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We went to Baja California 2/9 - 2/13/2004 to watch Grey Whales. We went with Baja Jones Adventure Travel (http://www.greywhale.com) and had a fabulous time.


Kathy with cardon cactus at the cave painting lunch stop.
IMG_2206.JPG 		Kathy and cardon cactus.
IMG_2207.JPG 		Cave paintings at Catavina lunch stop
IMG_2208.JPG 		More cave painting.
IMG_2209.JPG 		View from the hill.
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"Elephant tree"
IMG_2212.JPG 		From inside the paintings cave.
IMG_2213.JPG 		Ben with cactus.
IMG_2215.JPG 		Cirio cactus.
IMG_2217.JPG 		Bimbo truck at the motel in Guerrero Negro.
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Whale watching visitor center at Ejido Benito Juarez.
IMG_2220.JPG 		A closer view of the whale skeleton.
IMG_2222.JPG 		The visitor center from our "panga". note the two buildings in the center background; these are the rest rooms with picture windows.
IMG_2224.JPG 		One of the first whales we saw. The Ejido's trips are in the part of the lagoon farthest from the ocean. It's shallow here, and there are many mother whales each with a young calf.
IMG_2237.JPG 		"Spy hopping" or a tail stand.
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Two whales playing.
IMG_2245.JPG 		A whale. OK, you get the idea...
IMG_2246.JPG 		Two whales playing.
IMG_2268.JPG 		More playing whale.
IMG_2271.JPG 		Two whales playing.
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Two whales playing.
IMG_2297.JPG 		Much of the area is owned by the salt company (largest salt producer in the world). This is one of the evaporation ponds.
IMG_2300.JPG 		The salt pile through the windshield of Mario's bus, a recycled Thrifty Car Rental airport shuttle.
IMG_2302.JPG 		The salt pile. Anyone for Skiing?
IMG_2305.JPG 		Loaded on a barge...
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So on our panga our driver decided to take a short cut and we ran aground. Another panga tows us off. Shoulda stayed to the outside of that post!
IMG_2308.JPG 		Our rescuers were faster than us, too!
IMG_2309.JPG 		Sea lions on the channel marker.
IMG_2315.JPG 		Sea lions on the channel marker.
IMG_2316.JPG 		So this is the second day with Mario's tours. And now we're really cruising out to the whale area.
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We're out in the part of the lagoon nearest the ocean, many miles from the Ejido. This whale swam back and forth between our panga and theirs.
IMG_2329.JPG 		A barnacled head.
IMG_2331.JPG 		Glad they're friendly.
IMG_2333.JPG 		The closest we got to a whale breaching. Maybe that's just as well, given their size.
IMG_2341.JPG 		Two more whales "playing", though this time we knew that we had a mating pair.
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More fun and games.
IMG_2346.JPG 		More fun and games.
IMG_2348.JPG 		More fun and games.
IMG_2349.JPG 		More fun and games.
IMG_2350.JPG 		Do you smoke after...?
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And off she goes.
IMG_2354.JPG 		The barge gets towed off to Isla de Cedros about 20 miles offshore for shipping. They run the cable from the tug to the barge to two ocean swell-lengths.
IMG_2355.JPG 		The salt barge with birds perched all in a row. Mostly gulls and pelicans.
IMG_2363.JPG 		Returning to Mario's dock.
IMG_2364.JPG 		Lots of birding available. Here's an osprey with fish.
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And another, standing guard.
IMG_2372.JPG 		We are noticed.
IMG_2373.JPG 		Birds near the pier at the old shipping station in the Guerrero Negro lagoon (not the whale lagoon).
IMG_2379.JPG 		The old shipping pier. The salt conveyor ran in the trough.
IMG_2383.JPG 		The lighthouse framed.
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The salt company set aside a small bird sanctuary. Here a pelican is landing.
IMG_2394.JPG 		We ate breakfast here each morning.
IMG_2397.JPG 		Kathy walks back to our motel.
IMG_2398.JPG 		We never sampled the "suchi" (or anything else) at the motel's attached restaurant. The driveway leads to the motel's courtyard.
IMG_2399.JPG 		Our room was the second on the left. spartan but functional, and plenty of hot water for the shower. Bimbo truck to the right.
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B&K in front of Mario's restaurant. Blue Thrifty van to the left. Apparently Mexico gets lots of used vehicles from their northern neighbor.
IMG_2401.JPG 		Mario build the place hiself. Palm-thatched roof.
IMG_2402.JPG 		Mario used cardon cacti (hardwood!) for the posts.
IMG_2404.JPG 		Third day. A whale checks us out. We're midway in the lagoon, between the other watching spots.
IMG_2408.JPG 		They are big, and very curious.
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This mother (and her calf) game from a fair distance to play with us for about half an hour.
IMG_2423.JPG 		Mother and calf.
IMG_2432.JPG 		Mom and barnacles.
IMG_2435.JPG 		Keith Jones, our guide, and big mama.
IMG_2436.JPG 		Spouting off.
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Eyeing each other.
IMG_2439.JPG 		Baby flops over mom, who's on her side.
IMG_2441.JPG 		Come say hello.
IMG_2446.JPG 		They seem to like human contact. They also played around, diving under the panga and also nudging it around.
IMG_2449.JPG 		More contact.
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On her side.
IMG_2462.JPG 		Ben reaches out.
IMG_2466.JPG 		Mom and calf.
IMG_2470.JPG 		Baby checks us out.
IMG_2471.JPG 		More contact.
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And a happy whale watcher.
IMG_2476.JPG 		They really are BIG!
IMG_2479.JPG 		Kathy and our two boatmates from Chile.
IMG_2490.JPG 		Keith.
IMG_2493.JPG 		Keith.
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Off to the afternoon session, this time with Keith's intern Kathy.
IMG_2496.JPG 		A pair of tails.
IMG_2500.JPG 		Another visitor.
IMG_2519.JPG 		Coming closer...
IMG_2520.JPG 		Baby says hi.
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Upside down.
IMG_2523.JPG 		One of three pairs that cme by in the afternoon and stayed with use for at least half an hour.
IMG_2529.JPG 		They played around with the panga, diving under, swimming all around...
IMG_2530.JPG 		...and getting petted.
IMG_2531.JPG 		A big fin.
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A happy calf.
IMG_2536.JPG 		Two pair.
IMG_2543.JPG 		Big breath through flared nostrils.
IMG_2547.JPG 		The results of a playful whale: she blew out her air about 6 inches below the surface and drenched the Kathys and Lukas. Keith thinks the whales like the sound of laughter.
IMG_2556.JPG 		A pretty tail.
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Ben in the sun.
IMG_2572.JPG 		They're the size of a city bus.
IMG_2574.JPG 		Kathy's best tail shot.
IMG_2588.JPG 		And a pair of tails. These two were "porpoising" along for quite some time.
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