And why whale watching, you may ask?
Taking adventure travel literally overseas gives Duende Tours the opportunity to really share the travel adventure experience Mexico, coast-to-coast. We’ve always had an affliction for eco tourism and whale watching is one of the safest, eco-friendly and most astonishing experiences Mexican has to offer. Though we won’t be the first to practice this incredible experience, given our reputation, you can rest assured our practices in the Mayan Jungles will translate to the west coast.
Whale Watching
Aside from the eco-friendly attributes of whale watching, we also love the history behind the practice. It’s rumored that in the 1970’s a fisherman on his tiny boat found himself accompanied by a very large gray whale. Terrified and fearful that the whale would capsize his boat, the man stood perfectly still, hoping the whale would lose interest and swim away. After realizing that the whale was going nowhere, the man prayed and for reasons beyond his understanding, decided to reach out and touch the whale, eyes closed and body trembling. To the fisherman’s surprise the whale allowed the man not only to touch it, but, in fact pet it! The man excited and shaken-up by the event dared his luck with his younger son, who from upon a second successful trial decided to start bringing people during mating season for a very small fee. Hence, the birth of whale watching.
In essence we want to give you, the curious, intrepid travelers of the world the best of what Mexico has to offer, in caves, jungles, on land, rivers, and now over seas - Best Mexico Travel !
There is a running political and culture saying that the only Mexicans allowed to roam free about the world are the whales and octopuses of the pacific. The reason for this is because grey whales, much like most of the sea life in the Pacific Ocean migrate to and from the Baja California region, where they mate. Since the region is politically Mexican, well, then, so are the whales! Or at least we’d like to think so. These amazing grey beasts migrate annually from Alaska down to Mexico. The migration starting point is the Sea of Cortez October off the Baja Peninsula. From Alaska, the journey takes them over 12, 500 miles to give birth in the safer waters of Mexico and remain in the Baja California Region until their young are healthy and strong enough to return to the ice-cold waters of the Alaskan region for summer feeding.
What’s the Whale Watching Experience like?:
The Whale Watching experience can last anywhere from hours to days. The event begins early in the morning and ends near dusk.Adventure Travel | Gray Whales The grey whale is not in the least shy and will commonly approach small boats. If boats aren’t for you, then beach whale watching is also an option. They have been known to make appearances as close as 20 yards off the beach coast. Moreover, they travel in small groups, usually with their young, so you can expect to see more than just one or two grey whales in a single sighting.
The Grey or Gray Whale is in fact dark in color with gray spots . They can reach a body length of about 52 ft and can weigh up to 36 tons! They live an average of 50 to 60 years, making them accessible for yearly visits. As the one of the oldest living mammals on earth, the Gray Whale. The following is a description borrowed from the American Cetacean Society :
“Gray whales have a streamlined body, with a narrow, tapered head. The upper jaw is arched in profile, and slightly overlaps the lower jaw. The rostrum (upper jaw) is dimpled and each of the little depressions contains one stiff hair. There are 2-5 grooves on the ventral throat 5 feet (1.5 m) in length. The gray whale received its name from the gray patches and white mottling on its dark skin. On the skin are many scratches, scattered patches of white barnacles, and orange whale lice. Newborn calves are dark gray to black, although some may have distinctive white markings.”
Different tour companies will give you their own take on what the experience should and shouldn’t be like for the tourist. The truth is that we don’t see it that way. Because of the nature of the whale watching, we believe that it is just as much about the whales as it is for the tourist. The point of our adventure tours is to showcase a beautiful part of life that we consider to be fun, exciting and well-worth preserving. The point of our tours, in other words, is to prove to the world, one tourist at a time, that the natural world, be it in the Mayan jungles of Central America or overseas. That being said, we comply with not only international and Mexican Domestic law, but also are own ethical guidelines regarding whales, their welfare and especially your welfare!
