Lots has happened since we last posted but here is a catch up post about the last part of our Baja Peninsula adventure.  We last wrote about our stop in Loreto to see blue whales on our journey back north after our RV troubles. Third stop in Loreto was the charm as the seas were calm and we spotted many blue whales on our boat tour. Next up was an attempt to see some baby whales!

A guide on an earlier outing told us that as the gray whale calves get just a little older later in the season, the moms are more likely to bring them for close interactions with people on the boat tours. So we made one last stop to see more whales.

This was our second stop in the Guerrero Negro area where we first saw these beautiful creatures on our way south. Only this time we stayed at a different vantage point that we’d scouted on our first trip, the waterfront campground of Scammon’s Lagoon a few miles south of the town.

Ejido Benito Juarez is 32 kilometers down a fairly well graded gravel road. The campsites were right on the water with expansive views of the lagoon and whale spouts in the distance.  Whale watching trips were available from the dock on the property and were very affordable and there was a restaurant onsite.

Our morning trip (our 5th gray whale outing) was the topper. Lots of whales and a couple of cute little calves came right up to us to be petted.

Another family was on their first outing on our boat.  We tried to keep their expectations low as they questioned us as we were heading out, but our caution was unfounded.  They hit the jackpot on their first try.

Mom and calf nuzzling

At one point we had a whole whale family by the boat.  Dad, mom, last year’s calf, and this year’s newborn.  CRAZY!

It is fun to see how playful the whales are.  They roll around and obviously enjoy the interaction.  At one point one whale decided to put its head under the boat and push us around. These intimate encounters are so special.  Really something unique in the wild.

We headed back to the RV to chill after the amazing rush. The afternoons are usually windy so we thought we might go again the next morning.  But as we looked out on the water after lunch we noticed that the day was still unusually calm so on a whim we decided what the hell … lets go again!

Most folks know the afternoons are windy and this was late in the season so we were the only customers as we headed out on our private outing.  We were the not only the only customers on the boat but also the only boat on the water.  Awesome!

Alas, you can never predict “wild” life and we were a bit disappointed when no whales came up to the boat.  Apparently, they get tired too.  But all was not lost.  What we realized after being out there a while is that while they weren’t much interested in playing with us, they were out there interacting amongst themselves.

What we missed in terms of up close interaction we made up for in watching these magnificent animals doing their own thing. Some of the behaviors were pretty funny, like blowing lots of bubbles for no apparent reason.

Some breached repeatedly.

We saw one doing what is called logging … where they lay completely still on the surface like a log and nap.

We watched as a mom and her baby gurgled and rolled and played with each other.  Or maybe  mom  was  teaching  baby.

And there was a whole lot of spy hopping going on too.

As we headed back we were treated to a rainbow in a baby whale’s spout.

Not a bad outing at all.

The next morning we decided to continue on our way, as we still weren’t 100% sure that the RV wouldn’t have further issues. And as we left we saw multiple whale spouts out on the lagoon in the distance.  Perfect.

So this concluded our whale watching on the Baja.  We did make one final quick stop to meet some friends from San Diego in Ensenada and to get the RV and car washed before crossing the border. We were very sad to leave this beautiful peninsula that we will never forget but we hope to come back someday!