Funviralpark Carmen Island, Loreto Bay National Park, Loreto, Baja California Sur, Mexico.
Loreto, Baja California Sur
Loreto lies on the eastern side of the Baja Peninsula, north of charming La Paz and bustling Cabo San Lucas. Alaska Airlines flies from Los Angeles to Loreto, with several Mexican airlines connecting via Tijuana. From Canada, WestJet flies direct from Calgary to Loreto.
Courtyard in Loreto, Baja California Sur, Mexico.
Loreto is one of Mexico’s Pueblo Magicos (towns of great cultural authenticity, beauty, history, or legend). The city of about 20,000 people is known for its tranquil atmosphere and warm hospitality, stunning mountains, Caribbean white sandy beaches and the vast underwater life of the Sea of Cortez, the aquarium of the world. Jack Cousteau.
Sunrise from the mainland in Loreto Bay National Marine Park. Mexico, Baja California Sur.
Loreto is a special place for whales and whale lovers, making it an ideal destination for whale watching. Off Baja he is visited by over 20,000 whales. Humpback, fin, mink, and dolphins all swim here, but the highlights are the blue and gray whales.
Blue Whale, Loreto, Baja Sur, Mexico.
Baja Sur Blue Whale
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Loreto Bay National Marine Park is home to the world’s 11,000 remaining blue whales (the largest animals on earth).
Blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus, Sea of Cortez, Mexico. (Photo: François Goyer/Universal … [+]
Blue whales typically arrive in the Sea of Cortez in late January and stay until mid-March. You can see these amazing 100-foot-long creatures on blue whale-watching trips with several Loreto companies, including Wild Loreto Tours and Tours Loreto.
Gray Whale in Baja Sur
Gray Whale Encounter, Magdalena Bay, Baja, Mexico.
Gray whales typically stay near Baja from late December or January through April. Baja has three calm, shallow bays on the Pacific coast, Ojoderie Ble Lagoon and San Ignacio Lagoon in Muleje, and Magdalena Bay, where gray whales come to mate, give birth, and swim northward to Canada. Preferred for preparation.
Gray whales are so comfortable in these bays that they behave like nowhere else in the world.
One of these bays can be visited on a day trip from Loreto (or La Paz further south). There are excellent chances of spotting a few gray whales and dolphins. If you’re lucky, you might even see a 50-foot-long mother whale lifting her giant baby out of the water with her tail (whether this is for humans to admire her or for her to get her hands on it!) is not clear). Look closely at the strange beings chirping happily from inside the wooden Panga). Also, if the whale so desires, it may swim to the boat, lift her head and scratch gently.
Gray Whale in Guerrero Negro, Baja Sur, Mexico.
