Guerrero Negro Whale Watching

Guerrero Negro, a salt-mining town, is the closest town to Laguna Ojo de Liebre (Scammon’s Lagoon). There are two points of departure for whale-watching in the lagoon. Area 1 is used by most of the tour operators in town, and the cost of the tour includes round-trip transfers to the pier from which the boats depart. It is about half an hour’s drive in each direction, passing through the salt mine production area. There are two tours a day: one leaves town at 8 am and the other at 11 am. The tour costs about $45 per person and includes lunch. One of the major tour operators in town is Malarrimo Eco Tours, a professional and very dependable tour company owned by the Achoy family, entrepreneurs who also operate a restaurant, gift shop, and a simple hotel (tel: 615-157-0100, email: malarimo@telnor.net). Enrique Achoy was the first tour operator licensed by the National Ecology Institute of Mexico to conduct guided excursions to Scammon’s Lagoon. Area 2 (used mostly by people who have their own car or camper) is located at the end of a 27-kilometer dirt road that turns off the highway to the south of town. A cooperative called Ejido Benito Juárez has the concession, located right on the beach. There is a building with a restaurant and an office where you can sign up for a whale excursion. When the tide is low, you need to wade out to the boat, so come equipped with water sandals. The cost of a boat ride from Area 2 is about $25 per person, which does not include transfers from town or lunch. The maximum time any boat can be out among the whales in Scammon’s Lagoon is two and a half hours, a time limit set by the government to protect the whales. Private boats such as kayaks, sailboats, motorboats, or rafts are not allowed into the lagoon when the whales are in residence.