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You Are Here > Home : Baja Mexico Gray whales were the first great whales to be removed from the endangered species list, but their future is by no means certain. They typically spend their summers feeding in the plankton-rich waters of the Bering and Chuckchi Seas and winters in the warm lagoons off Baja California, where their calves are born. But recent evidence suggests that some of these whales are feeding in the winters and mating in the fall, challenging the assumptions underlying gray whale conservation plans. Dr. William Megill, Dr. Lei Lani Stelle, and colleagues are taking a new look at how much gray whales are eating at each end of the migration, and what impact varying prey abundance will have on the whales.         Join us on a journey to Baja California Sur, led by Dr. William Megill as he takes us down an incredibly bumpy road toward an Earthwatch site intended to study the behavioral habits of Grey Whales.  This video is meant to give you an overview of the whales' situation. Click to play more videos: Video 2 - A whale blasts the camera . Video 3- Jamie attemtps to kiss the grey whale. * Quick note about touching whales From Jamie's Journal January 26, 2005 The day today was much more humid than the previous days which made being on the cooler water much more enjoyable.  The team I went out with was Sergio, Bernardo, Francisco, and Susan.  Our group was one of the more important groups going out on the water because we brought an underwater camera.  The camera, when submerged, would show ... Read more of Jamie's journal>> Sounds of the Expedition Sextos and Theresa are two community members that perform at Kuyima for the volunteers. Audio 1 - Sextos on guitar, Theresa sings. Audio 2 - Sextos sings songs about Capoeria. Audio 3- Sextos on pipes.  Live from the Field>> Click here for classroom activities and resources, Q & A, and team journals. This supplemental site is developed and hosted by Donna Cole, Earthwatch Educator Fellow and grade 7/8 science teacher at Edison School in Bow, WA. Earthwatch Institute >> Learn more about the Earthwatch expedition researching Gray Whale Migration.

There exist a number of federal and state level laws in Mexico that protect Grey Whale habitat and establish a regulatory framework similar to those established in the US. For those familiar with US law, touching or swimming with whales is prohibited because it is considered harassment (under the legal definition of "harm"). Under both US and Mexican law there are very specific rules about where boats can and can't be, how boats can approach whales, and fishing in the presence of whales or in their habitat. However, unlike US law, Mexico does not define human-contact as harassment or "harm" as long as the way in which a human comes within the proximity of a whale is legal.

All tour operators in the Laguna San Ignacio are locals who have received legal permits for operating their boats in the Lagoon. They have formed a conservation-focused tourism cooperative through Kuyima, and have developed their own very strict regulations for approaching whales. The tour operators are very respectful of the whales and follow the regulations to the letter. Boats may never chase a whale, and must maintain a designated distance when following a whale for research purposes.

Laguna San Ignacio is the first place researchers and tour operators ever observed what is known as "friendly whales". As you see here in these pictures, whales actually approached the boats. Some will come close and "spy-hop", which means they stick their head above the water to get a good look at the boat. Others come right up along side the boat, reaching their noses and lips into the boats to be scratched. Over time, more whales in this lagoon have adopted "friendly whale" behaviors, and touching, scratching and even kissing whales in Laguna San Ignacio is permitted.