By Captain Pat Rains
SEA MAGAZINE, November 2014
Migrating is more fun with giant mammals for companions.
Each winter when we head south down Baja’s Pacific coast, we find ourselves traveling in the company of whales. Hundreds of whales and boaters make the annual migration south together. The VHF comes alive: “There’s a huge whale, and it’s right next to our boat!” Everyone gets excited, especially the youngsters who may never have seen free-swimming whales this close. And prudent skippers want to make note of where the spouts are in order to avoid a whale collision and its side effect — a bent prop or stabilizer fin.
Are they dangerous? How do they behave in the open ocean? Do you have to keep 100 meters away from a whale in Mexico? Here’s a primer on heading southbound with whales.