My lifelong dream fulfilled – meeting the grey whales in Baja California, Mexico

Last month I fulfilled a lifelong dream to visit the grey whales at the southern end of their annual migration.

Grey Whales in San Ignacio Lagoon, Mexico
Each year, the whales migrate between Alaska, where they feed on krill and other small sea creatures, and the shallow lagoons on the Pacific coast of Baja California in Mexico, where they give birth to babies conceived during the previous year’s migration.

In years past, these lagoons were overrun with whalers killing the whales for their blubber and baleen. Today the whales are protected in the peaceful shallow bays where they mate or give birth.

During the last week of March, I visited the whales in San Ignacio Lagoon, a protected area which (in my opinion) is the gold standard in wildlife conservation and sustainable, non-invasive ecotourism.

Moms and Babies
This is the only place in the world that grey whales approach humans and let themselves be touched. Mostly it is the babies who interact with the humans while the moms hover nearby watching but not participating.

Moms spend about three months in the lagoon with their newborn babies, getting them ready for the 3,000 mile trek back north to Alaska. During both migration trips and while at the lagoon, the mothers don’t eat because although the water is warm and safe for the babies, there is not enough food to sustain a 50-foot adult whale!

Connection
Touching any wild animal is a rare treat but touching a 2-month old baby whale is the stuff dreams are made of. And the reality was way better than anything I could have dreamed of! The babies’ skin was smooth and rubbery and taught externally but underneath the skin it was spongy – and way squishier than I expected.

The whales were in total control of everything that happened – if they did not want to be touched, it was never going to happen. They initiated and controlled every aspect of the interactions. And how cool is it when they choose to investigate and interact with you? Beyond words. Truly, this was one of the most amazing wildlife encounters of my whole life.

all photos are courtesy of my daughter Lexi – thanks, Lex!

Communication with Grey Whales

Just in case you were wondering, YES! I did communicate with the grey whales and that was its own magical experience. I was blown away by what the whales shared with me, how immediate their responses were to my intuitive communication in real time, and how open they were to connecting with me. I will save those stories for another time.

My take home lesson: Dreams do come true and sometimes the reality exceeds the expectation. Some things are worth waiting for!

Here’s to your dreams coming true, too!
Cara