For generations, grey whales have been migrating to the warm, shallow waters of San Ignacio Lagoon. This trip idea provides the chance to witness first hand these beautiful creatures up close.
Located in Mexico’s rugged desert peninsula of Baja California, San Ignacio Lagoon provides a perfect habitat for a grey whale's life cycle. Whales migrate to the lagoon between January and April to mate and calve before the males continue their journey northwards around mid-March to distant feeding grounds.
San Ignacio Lagoon is a favourite location for Wildlife Worldwide and this tailor-made holiday will allow you to experience its magic first hand. Our founder, Chris Breen, who has visited the lagoon on several occasions, said after a recent trip: “To see grey whales is one thing, to interact with them is another; to have so many whales around the boat wanting to play with you that you don’t know where to turn, is in a different league altogether. It is probably the greatest whale watching spectacle on Earth.”
You will be based for six nights at the outstanding location of San Ignacio Cabanas, providing rustic yet comfortable accommodation overlooking the lagoon. From here, you take twice daily excursions out on to the lagoon, accompanied by expert local guides where you hope to get some incredible encounters with mothers and the calves. Back on dry land and away from the main highlight of the grey whales, the surrounding area is fantastic for birding with a chance to see peregrine falcon, pelican, osprey, Brandt’s and great blue heron along with great and reddish egret.
Suggested Itinerary
Day1: Fly to Los Angeles
Take a daytime flight from London to Los Angeles, where you overnight at a hotel near the airport.
Accommodation: Crowne Plaza Los Angeles Airport, 1-night
Day2: Travel to San Ignacio Lagoon
Today is mainly a travel day as you take a flight from Los Angeles to Loreto, Mexico. Upon arrival you transfer by road (approximately six hours) to our base for the next six nights and the setting for our unique encounters with grey whales, San Ignacio Lagoon.
Over the next five days you enjoy two whale watching excursions daily. These excursions allow around an hour and half of contact time with the grey whales to minimise disturbance to these majestic giants, but allows us enough time to experience some incredible and close encounters with them.
Spending time in the lagoon will afford us with a fascinating insight into the life cycle of the grey whale. You see mothers with newborn four-and-a-half metre-long, two tonne babies, along with playful young males passing underneath the hull seeking sexually mature females to continue the lagoon’s circle of life.
Our time spent back on dry land can be as active or as relaxing as you wish. From San Igancio Cabanas there are opportunities to explore the tidal pools in search of octopus, go beachcombing, enjoy some fantastic birdwatching or similar enjoy the view over the lagoon reflecting on our encounters from the excursions. After a stunning sunset over the lagoon, the night sky here is perfect for stargazing with no light pollution to interfere with the huge star-filled sky.
Day8: Travel to Los Angeles & depart
This morning you say goodbye to the grey whales of San Ignacio Lagoon as you transfer by road back to Loreto for our flight to Los Angeles, where you then connect to an overnight flight back to London.
Day9: Arrive UK
Key info
Our trip ideas are offered to inspire you and can be tailored to suit your requirements.
Duration and price including flights from/to UK: 9 daysfrom £4,195 pp
Duration and price excluding international flights: 8 daysfrom £3,495 pp
San Ignacio Lagoon is located in the Mexican province of Baja California and is one of the winter sanctuaries of the eastern Pacific grey whale. Here, males and females congregate looking for mates and newborn calves prepare themselves for the long journey north to their summer feeding grounds in the Arctic.
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Sat on the shores of San Ignacio lagoon, these cabanas offer rustic yet comfortable wilderness accommodation in an outstanding location. Food is freshly prepared daily by the resident Mexican family, and a naturalist guide is on hand to talk about the lagoon's grey whale migration phenomenon.
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