February 13, 2019

February 13, 2019

The town of Guerrero Negro is near a large inlet off the Pacific Ocean. Because of the shallow bay, low rainfall, and plentiful sunshine, this lagoon called Eye of the Jackrabbit contains the largest salt works in the world. Here seawater ponds are allowed to evaporate producing ten million tons of sea salt annually.

We drive for miles across the salt pans until we come to an arm of the inlet called Scammon’s Lagoon. It has that name because in 1857 a whaler named Charles Melville Scammon discovered Gray Whales congregating in the hundreds here to breed and give birth. His discovery almost lead to their extinction in just a few years. Now the Mexican government protects them. We set out on a small Panga boat to the middle of the lagoon. We see water spouts from Gray Whales in every direction. Soon we get curious whales coming right up to the boat. So close we can touch their barnacle laden skin. It feels like a rubber inner tube that needs air.

We watch lots of activities of the whales. Often they rise vertically out of the water and rotate, looking like a periscope getting the lay of the land. We see groups of three cavorting, most likely trying to produce a new generation. Once impregnated, the whales spend the summer feeding in the Arctic. The females again return the following year to this same lagoon to give birth to their young.

We are lucky with beautiful sunny warm weather. The water is a sheet of glass allowing us to interact easily with these magnificent creatures. Several whales, some mothers with babies, approach the boat. They are either curious, or maybe just want to rub up against us and the boat to remove a particularly irritating barnacle. We even get a few dolphins swimming alongside.

After several hours we return to shore and walk along some of the tidal waters looking at the many shore birds. It is hard to get excited about bird watching after an up close and personal experience with a leviathan of the sea.

In the afternoon we have a late lunch of delicious homemade tamales and drive farther south to the town of San Ignacio where we spend the night. Before dinner we are entertained by some local children in traditional costume who sing and dance for us.

After dinner we are offered a shot of Damiana liqueur. This concoction made from a local Baja herb is supposed to be an aphrodisiac. I am not sure what they are trying to tell me.