The Desert And The Sea: Baja By Boat

I won't soon forget my first "friendly" encounter with a whale. As I reached my hand into the clear waters of Baja California's San Ignacio Lagoon, I went straight for the rubbery tail section of a gray whale calf passing under our small skiff. Untutored in whale etiquette, I quickly learned that wasn't such a bright idea: In a watery flash, the 15-foot, two-ton creature gave the little Mexican fishing panga a powerful jolt as it whacked its flukes against the boat's side and dived under the water. The calf's 35-foot mother looked on anxiously from a distance of not more than 10 feet. Only then did my guide inform me that whales loathe the surprise of being touched on their flukes.

Oh, well. The experience was still a tremendous thrill. But petting whales was just one of countless pleasures on my nine-day natural history tour of the remote shores and islands of Baja California. Our group consisted of 20 passengers and two marine biologists. We traveled in relative comfort, if not luxury, on the Searcher, a 95-foot sport-fishing boat based in San Diego.