Gray Whale Watching in Magdalena Bay

Join our gray whale watching adventure out of Puerto Chale in Magdalena Bay roughly 2 hours north of La Paz

Around fall each year, the Pacific gray whales, Eschrichtius robustus, begin their 6,000 mile or so southern migration from the icy waters of the Bearing and Chukchi Seas to the warm Pacific lagoons of the Baja peninsula in Mexico. Towards the end of December, they begin to arrive in Magdalena Bay to find mates or to give birth and nurse their young before their return journey begins in March or April of the next year. Nursing mothers and their calves are generally the last ones to leave the lagoons residing here as long as late-March into early-April.

Our preferred location in to seek gray whales is in Puerto Chale in the southern part of the bay. This area has less visitors than other locations despite often having the highest abundance of gray whales than any other location within Magdalena Bay making it the perfect choice for a gray whale watching experience.

Join La Paz Divers for a day to visit the gray whales in their Magdalena Bay wintering grounds and view mothers with their calves as well as single animals exploring the warm-water lagoons for possible mates.

We run trips from January through March or early April of each year. Trips depart from La Paz. Other departure places may be available at request and self-arrivals are also welcome.

The price is $175 USD per person and includes 2 hours of whale watching, round-trip transportation from La Paz to Puerto Chale, a packed breakfast, restaurant lunch, refreshments and a knowledgeable guide.

Prefer a private tour? Contact us for a quotation.

Send us a Message

Store Location

La Paz Divers

Mariano Abasolo #2635

(Between Antonio Navarro y Manuel Encinas)

Barrio Manglito

La Paz

23060

Tel: +52 612 197 5824

Email: [email protected]

Business Hours

Monday: 9AM – 5PM

Tuesday: 9AM – 5PM

Wednesday: 9AM – 5PM

Thursday: 9AM – 5PM

Friday: 9AM – 5PM

Saturday: 9AM – 5PM

Sunday: Diving only, no retail

Google Reviews

     Excellent  
     Based on 57 reviews 
    
 
 
   
 
 
        
   Russell Mccallum 
 25. February, 2023.
 
 
  Thank you for the great sea lion experience
My daughter was a little concerned at first being first time out at sea but April our tour guide took her and was terrific
I got a full face yo face with one seal and the beautiful close up of the reef and all of its habitats
My only regret was not bringing a better camera lol
5 stars to Whale Shark Diaries and their team
  
 
       
   Jessy Caron 
 23. February, 2023.
 
 
  La Paz divers was an INCREDIBLE from top to bottom. Jay and his whole crew were professional, super communicative with organizing the trip, easy going and incredibly welcoming. Our Dive Master Abril is responsible for one of the best days of my l life! She was kind, informative, made us feel safe while also giving the space to explore…. and on my part do a little underwater dance with sea lions. Absolute game changer. I will be back from more. I highly recommended them.
  
 
       
   David Emme 
 2. February, 2023.
 
 
  Attentive and thorough open water dive cert course with Jay. Professional instructor and good vibe. I felt safe throughout, and appreciated that there was no free pass.  Jay absolutely required that I demonstrate all the skills to achieve the certs. I think that's the way it should be. Thanks, Jay! I appreciate your expertise and professionalism.
  
 
       
   Sofia Blanchard 
 29. January, 2023.
 
 
  Best diving of my life! Would 100% recommend La Paz Divers to anyone wanting to swim with sea lions, sea turtles, and experience the underwater beauty of the Sea of Cortez.

We had a phenomenal experience with La Paz Divers in November. We started the day early and went directly to the sea lion sanctuary on a tiny island past Isla Espirito Santo and Isla Partida. We saw families of sea lions - mothers watching little babies play in the shallows, and big male sea lions fighting underwater. The highlight of our entire day was when we had the opportunity to meet and play with a group of baby sea lions - they are like curious little puppies! They were nipping at our fins and just wanted to mess around, wrestle, and have fun. A once in a lifetime experience.

After the morning dive we were taken to a beautiful secluded white sands beach to have lunch and relax in the sun. Our second afternoon dive was on a shipwreck known as a sea turtle habitat, and sure enough when we went down we spotted four sea turtles resting on the wreck and getting cleaned by shoals of fish. We were able to swim inside the wreck, and see the coral reef growing inside it along with the vibrant sealife. I felt very safe with our Dive Master Lea who is also a very experienced Dive Instructor.

Not only would I highly recommend La Paz Divers for an amazing diving experience, just know that with Jay and his team you will be in good hands. Our Dive Master was very reassuring and supportive, and she shared a lot of fascinating information about the local wildlife and geography. After the dive, I found I had cut my foot on a rock and Jay picked me up from a cafe later that day and took me to a health clinic to get looked at, and a pharmacy - totally free of charge. Thank you Jay and team, for your amazing support and for a day I will remember for the rest of my life!
  
 
       
   Juliane Müller 
 21. January, 2023.
 
 
  Diving with la Paz divers was ok, however we
We’re missing a lot of communication… like when is the boat leaving, how is the procedure on/after the boat, especially if you have your own equipment etc. Also the first guide we had for the first 2 days did just her job - nothing more. You could feel how she had no fun diving and just wanted it to be over and did not pass on information like food allergies. the second guide however was awesome.
  
 
       
   Valerie Wallace-Tarry 
 21. January, 2023.
 
 
  We were a private group of 8. Our guide, who is a marine biologist , shared excellent information with us about the whale sharks before we dove in to swim along side them. Followed by snorkelling with sea lions, they were so playful, one was very curious about my diving fin as I floated on my back. We felt safe at all times. The cherry on top was ceviche lunch on the beach in a bay of shallow crystal clear water to warm up in the sun. What a wonderful experience!!