Journey North GrayWhale Migration

Spring Training for Babies
by Naturalist Caroline Armon, Baja Ecotours, Laguna San Ignacio

Photo Caroline Armon

I am noticing some patterns of behavior from my years in San Ignacio Lagoon. The whales tend to swim against whichever way the tide is flowing. Perhaps it feels good against their skin. It may even knock off some whale lice. It is definitely endurance swimming practice for the calves before the big swim north. We see more spy hops and breaches when the tidal currents are flowing strong. Some of our best interactions occur when the tide is slack. It is fun to be able to have a sense of what behaviors we may see on our trips!

We saw feeding behavior for the first time this season on our March 11 morning trip. The moms were showing the calves how to “plow” up the lagoon bottom where the water is about 10 feet deep. It’s amazing to see those pectoral fins and tail flukes sticking up in the air as they move slowly along. The babies were doing a great job; evidenced by the mud circles they left behind on the water, like a fluke print.

The calves are now very active and agile! They are getting bigger, so I now need to look twice before I say "that’s a calf" or "that's a juvenile!" I still struggle to describe the thrill when a mom presents, pushes, or even lifts her baby up to us. Magic can and does happen here in the lagoon!