ACS Monterey Bay Program for April 2008

The Friendly Whales of Baja

Thursday, April 24, 2008 7 p.m. Refreshments, 7:30 p.m. Program Lecture Hall, Monterey Boatworks, Hopkins Marine Station, Pacific Grove (Across from American Tin Cannery Outlet Stores) Speaker: Bernardo Alps, President, Los Angeles Chapter, ACS

There are few encounters with wildlife that are as inspiring and exciting as having a mother gray whale bring her calf within arm's length while you sit in a skiff half as long as the whale. This is some of the magic one can experience in Laguna San Ignacio in Baja California Sur.

This place is magical in many ways. It sits in the Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve where the desert meets the Pacific Ocean. The lagoon, its tidal flats, islands and mangrove patches serve as critical habitat for many bird species. Green sea turtles and bottlenose dolphins feed in the rich waters. It is no wonder that the local residents are fiercely protective of the lagoon and its resources, especially the gray whales.

Bernardo Alps has visited Laguna San Ignacio 14 times and will share some of his highlights with us in this presentation. While he is employed as a professional photographer he would much prefer photographing wildlife, especially marine mammals.

In addition to being Los Angeles Chapter President of the ACS Bernardo also serves as Trips Chairperson for ACS National.

Please join us for what should be a photo feast of wildlife photography and an interesting insight into gray whale behavior and conservation in Baja California.

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