SILENT MIGRATIONS
Originally published the week of Dec. 19, 2006 in Western Outdoor News
Photo 1 : The calm shallow waters of Bahia Magdalena in Baja Mexico is the winter ground for the might grey whales. Vistors in pangas seen in the background come from the months of January to March.
About right now like clockwork, they’re moving south. Thousands of them. It’s the largest migration of mammals on the planet. In fact, it’s probably the largest migration of the largest mammals too!
There’s no thundering herd or giant swaths cut through the plains like buffalo or elephants nor, like lemmings, is there any intent towards self-destruction. In fact, most folks never even know it’s happening. Many folks nearby the migration path never even see a thing or know that the “grey whale superhighway” literally swims either below them or right out in front of their Pacific beaches unless someone points it out.
There was a time when these huge creatures had pretty much disappeared from the planet and hunted into oblivion by whalers hungry to feed the public demand for the oil, cosmetics and other things that whales provided. Even the teeth were valued for their ivory. They’ve rebounded in spectacular fashion.
Starting a few months ago, the California grey whales began swimming south from their grounds near Alaska’s Bering Sea. In about a month, they’ll be taking up their winter residence along Baja’s Pacific coast where they spend the months of January to March in areas such as Magdalena Bay, San Ignacio and Scammon’s Lagoon near Guerrero Negro.
Photo 2: “Scratch my nose!” Often the gentle whales which can reach lenghts of 20-30 or more feet will come right up to the pangas for a scratch and a pet and mug for the cameras!
For about 3 months in these shallow, calm and protected coves, the whales will feed, mate, and calve before heading back north in March or early April. If you’ve never taken the opportunity to check this out, it’s pretty incredible and a lifetime experience. It’s not like chasing whales on a “whale watch” boat. On these tour boats you’re lucky to see a whale or two and everyone suddenly rushes from one side to the other hoping to glimpse one of these great creatures. Then, all you may see is some spot on the ocean where someone says, “Aww, you just missed it!”
On the contrary, most of the whale watching in Baja is done from the same type of pangas we all fish from and in these sheltered waters, it’s not uncommon to see dozens of whales in the span of a few hours. More importantly, as the mothers and younger whales get more used to the pangas, it’s not unusual to have whales come right up to the pangas to be scratched and photographed.
Photo 3: Dozens of whales can be seen daily and it’s not unusual to have the females allow their calves to come up to the boat. Often it’s like the whales are watching us!
Photo 4: They seem often as curious about the funny colored little things in the blue and white objects as we are of them. Kids and adults alike have a great time!I didn’t take this photo. It comes courtesy of our amigo, Enrique Vargas of Baja Life Magazine. He’s a geat photographer!
We all want to save the forests and the turtles and the dorado and the spotted-purple-doodle-bug, but until you make it economically feasible to save them, it’s not going to happen, especially in 2nd and 3rd world nations and even world leaders.
If a man has the choice between feeding his kids by killing something to eat or sell versus watching it swim by, guess which choice he will make? Before we curse the folks who kill manta rays and sharks and turtles and burn rain forests, what would we do in a similar situation if our kids were hungry? He loves seeing black-tailed horn swimmers, but hey….kid’s and momma gotta eat!
I sit on the beach at Lopez Mateos in Magdalena Bay each year and watch panga after panga load up with school kids and retired guys wearing shorts and black socks; school teachers and honeymooners with cameras dangling from their necks and it’s simple math!
The pangero fisherman in the past might have hunted these whales. He might welcome the construction of a polluting foreign salt factory or a new hotel being built. But, at $30 bucks a head and 12 people in the boat for 3 hours of work. He runs out 2-3 times a day. Uh, let’s see… Not a bad payday 7 days a week for 3 months when the daily wage in a Baja City is about 6-10 dollars/day. Yes, indeed. Save the whales!
Places like Costa Rica figured it out. If you can make people pay for it and you can make a buck off it, then it’s win-win. By golly! Save the rainforests! All the marches and protests and petitions are not as motivating as the desire to make a buck to turn anyone into a tree hugger. When it becomes economically more feasible to save something than to destroy it, that’s when change happens.
Unfortunately, I’m not seeing a whole lot of that in Mexico. If we can figure it out for whales, why can’t we find a formula to stop illegal commercial fishing; un-fettered longlining and gill-netting? Unfortunately, I just don’t think there’s that much interest. Everyone want’s to eat fish. Populations grow. The seas shrink. Every mom and pop and kid wants to see whales or loves to chow down at their favorite Red Lobster Restaurant (me included!) Fewer and fewer could care less about tuna or dorado and the economics just don’t balance out anymore.
But, thankfully, at least the whales still come back every year. Get out and see them before someone changes their minds!
We’re booking trips now for the coming year. If you’d like us to set up an adventure like this for you or your family or friends, contact us at rplipboy@aol.com or check out the webpage at: http://www.tailhunter-international.com/activities.htm We can set up everything from hotels to transportation to guides! Make a great gift!
That’s my story! If you need to contact me, again, the e-mail is riplipboy@aol.com
That's My Story 
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