Click images for full sized pictures of gray whales touching humans in Baja's San Ignacio Lagoon

My most memorable trip ever was flying to San Ignacio Lagoon on my friend's private plane to pet gray whales.  My buddy convinced me to make the trip with the promise I'd get to not only see whales up close and personal, but I'd be able to pet them.  I didn't believe him but I was up for an adventure. 

I had flown to San Jose, Del Cabo for a windsurfing trip several years before so I knew the scenery from 30,000 feet was beautiful so seeing the beauty of Baja Mexico by small plane should be stunning.  As the images in this article show, my friend was not kidding when he said I could pet a whale.  In fact, I did it five times on the single trip as they would swim away then come back for more and other whales would join in the fun.

We took our time flying there with stops at San Felipe for customs, xxx to rest, have a shower, eat and relax before venturing forth the next day to land on a dirt air strip where the fisherman's wife came out to pick us up at the airstrip near their house on the lagoon.