Magdalena Bay Whale Watching or Glass Bottom Boat from Loreto

[RSF Cruiser]

Have any if you taken the Magdalena Bay Whale Watching excursion or glass bottom boat ride from Loreto? To get to Magdalena Bay you take a two hour bus drive each way to get to the boat, where you are on the water for two hours.
 

We’ll be there the beginning of January and we’re trying to decide between going to Magdalena Bay or taking a glass bottom boat ride in the Sea of Cortez. As I understand the excursions, in Magdalena Bay we see mom and baby whales that swim right up to the boat, and in the glass bottom boat ride we see a large variety of marine life - two totally different experiences.
 

My question is, if you have taken either of these tours from Loreto, what did you like or not like about it? I’m not asking which is better; that’s a personal decision! 

 

Thanks!

[loretta]

Sorry, this is a bit late in responding. I have taken a few land trips to Loreto but haven't taken a cruise tour yet, but I have a cruise on HAL in March 2025 and am looking at taking one of these tours.

It's probably hit or miss, but on a scuba diving/fishing trip several years ago we had a very exciting sighting of a blue whale close to the Loreto port that was about the size of a school bus!

At Magdalena Bay, a few days later we took a tour out of Lopez Mateos. It was an amazing experience, and it may be close to where the tour takes you. I believe we were there in March or April. We had whales following alongside our boat and they breached frequently, adult whales and some with babies, and we weren't feeding them. It was truly amazing to be able to see them so closely! It was a long drive but well worth it. We were with our scuba dive master, but we didn't dive, and our small boat held about 12 people and there was a variety of tourists. If it's a bigger boat you'll be on, your experience may be vastly different.