A Big Baby

For many years man hunted the magnificent whales of the world, reducing some species almost to extinction. The Gray Whale (Eschrictius robustus), a slow moving baleen whale of the north Pacific, was pursued relentlessly even into the last century, especially in the shallow lagoons of Baja California, Mexico. Hunting went on until the returns were such that it was no longer profitable. The species was hard to find and became virtually unapproachable. However, with the end of commercial whaling about 60 years ago, and with international conservation efforts, the Gray Whale has rebounded remarkably. Today's population is believed to be in the order of 25,000 to 30,000, perhaps even higher than it was in the pre-whaling days. With security comes confidence, and today we were truly honoured to be accepted into the world of the Gray Whale when a mother and her big, strapping calf approached our Zodiac and remained immediately under us for a few minutes. Excitement. Fear. Pride. Disbelief. All of our emotions swelled as we looked down to see massive gray and white images moving gently and effortlessly from one side of our small boat to the other. The paired blowholes of the calf pictured here, and of its mother, periodically exploded with a fine mist that engulfed our faces and cameras. No longer were we seen as a threat, but as a curiosity - perhaps something that both mother and calf wanted to "watch". The deserts and warm lagoons of Baja California continued to provide an endless array of surprises for us, even on this, the final full day of our adventure.