I am sitting at the edge of Baja’s San Ignacio Lagoon, on a rocky outcrop — Punta de Piedra — at sunset. Swaths of tangerine and blood orange streak the deep blue sky. The only sound is that of gray whales frolicking in the shallow waters before us, the thunderous spray and whoosh of their exhales and percussive crashing from their breaches. It is a spectacle like no other. The silhouettes of the Sierra San Francisco mountains rise to the north, a giant sand dune draws the eye, illuminated by the fading yellow sunlight and a vast sea stretches out before me. Undoubtedly, this is my favorite place on earth — I’ve been coming to San Ignacio Lagoon each February for years to commune with the grays, always drawn by the promise of their return.
Each year, I lead a group here with WILDCOAST, a Del Mar-based ocean conservation group dedicated to protecting wild places such as San Ignacio Lagoon. This five-day trip is in partnership with Baja Discovery — a tent camp at the edge of the lagoon — and begins with a drive from Old Town San Diego, to the Cross Border Xpress Bridge that drops you into the Tijuana Airport, before boarding a 2-hour charter flight. Once in San Ignacio Lagoon in Baja California, Mexico, home for the next four nights is the Baja Discovery base camp, which offers a front row seat to the magic of the whale lagoon.
This area of the Baja Peninsula plays an integral part in ensuring the continuation of these giants. Gray whale mothers travel to this sanctuary to give birth and teach their calves, while other females and males congregate looking for mates. Their presence here is the culmination of one of the longest mammal migrations on Earth — a monumental journey of some 12,000 miles. From their feeding grounds in the frigid seas of Alaska, the gray whales travel south along the Pacific coast of North America. They navigate by a deep, ancient instinct, following the coastline into the warmth of the Baja lagoons.
Back in 2000, WILDCOAST played a pivotal role in safeguarding this area when the Japanese conglomerate Mitsubishi planned to construct the world’s largest industrial salt plant, right on the shores of the lagoon. The project would have poisoned these pristine waters, turning a vital whale nursery into an industrial wasteland.
Before You Go
The Trip
WILDCOAST invites donors and future supporters to book the five-day, four-night Gray Whale Adventure with Baja Discovery. The trip runs from February 18-22, 2026. For more information, email annelise@wildcoast.org.
Getting There
Book a non-stop flight to San Diego out of San Francisco International Airport, Oakland International Airport, or even Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport. But if you’d rather drive, take a 9-hour(ish) road trip down the coast.
About WILDCOAST
Launched in 2000, WILDCOAST helps protect 38 million acres of ocean habitat, coastlines, coral reefs, mangrove forests, wetlands, wildlands, sea turtle nesting beaches and gray whale lagoons in California and Mexico.
Fortunately, a small but determined and vocal group of people, including WILDCOAST co-founder Serge Dedina, PhD, stepped in to stop this potential travesty, and the project was halted. To ensure the lagoon would never be developed, WILDCOAST helped create 483 miles of conservation concessions around the gray whale breeding lagoons in Baja California. Though a victory, it stood as a reminder that the fragile beauty of places like San Ignacio Lagoon requires constant vigilance and that protection is a shared responsibility.
Mornings on the trip start off with breakfast before boarding a panga boat, located steps from the camp, to seek out these gentle giants in their winter calving and mating grounds. On some days, the sunlit teal water is smooth as glass. Others, it’s fleece, ski hats, wool socks and wind with a slight chop. Before venturing out, we check in with the local steward overseeing the various boats’ take-off times, a shining example of controlled ecotourism, designed to protect the animals. We then head out in exhilarated anticipation.
Every whale excursion is unique — a floating mystery box of encounters with wildlife, whether you’re watching a trio of grays in a thunderous mating ritual or lucky enough to have a mother and a young calf approach the panga. Sometimes the young calves play like puppies with the boats and humans, eager for a pat or kiss on their soft rubbery skin. Other times, 30-ton mothers pass, blowing giant bubble blasts to the surface or swimming right under the boat, their shadows, size and power take the breath away. The boat captains, all from the local community, are masters at navigating these whale-filled waters and interacting with the part-time cetacean residents.
The whales’ desire to seek out human contact is honestly hard to understand. These magnificent creatures were once hunted to the brink of extinction in the 1800s by whaling captains who deemed them “devil fish” for their aggressive defense of their young. Thankfully, the species survived, and some “friendlies” interact with the very species that once hunted them. It’s a miracle they trust us at all.
When not communing with whales, time can be spent kayaking or cruising through the beautiful mangrove forests or on nature walks along pristine beaches dotted with time-worn whale bones, shiny shells, and sand dollars the size of pancakes. Evenings mean hearty meals and slideshow lectures from the affable staff, along with talks from former NOAA scientists and local whale researchers. With a 24-guest max, myriad bonding moments arise between our small group, from intimate dinners and grilled-oyster-and-margarita happy hours to the dopamine-infused experiences of seeing these creatures in the wild.
Sadly, these animals are under extreme threat due to changing weather patterns, warming seas, ship strikes and food-chain collapse. In the past few years, the numbers have dwindled at the lagoon, and we are greatly concerned about the vulnerability of these gentle giants as their annual return is no longer guaranteed.
When people ask what they can do, my answer is this: Take action, use your voice and your vote. Support groups that are fighting to preserve nature and its wildlife. Travel with WILDCOAST to witness the majesty of this species to understand how crucial it is to save them.
As WILDCOAST’s Executive Director Serge Dedina, PhD says, “As a result of climate change, gray whales are literally canaries in the dramatically changing ocean coal mine. We can’t afford to let these wondrous symbols of California and Baja’s coastal waters vanish before our eyes. We have to do everything we can to protect these magnificent whales right now and far into the future.”