Baja is well known as a great place to whale watch. The gray whale spends summers in the waters off Alaska, and then heads 6,000 miles (almost 10,000 km) south to the warmer lagoons of Baja in January, February and March.
Their main reason for heading south is to mate and give birth in the protected shallow lagoons in Baja. No other location on Earth offers such an experience. The three main lagoons these whales return to every year are (from north to south) Laguna Ojo de Liebre about halfway down the Peninsula, Laguna San Ignacio about 100 miles (160 km) further south, and Bahía Magdalena, which stretches about 100 miles (160 km) from the northern end to the southern end below Laguna San Ignacio.
All three areas offer an excellent venue for whale watching up close. Today you will board your boat in Bahía Magdalena with your guide for an amazing whale spotting experience. It is often possible to see five to ten whales during the course of the trip. This part of Baja California is famous for having one of the 'closest' experiences with the whales, as the panga boats are allowed to get extremely near.
This is a relatively long day and includes transportation from Loreto to Bahía Magdalena and back (two and a half hours each way), a two-hour tour by boat to see the whales and lunch. There is a maximum number of six people allowed per boat and a maximum of 20 people on the whole tour. This is a shared excursion with an English speaking guide.
Start planning your tailor-made trip by contacting one of our Mexico specialists
These activities are designed to give you the most authentic experiences around where you're staying. We work with local guides, who use their knowledge and often a resident's eye to show you the main sights and more out-of-the-way attractions. Our specialists can suggest tours and activities that will introduce you to the local ways of life.
Half Day Whale Watching in the Sea of Cortez
Today you will head out of Loreto by small motorboat to spend approximately four hours looking for whales in the Sea of Cortez. The area is known to be a spot for blue and fin whales, which will be in the area to calve.
Loreto City Tour
Today you will explore the small historic center of Loreto with your guide. You will walk along the oceanfront boulevard, then walking through to the city hall, where Loreto's history will be explained.
You can enjoy this activity as part of the suggested tour below, or we can weave it into a trip shaped entirely around you.
