Gentle Giants Expeditions – Baja California, Mexico

Bahia Magdalena is home to one of the most incredible experiences on earth. Imagine leaning over the edge of the boat, placing your hands on the waters surface and having a massive grey whale place its head under your hand and slowly lift it from the water as it looks you in the eye. The grey whale encounters in this area can only be described as magical. They often swim right up to the boat, poking their heads from the water only inches away as if they want to say hello. Mothers are even known to push their young calfs up to the surface as if they want to introduce us to them. This area is where we have seen some of the largest aggregations of any whale in Baja. In 2019 we had days where there were 60+ whales around us at one time. It is incredible. After whale watching, we’ll make a stop to explore the sand dunes, home to our local population of coyotes, as well as cruise the beautiful, and critical, mangroves that make this area such a hot spot for animal life.

The blue whale is the largest animal to ever live on earth. An animal in size comparable to a 10 story building with a heart so large its heartbeat can be detected from 2 miles away. Every winter these majestic giants migrate to the waters around Loreto in search of krill giving us an amazing opportunity to see them. These gentle giants grow up to 25 meters long and can weigh more than 200 tonnes! Loreto is a hot spot for marine mammals this time of year, we frequently spot other species of whales (including gigantic fin & minke whales!), as well as super pods of dolphins and more! Check out some of the photos from past Baja whale watching expeditions in our photo gallery below.

Your Gentle Giants expedition wouldn’t be complete without a visit to swim & snorkel with the largest fish in the world – the whale shark!  Whale sharks can grow upwards of 12 meters (40+ feet) long and can weigh upwards of 21 tons (47,000 lbs.). Yet these docile giants move through the water with such grace and beauty, opening their large mouths to filter feed on tiny plankton. They’re known for their gentle behavior; allowing snorkelers & divers to closely share the ocean with them. Sometimes if we are lucky we can find them standing completely vertical in the water suction feeding on plankton blooms. The area of La Paz in which we find them is quite unique in that it’s relatively shallow and you can usually see the bottom as they cruise by casting shadow on the white sand below.  If time allows, we’ll also take a stop to visit some of La Paz’s famous salty sea puppies – the California sea lion. The curious pups are known for all sorts of playful shenanigans with snorkelers.

Please note that this expedition is not a scuba diving trip. You do not need to be scuba certified or freediving certified to join these expeditions. You only need to know how to swim for the snorkeling portions of the trip. If you’d like to gain some experience with freediving beforehand we recommend taking a freediving course in Cabo San Lucas the days before the trip with one of our ninja instructors. It’s an awesome way to make the most of your time on the expedition!

In addition to whale watching in Baja California, there are countless possible optional activities we can offer such as: scuba diving in Cabo San Lucas, Loreto, La Paz or Cabo Pulmo, day trips spent snorkeling and relaxing at gorgeous off the beaten path beaches, enjoying natural hot springs in the sierra mountains, visiting ancient cave paintings in the mountains, visiting some of the historic Spanish Missions, or going to Todos Santos to visit Hotel California of Eagles fame.  Give us a shout, our ninjas love chatting about the local area and will gladly help you put together a proper ‘Ninja’ expedition.