San Ignacio, Baja California Sur

After our first whale-watching trip we set out to drive south on Highway 1 to San Ignacio.  San Ignacio is in Baja California Sur (or South), another state in Mexico.  The town is named after a mission that was built in the 18th century.  In the midst of the town is an oasis where date palms grow.  

On the way we stopped at a bird refuge where many varieties of birds come.  It also give us a chance to stretch our legs and enjoy the Baja California environment.

Bird Refuge

We were treated to a local specialty - fish tacos, for lunch.

Taco Joint

Tony, the owner

After an exciting morning we checked into the Desert Inn Hotel.  It's a treat for us, staying at the same hotel for 2 nights.  I took this opportunity to do some laundry.  In the evening before dinner we gathered for our regular happy hour and socialized at the bar.

After dinner that evening we were treated to a dance performance by the local school.  It was amazing to see these young Mexicans enjoying dance their own traditional dances.

A dance performance by young locals

Here is our itinerary for the next day:

The company that we engaged on this part of the trip is called Kuyima.  Again, in the morning after breakfast we were taken to the company's office and given a short briefing.  Following that we drove to the San Ignacio Lagoon and boarded our pangas.  This is another big lagoon that the gray whales come and spend the winter.  They come here to give birth and mate.  There is another 3rd lagoon further south where the gray whales spend the winter.  It's called Bahía Magdalena (Magdalena Bay).

We saw many whales at a distance.  Some came close but were not as playful as the ones in Scammon's Lagoon.

Briefing by our guide

Map of the Lagoon

Boarding the pangas

Whale Blowing

After a subdued excursion at San Ignacio Lagoon we were free to explore the town of San Ignacio.  It seems implausible that a town like this would survive in the middle of nowhere.  It is located in the middle of the Baja California peninsula, reachable from the north from Ensenada or from La Paz in the south, both on Highway 1.  In 2020 it had a population of 521.  

Life revolves around the town square.  We visited the town square to see a demonstration of how hand-made tortillas are made.  We also had a chance to visit a very well-preserved Mission Church.  We ended the evening with a beautiful dinner at the Rancho Grande Restaurant.

A demonstration on making tortillas

San Ignacio Mission Church

The altar

Inside the sanctuary

The town square

We took a short tour of the oasis in the morning before we left.  Around the oasis date palms were planted by one of the early settlers.

The oasis, planted with date palms

Water is precious in the desert

Beautiful Mexican dinner at the Rancho Grande Restaurant

The Desert Inn Hotel where we stayed in San Ignacio

Our Big Bus, with driver Roberto

Guerrero Negro and Scammon's Lagoon

Today is the most exciting day.  It's what all of us came on this trip for - to see and maybe, touch the whales.  We spent the night at the Halfway Inn in Guerrero Negro.

In 1978 during winter break and between semesters of graduate school at Arizona State University, my friend, Bill, and I drove my red VW Bug to Guerrero Negro, hoping to see whales.  We started our trip driving south from Phoenix to Nogales, crossed the border and stopped in Hermosillo for the night.  We continued our trip to Guaymas, took the ferry across to Baja California and started looking for Guerrero Negro.  At that time, there was nothing out there and we couldn't find any semblance of a town so we started driving north.  Unfortunately, we were caught in a big rainstorm and was stranded in a small town (that I cannot remember the name).  There were no bridges so we could not continue our trip.  We were lucky to find a place that was kind of a hostel and run by a lady who spoke excellent English.  We stayed here for 3 nights.

We met three Catholic priests from Oakland, California, that had driven down there to conduct mass with the locals.  We watched the 1978 New Year's Eve midnight mass.  We made friends with the priests and had good conversations with them.  After the water receded we drove back up north.  The priests invited us to stop at Hussong's,  a popular American bar in Ensenada.  I have always want to return to Hussong's to see what it's like after all these years.  On the last evening of this trip I will have this opportunity.

Our location in Guerrero Negro

Entrance to the Halfway Inn where we are staying the night

 

Our Schedule for the day

There are several companies operating whale watching expeditions.  The first company we went with is called Marios Tours (www.mariostours.com).  We were first given a briefing about the gray whales - the migration, the whales themselves and what to do and what not to do.  Some of the information were repeat from the lecture at the Birch Aquarium.  However, it's always useful to learn more about the whales.

We drove in mini-vans to Scammon's Lagoon.  We were told that the whales come to this lagoon every year from about October to April.  The reason why they picked this lagoon are because the water is too shallow for the orcas (aka killer whales), which are their natural predators, and the water is also too salty for the orcas.  In fact, there is a big salt plant operating next to the lagoon for many years.

