Bahia de los Angeles Attractions

The quiet waters of the lagoons by the Bahía Sebasti n Vizcaíno (Laguna Scammon, Laguna Ojo de Liebre) as well as the more easily accessible lagoon San Ignacio, south of the Sierra Vizcano, offer each year, from the end of December until March, the unique spectacle of the Gray whales (Spanish "ballena gris") mating and bringing their young into the world. In and around Guerrero there are several points from which you can observe the whales. About 3km/2mi south of the town a road, marked with road signs showing symbols of gray whales, turns off to the nature park (Parque Natural de la Ballena Gris), which is about a further 27km/17mi. Tourist visits by boat are at present very restricted.

The gray whales (eschrichtius gibbosus), weighing up to 25 tons and measuring 30 to 45ft/10 to 15m in length, begin their long journey in the autumn, in the arctic waters of the Bering Sea. As gray whales have a gestation period of 13 months, the pregnant whales give birth while the other animals are preparing to mate. Two males and one female are involved in the mating. The dominant whale does the actual mating, while the other male helps the female into a suitable position. Having been seriously decimated by hunting, they have been a protected species since 1947.