Baja Whale Workshop Trip Report for Tom Bol Photo Workshops

Whales in Baja

The Baja Penninsula is a stretch of rugged, rocky desert that extends 760 miles south from the US. It is known for it's abundant marine life, Mexican fishing villages and mountainous shoreline. We spent a week exploring Baja and saw an overwhelming amount of whale activity.

We started our workshop in Los Cabos in search of Humpback Whales. These charismatic whales are known for their breaching activity. This makes them easier to photograph than other whales which stay more hidden underwater.

Blue Whales in Loreto

The Loreto Channel is one of the best places in the Americas to photograph Blue Whales. Blue Whales are the largest animals to ever live on earth. They weigh up to 330,000 pounds. During the workshop we had two of them swim in tandem by our boat less than 30 feet away. We also photographed our first ever Bryde's Whale in front of the rocky Baja shoreline (photo to the left).

Seabirds in Baja

We photographed several species of birds on the workshop including Brown Pelicans, Blue-footed Boobies and Yellow-footed Gulls. Our favorite location for bird photography was on the beach in front of our hotel at first light. We captured the birds diving into the water at both fast and slow shutter speeds.

Historic Loreto

We enjoyed visiting the small Mexican town of Loreto. The historic mission and bountiful flowers provided color and character to the workshop.

Whale Behaviour

We were often surrounded by whales while out in our fishing boats. We observed them spouting, fluking, spy hopping, mating, lying on the surface and breaching. It was an unforgettable experience for photographers and whale lovers alike.