Baja Glamping Offers Gray Whale Encounters

San Ignacio Lagoon is the primary calving ground for Eastern Pacific gray whales and is part of the El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve, Mexico's largest wildlife refuge. This UNESCO World Heritage site is the last undeveloped nursery for the Pacific Gray Whale. Each winter, these whales journey over 5,000 miles from their Arctic feeding grounds to the warm, shallow waters of Baja California to mate and give birth. The peak season to witness the largest concentration of whales in the lagoon is typically between February and March. Adult gray whales can reach up to 49 feet in length and weigh as much as 90,000 pounds, with females being slightly larger than males. Their calves are born weighing around 2,000 pounds and measuring 14 to 16 feet long. The uniquely "friendly" behavior of the gray whales in San Ignacio Lagoon, where they willingly approach boats, is a phenomenon that began in 1972 with a local fisherman. This has made the lagoon famous for exceptionally close and interactive encounters. Whale watching in the lagoon is strictly regulated to protect the animals. A limited number of licensed boats are allowed in designated viewing areas for a maximum of 90 minutes at a time, and interactions must be initiated by the whales themselves. Once hunted nearly to extinction and nicknamed "devil-fish" by whalers for their protective reactions, the Eastern North Pacific gray whale population has made a significant recovery. The population was removed from the Endangered Species List in 1994 and is now considered stable.