By Mike Huber
Joe frequently posts of the magical experiences in Baja and one he focuses on heavily (for good reason) are the tours in Guerrero Negro to see the gray whales and their babies. Having experienced that twice I concur with Joe’s description of this fabulous encounter, however, the tour operators for the gray whales won’t let you disembark the panga to swim with these giant mammals. I know this because I have asked to jump overboard to swim with the whales during both tours I was on. This to me (with my ever-questionable judgment) seemed like the next logical step in being able to enhance the experience.
Two weeks ago, as I entered La Paz I instantly was drawn to the many advertisements for tour companies offering opportunities to SWIM WITH WHALE SHARKS! This was what I was yearning for! A tour boat will bring you out to a marine preserve, provide you with a safety briefing, a wet suit, flippers, a mask, and snorkel and you are ready to swim with whale sharks. The boat will approach these fish (they are the largest fish in the world growing to upwards of 40 ft). We were ready to go with legs hanging over the panga as it slowed down near a whale shark and one by one we jumped off the boat into the warm waters of the Sea of Cortez. It was very much like exiting an aircraft as a paratrooper.
Once in the water the guide, who is also in the water with you will point out the whale sharks (in case you cannot spot a 40-ft fish). You can see these magnificent sharks swimming and grazing on krill. We were fortunate enough to have several around us, which got a bit harrowing as they were almost vertical in the water spinning like some type of aquatic ballerina while drawing in water filled with krill. As we began to close in on them we can feel ourselves being pulled into their mouth like a whirlpool. I instantly became aware of their size and power.
It was at this moment I am certain the people topside heard some colorful Bostonian language being funneled up through my snorkel when I was too close for my own comfort. The whale sharks are peaceful and aware you are there and not a threat to them, but they are also aware they are bigger, better swimmers, and you are in THEIR habitat. One thing to keep in mind is that they will not move for you and if you get in their path, they may push you or run you over. This was an incident we all clearly wanted to avoid.
There were only four of us on the tour and we performed four dives over about 2 hours. Their overwhelming size and our proximity to the whale sharks never got old, and our adrenaline never died down. We used Red Travel Tours out of La Paz. Our guides Siyad and Mario were well informed and they had a passion for ensuring we had a once-in-a-lifetime experience while respecting nature. They were both genuinely as excited as we were when swimming with the whale sharks and educating us on the ocean they live in. For anyone traveling in Baja this is an experience and a tour company you want to go with to see whale sharks.
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“Here’s to swimmin’ with bow-legged women”
Wow Mike, those are some great photos! A few years ago, we were fishing in Bahia de Los Angeles on the Sea of Cortes. This is a long day and a half drive north of La Paz where you went swimming with the whale sharks. While fishing, a huge whale shark presented his awesome wide smile along the starboard side of our little boat as if inviting us to join him. It was cold and windy that day and nobody wanted to dive in, but he stayed around us for a while as if curious about us, or maybe just to say, “Hello gringos welcome to my world!”. Whale sharks are such beautiful creatures, I had never experienced one before. Later that day we encountered hundreds of rays jumping out of the water about three feet high and slapping the surface upon reentry in true “belly flop” style. Our captain told us that nobody really knows why rays will do that at times, but he thinks they do it to slap “sea fleas” off of themselves. We shot videos of both “Encounters of the Wet Kind”. What a wonderful day it was. Oh, and the fishing was pretty good too! Baja California is one of Earth’s truly magical places. Thanks Mike, for bringing up such fond memories.
Joe C.
As Joe C. points out, whale sharks are indeed popular in Bahia de Los Angeles, typically starting in late summer to early fall. BDLA has the advantage of being closer to the US, however, keep in mind that it does not offer the level of activities and entertainment options as Lapaz. If you prefer traveling more off the beaten path, then BDLA may be the ticket for you.