Our first day exploring Magdalena Bay was a fantastic success. The sun was shining, the air was warm, and the seas were calm—all the things we hoped for as we headed out in small, local boats to observe gray whales in their natural habitat. Within just a few minutes of leaving the ship, we spotted whales in abundance. It was truly good fortune to see such a great variety of whale surface behaviors—breaching, spy-hopping, body-rolling, and more. What a week we’re going to have!