Scammon’s Lagoon (Laguna Ojo de Liebre)

 

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Laguna Ojo de Liebre (Scammon’s Lagoon), Baja California Sur

One of our favourite places in Mexico to visit.

by Bill and Dorothy Bell

Drive down the Transpeninsular Highway 1 through the Baja Peninsula, crossing from Baja California into Baja California Sur. Just past the town of Guerrero Negro, at KM 208, you’ll find the well-marked access road leading to Laguna Ojo de Liebre. This 25-mile stretch of good dirt and gravel road will take you over the expansive salt flats, part of the world’s largest natural outdoor salt facility, jointly owned by the Mitsubishi Corporation and the Mexican Government.

 You have arrived at an experience of a lifetime.

 

Laguna Ojo de Liebre, also known as Scammon’s Lagoon, is located within the largest Biosphere Reserve in Latin America. Every year, gray whales migrate from the Bering and Chukchi seas in the Arctic to this lagoon, traveling some 6,000 miles as part of their biological cycle. This lagoon is the primary calving ground in Baja California Sur.


During the winter months, the whales reside in these calm, protected waters to give birth before embarking on their long journey back north. The warm waters and shallow bays provide an ideal breeding ground for these majestic creatures.

In 1857, American whaling captain Charles Melville Scammon discovered the entrance to this lagoon and began hunting the whales for their oil, whalebone, and meat. The whale population, estimated at around 30,000 at the time, was nearly driven to extinction by 1869, with numbers dwindling to less than 2,000. In response, the Mexican Government established the Gray Whale Sanctuary in 1972. Through international treaties and dedicated conservation efforts, the gray whale population has rebounded to an estimated 20,000, with about 1,500 whales making Laguna Ojo de Liebre their winter home.
From late December to early April, you can arrange tours from Guerrero Negro for approximately $50 for adults and $40 for children. These tours typically last about four hours and include a guided exploration of the lagoon’s inner areas. Alternatively, you can drive to the lagoon entrance yourself and take a guided panga ride for 1.5 hours, costing around $25 per adult and $15 per child​. 

Private boats and kayaks are prohibited from entering the waters; only licensed tour boats are permitted. The sanctuary, protected by SEMARNAP (the Mexican Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources and Fisheries), is also a restricted area for migratory birds like Canadian geese, fishing eagles, white pelicans, and cormorants. It is recognized by UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere program.

 

The boat tour will leave you in awe. With a guide and a dozen or so other passengers, the boat motors out to the mouth of the lagoon. Bring your camera, as you’ll witness numerous whales. Some will bob along the water, while others will leap into the air, their noses aimed skyward before sinking back down into the waters, blowing mist as they go.
An experience of a lifetime.

 

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