Our group of 18 was split into two groups.  Together with our guides, there are 10 in each boat, called panga, by the Mexicans.

Scammon's Lagoon:

This is one of three lagoons that the gray whales come and spend the winter.  We have 3 opportunities to see the whales.  Two are in Scammon's Lagoon.  The other is San Ignacio Lagoon.  This turned out to be a good choice because the whales in Scammon 's Lagoon are friendlier and swam close to the boats.  

We boarded the pangas at a meeting point and motored about 20-30 minutes to the middle of the lagoon.  Here we started looking for whales.  When we see whales our boatman/guide will take the panga closer.  We waited until the whales start to swim around us.  That's when the fun begins.  We try to splash the water to attract their attention and get them come closer to the pangas.  The first day we had 5 or 6 whales swimming around our two pangas.  On the second visit a mother and baby swam and played around our panga for about an hour.  The following pictures and video say it all.

Boarding the pangas

The whales came so close you can touch them

Close-up of the head

The whales like to be touched

I have been to whale watching cruises around the world:  Alaska, Southern California, Antartica, New Zealand, but most of the time you can see the whales from a distance.  Sometimes only the spout when they blow.  Being so close to the whales and touching them is probably my most amazing experience interacting with wildlife.  Finally, I can say I touch and rub a live whale!

Baja California

San Diego

Our tour started with a late morning meeting in the Marriott hotel in San Diego's Hotel Circle.  This was the first time we met our fellow travelers:  18 from all over the country.  13 women and 5 men.  4 couples and the rest solo travelers.  We started by introducing ourselves and what we did before we (most) retired.  We came from all different professions.

After lunch we boarded a bus and headed for the Birch Aquarium at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla.  This is also the campus for the University of California in San Diego.  I have been to La Jolla countless times but I never knew the Birch Aquarium is there.  It was exciting to go there for the first time. We had a lecture on gray whales - their diet, lives and migration.  It gave us a very good understanding of what we'll be seeing later.

Entering the Birch Museum

Statue of Gray Whales

We were then led on a tour of the aquarium by one of the volunteer docents.  The Birch Aquarium is a relatively small aquarium compared to some of the aquariums that I have visited.

A Sea Dragon

A Seahorse

Jellyfish

We next drove to La Jolla shores to see the wildlife along the beach.  I have been coming here for many years because it is one of the highlights of San Diego.  They have improved on the walkway along the shore.  In some places they even allow people to get on the beach, to be close to the wildlife.  But no one is allowed to touch the wildlife.

Variety of birds on the beach

Another view of the beach

Sea lion and bird

Our day ended with a dinner at a popular Italian restaurant called Bucca di Beppo in San Diego's Gaslight District.  The dishes are big, to be shared by everyone at the table.

Crossing the Border into Mexico

Early in the morning we drove about 30 minutes south to the border with Mexico and then crossing into Tijuana.  It is the most populous city in the state of Baja California, with a population of a little over 2 million people.  It has a bad reputation as a destination for gambling and drinking in the early 1900s'.  It also has a bad reputation for crime.  San Ysidro is one of the busiest port of entry.  It is where we legally cross into Mexico.

Cars waiting to cross into Mexico at San Ysidro

We started with a cultural immersion at the mercado (market) in Tijuana.  We stopped at many of the food vendors selling different fruits and vegetables.  They are common in countries in Central and South American but not in the United States.

Prickly pear cactus, which is chopped up and cook with everything

Chayote

Guanábana or Soursop

Tuna - fruit from the prickly pear cactus

Our original plan was to spend the first night in the coastal town of San Felipe, along the coast of the Gulf of California.  However, because of recent violence with the drug cartel in Mexico, our first night was changed to San Quintin.  We were told to stay on the main highway, Highway 1 in Baja California.

On the way we stopped for a bathroom break at the town of San Vicente.  We met other Road Scholar travelers going the other direction.

Museum at San Vicente

South of Ensenada we passed many farms and businesses on both sides of the highway.  

Location of San Quintin

The hotel is located at a beautiful location besides the Pacific Ocean

Hotel in San Quintin

Sunset by the beach

The next day, on March 1, 2026, we drive deeper into the desert.  We also passed many farms that grow produce for the US market.  We took a short hike in the desert to give everyone a taste of what the desert is like.  For me, it's very similar to the Arizona desert, except for the Cardon cactus and the Boojum tree.

Every night our guide Jazz, put up a notice on what to do the next day.

Schedule and plan for the next day

Farms alongside the road

A Cardon cactus, similar to a Saguaro

Hiking in the desert

Boojum trees, only found in Baja California