Off to see the Gray Whales.
Malarimmo RV Park in Guerrero Negro.
Baja lagoons each year, half in Scammon’s Lagoon. Te first whales to arrive are usually pregnant mothers that look for the protection of the lagoons to give birth to their calves, along with single females seeking out male companions in order to mate. By mid-February to mid- March the bulk of the Gray Whales have arrived at the lagoons. Te calf is born tail first and measures about four metres in length. It is believed that the shallow waters in the lagoons protect the newborn from sharks. Troughout February and March, the first Gray Whales
Whale Watching with Malarimmo Eco Tours
Negro) grounded in the lagoon near the coast in 1858. It was during this era that Captain Charles Scammon discovered a prolific Grey Whale-breeding lagoon which became a choice hunting ground for Yankee and European whalers. Although locally known as Laguna “Ojo de Liebre” (eye of the jackrabbit), this lagoon is better known to boaters from around the world as Scammon’s. Te migration of the Grey Whales to
Scammon’s Lagoon is the longest route of any mammal starting their journey in Alaska and traveling as far south as Bahia Magdalena, Baja California. Here the females who conceived the previous year (about half), are ready to give birth. As the females are fertile every other year, most of the others are ready for breeding. About 1,500 Grey Whales are born in the
to leave the lagoons are the males and single females. Once they have mated, they will begin the trek back north to their summer feeding grounds in the Bering and Chukchi seas. Tis round trip of 16,000–22,000 km, at an average speed of 5 km/h, is believed to be the longest yearly migration of any mammal. Pregnant females and nursing mothers with their newborn calves are the last to leave the lagoons. Tey leave only when their calves are ready for the journey, which is usually from late March to mid-April. Oſten there are still a few lingering Gray Whale mothers with their young calves in the lagoons well into May. By late March or early April a number of Gray Whales enter Puget Sound and may be seen from Canada as far south as Everett, Washington near the mouth of the Snohomish River. A population of about 2,000 Gray Whales stay along the Oregon coast throughout the summer, not making the farther trip to Alaska waters. Hunted to the edge of extinction, the Gray Whale was given partial protection in 1937
and full protection in 1947 by the International Whaling Commission (IWC). Since that time the eastern north Pacific Gray Whale population has made a remarkable recovery and now numbers are probably close to their original population size. As of 2008, the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) regards the California Gray Whale as being of “Least Concern” from a conservation perspective.
In early March of 2012, on our last tour the lagoon had over 2,700 whales, a new record.
Te water was like glass and most of our guests purchased “I touched a Whale” T-shirts; they were simply thrilled! F
Malarimmo seafood platter.
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