Swimming with Whale Sharks in Mexico’s Galapagos: Adventures in La Paz, Baja California Sur
2 min readA once-in-a-lifetime experience swimming with whale sharks in La Paz, Mexico, reminds us to trust ourselves and the universe.
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About 90 minutes by boat from La Paz is Espíritu Santo Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with rugged cliffs, hidden coves, and unique rock formations. It’s estimated that there are approximately 700 sea lions in a colony here. As they whoosh by me in the water, I can’t help but laugh at their playfulness. They act and sound more like puppies, climbing up on the coral reefs, barking at each other and tumbling into the sea.
Jacques Cousteau called this area the ‘aquarium of the world’ for its incredible biodiversity, which includes many varieties of whales, sharks, manta rays, dolphins and sea lions. The Sea of Cortez runs along the San Andreas Fault line, producing an incredible array of ocean life. In my time in La Paz, I see frigate birds soar overhead and gape at blue-footed boobies. It’s no wonder this is called the Galapagos of Mexico.
Like the Galapagos, tiny La Paz, a rather sleepy city of about 250,000 people, has vehemently resisted development. Its residents have protested in the streets against a massive cruise ship port that would have brought over 300 ships a year here and stopped all-inclusive resorts and chain hotels from building on the beaches. Everything in La Paz, including the hotels, restaurants and shops, must be locally owned.
Stefanie Sanchez, co-founder of On Board Baja, was born in La Paz but grew up in Montreal, Canada. Eight years ago she returned to start her own business. “I love how fiercely locals protect the beaches and wildlife. In 2020, the community gathered to block the construct of a large cruise ship terminal that was meant to be built in the bay adjacent to Balandra. Locals understand the importance of tourism, but are not willing to sacrifice the natural beauty and habitat of so many species to cater to mass tourism. We appreciate tourists who come for a few days and soak up the culture and scenery.”
Before the pandemic, the large cruise ships brought over 3,000 people a day from Cabos San Lucas, overwhelming the white sand beaches of Balandra. Now, only 600 people are allowed (300 in the morning, 300 in the afternoon), and there’s a fee of $60 pesos to enter. Over and over again, I hear ‘we don’t want to be like Cabo’.
