Whale-Watching

There are several ways to observe gray and blue whales near La Paz [1], and several dive [2] and kayak outfitters [3] offer special whale-watching tours.

Some tours go to the Sea of Cortez, while others go to Laguna San Ignacio [4] or Magdalena Bay [5] on the Pacific side of the Baja Peninsula. Some trips involve snorkeling and paddling; others are just boat cruises.

You can go for one day or eight, depending on your budget and how much time you want to spend with the mammals.

Baja Outdoor Activities (tel. 612/125-5636, toll-free U.S. tel. 888/217-6659, www.kayakinbaja.com [6]) offers a package with two three-hour boat trips plus an overnight stay and all meals for US$250 per person.

Johnny Friday and Maldo Ficher lead ecotours in the area through Baja Adventure Company (tel. 612/125-9081, toll-free U.S. tel. 877/506-0557, www.bajaecotours.com [7]), a division of Mar de Cortez sports. Its marine biologists, zoologists, and other professionally trained guides lead whale-watching trips.

A pioneer in environmental education and sustainable tourism, Baja Expeditions (tel. 612/125-3828, toll-free U.S. tel. 800/843-6967, www.bajaex.com [8]) offers multiday whale-watching trips to Magdalena Bay and Laguna San Ignacio and in the Sea of Cortez.