Believe it or not, Puerto Penasco is one of the best places you could go for whale watching. The Sea of Cortez seems to have something to offer most of the animals, or mammals that live in the ocean. After grey whales have filled up on massive amounts of krill that come to the surface in the Bering Sea, they migrate to the Sea of Cortez which offers an ideal temperature for these whales to give birth to their calves. During this time of year the whales will mate and give birth to their calves only to return north again and start the process from the beginning.

If you want to increase your chances of seeing a whale you want to come during “whale season.” The best time to come is between early February and mid-May. On occasion you maybe able to observe whale behavior, such as breaching or a whale shooting a spout of water 25ft in the air, from your condo balcony, but if you want to get the most out of your whale watching experience we recommend booking a whale watching excursion. These excursions don’t promise a whale siting, but they do know where to go looking for these whales and do significantly increase your chances of seeing one. Always have your camera ready because you never know when a whale is going to breach (jump out of the water) and you don’t want to miss this opportunity!

 

There are several different kinds of whales that come to Rocky Point such as fin whales, grey whales and you may see one you didn’t expect! For example, in March a group of fisherman unexpectedly had a killer whale surface behind their boat. They then realized there were 2 more killers whales, which were only inches from the boat! The captain and his crew said they counted and there was a total of 12 whales that were following the boat and playing in it’s wake until they lost interest and disappeared! Something interesting that you can notice from these pictures is that even though this 31ft fishing boat is traveling at full speed, the killer whales seem unaffected and are able to easily keep up with the boat. This is a testament to the true power that these whales posses and their ability to travel at very high speeds for long distances.

  

Pictures and information found at GrindTv.com

Come down to Rocky Point this winter to see the beautiful whales that make Rocky Point and the Sea of Cortez their home at various times throughout the year. You may even get to see a newborn calve, or a killer whale!