EDITORIAL USE ONLY SAN IGNACIO LAGOON, BAJA, MEXICO 12th FEBRUARY 2014

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EACH YEAR THE PACIFIC GRAY WHALE MIGRATES TO A LAGOON IN PROVINCE OF BAJA, MEXICO, THE LAGOON, NOW A SANCTUARY, HAS THREE SECTIONS. THE UPPER SECTION IS THE SHALLOWEST PART WHERE THE PREGNANT WHALES GO TO GIVE BIRTH. THE MIDDLE SECTION IS THE CORRIDOR THAT THE WHALES USE TO TAKE THEIR NEW BORN TO THE LOWER SECTION. THE LOWER SECTION IS WHERE THE MAJORITY OF THE WHALES RESIDE AND WHERE THEY SOCIALISE. WHALING IN THE LAGOON, UP TO 1976, NEARLY FINISHED THE SPECIES OF WHALE. HOWEVER SINCE IT HAS BEEN BANNED THE NUMBERS HAVE GRADUALLY INCREASED. IN THE WHALING DAYS THEY WERE KNOWN AS THE DEVILFISH BECAUSE OF THEIR AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOUR IN TRYING TO CAPSIZE THE WHALING BOATS. TODAY THE POPULATION THAT USED TO LIVE OF THE PROCEEDS OF WHALING NOW MAKE A LIVING FROM TAKING TOURISTS TO SEE THE WHALES IN THE LAGOON. SOME OF THE WHALES APPROACH THE LONG BOATS, THAT ARE FILLED WITH TOURISTS, AND ARE OPEN TO BE STROKED AND PETTED BY THE TOURISTS. THE WHALES ALSO APPEAR TO HAVE SOME FUN BY EXHALING AND SOAKING PEOPLE IN THE BOAT. IN THIS IMAGE A PACIFIC GRAY WHALE HAS COME UP TO THE LONG BOAT TO BE PETTED.

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Size: 5472px × 3648px
Location: ignacio lagoon, baja, mexico
Photo credit: © Roger Clark / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: area, baja, birthing, boat, breeding, californian, devilfish, gray, grey, ground, ignacio, long, middle, migration, nudging, nursery, pacific, petting, pregnant, social, tourists, upper, whale