Been reading our recent whale watching articles? Wondering
why there seem to be more whales in Laguna Ojo del Liebre than elsewhere? Dr Alejandro
Gómez Gallardo, a research professor of Academic Department of Marine Biology,
tells us why. Quite simply - El Niño.
According to his research at the Autonomous University of
Baja California Sur, the water warming phenomenon known as “El Niño" has
caused a change in the distribution of whales around the waters of Baja
California Sur.
Whales are much more used to cold maritime climates. They
naturally seek out the “ideal” temperature and conditions for their calves.
This is approximately 18 degrees. So because the more northerly waters of
Laguna Ojo del Liebre are slightly cooler they tend to head there.
Previously, when the cooling effect of "La Niña" was
in progress, the whales headed further south, to the slightly warmer waters of
Magdalena Bay, Los Cabos and into the Gulf of California.