evening approach the winds start again, and you will appreciate having a wind proof cabin.

Eco Tours take place between 9 am (departure for first whale watching experience) and 2.30 pm (return from double-tour experience).
We will suggest you to bring shorts, sunhat, sunglasses and appropriate sunscreen for the day, rain gear as there is spray on the boat ride, shoes that can get wet for getting into and out of the boat and something warm for the night. A layered wardrobe is strongly recommended.
Do not forget your camera, and please note that there are no banks or ATM machines in San Ignacio, so take good cash reserve with you if you are staying a few days in the area.