A Visit to the Whale Nursery

We have been dark for the last two days after leaving Guerrero Negro.   I suffered my first equipment failure as we started out.  Somebody left my new water back pack on the back of my bike unattached allowing it to fall off at our hotel as I rode out.  Sigh.  One more lesson learned the hard way.

The ride was beautiful all through the  Reserva de la Biosfera Desierto de Vizcaino.  The weather was sunny and the road was in good condition.  We turned off Mex 1 at San Ignacio to find a quaint, small town established on an oasis.  The palm trees and other vegetation were dense.  We found our way to the central plaza so common in small Mexican towns surrounded by restaurants, other businesses and a wonderful, restored cathedral completed in the later 1700's.

We sat at Victor's near our bikes just off the plaza shaded by several tbrees that must have been started with the Cathedral.  Dave had Chili Rellenos with a delicious tomato sauce and I an equally delicious breaded fish dish.  Everything comes with refried beans, flour tortillas unless they are in the main dish, and often rice.  "Pan" is a gringo thing available on request only.  

The cathedral was magical and awesome structure given its long history, the incredible resources and effort put into its construction and now maintence.  I walked into the cathedral to hear a repeated scraping  sound.  I walked closer to the alter to find an older workman meticulously refinishing the interior of one of the thick wooden side doors on the left.

After lunch and getting directions we set out on the 58 km mostly paved route to Kuyima on the Laguna.  After a mistaken right hand turn into the wrong property with a very angry barking dog at my left ankle, we hurried out and back on the correct dirt road  as I expected a bite tear in my still intact riding pants.  We suffered through a few miles of the worst washboard I have ever ridden to finally make it to the ecotourist facility Kuyima.

Kuyima is a ecotourist camp owned and operated by the local community over the last 29 years devoted to the preservation and study of whales and the entire ecosystem of the Laguna.  That includes the small, economically poor human community that depends on the Laguna for fishing.  Dave is standing at our Cabana Cardon in this next picture.

We watched whales for two morning sessions each about 2.5 hours in pangas holding about ten people.  The experience was breathtaking and self-evident from these pictures.

That is Dave in the first taking the picture.   In the second a big Gray whale "spy hops" apparently needing to see land for orientation, especially when tides are rapidly changing.  The third photo today is of a mother and here newborn calf, very hard to see.  The Laguna is one of three places Gray whales give birth, all in Baja.  The last photo is the closest we got to one of these beautiful creatures that finally went under the boat.  The anger and destruction portrayed in the movie "In the Heart of the Sea" was balanced by the gentle curiosity on display all around us by these creatures.  Check out this link on the life cycle and history of Gray whales Gray Whale - Wikipedia

A sunset at Kuyima with some of the many birds in view.

We met many fine people with similar interests in and care for the Gray whales and the environment.  We ate six fine meals prepared by the staff of Kuyima all of whom seemed to be joyful and excited about their work.  The tour leader, Roberto was distinguished in his attention to each of us and especially to Dave and I.  Though he was a tattooed Pittsburg Steelers fan, because he made our stay more memorable I have him on of the two Denver Broncos hats I had brought for gifts.  When the Broncos beat the Steeler's tomorrow, he can take off his Steeler's jersey and put on the Orange hat.