Guerrero Negro 
“Guerrero Negro kind of looks like a strip mall version of a Mexican village. Stores, pharmacies, bakeries, markets, tire repair shops, liquor stores, a gas station, restaurants, and motels are a lined up on the main drag that ends nowhere.
We went through here often in the early 90’s. It has grown considerably over the years as the word has discovered Eco-tourism and the great grey whale show performing daily between January and April.
“Laguna Ojo de Liebre” (known as Scammon’s Lagoon to english speakers” is one large playpen – the world’s largest concentration of grey whales in the world. It’s worth the price of the ticket and if it’s not on your bucket list, it should be. An amazing life-affirming experience.”
Dorothy Bell
History
Guerrero Negro was founded as a town in 1957 to act as a supply town for a salt works established just to the south east of town called Exportadora de Sal, S.A., of C.V. (“Salt Exporters, Inc.”) It is now the world’s greatest supplier of salt and is exported throughout the Pacific basin.
While Guerrero Negro is a very new town, the surrounding area has a longer interesting history. In the winter of 1857-58 Charles Scammon, a whaler based out of San Fransisco discovered the bays that were used as birthing ponds for the great Gray Whales. This discovery led to the slaughter of pregnant and nursing mothers. The calves were also annihilated as they were dependent on their mother’s milk and protection for the northern journey. The whale population plummeted from 20,000 to less than 2000 in less than two decades.
The modern town of Guerrero Negro was named after a US whaling ship – the Black Warrior that grounded near the coast in the late 1800’s.
Guerrero Negro Today
The economic success of the salt works has provided employment for the townspeople and education for the young people. Tourism and small business augment the salt work one employer town.
For the tourist, Guerrero Negro is an excellent stop to purchase supplies as you travel down the Baja. Often fruit will be confiscated from the agricultural checkpoint going south, so you may need to replenish. From January to April, accommodations can be tight as thousands of visitors arrive to view the whales. You can also get tour of the salt works, cave paintings and migratory birds.
Everyone seems to have jumped on the bandwagon and is now giving whale watching tours. We have tried Mario’s and Malarrimo’s tours as well as venturing out ourselves to the ejido camp south of town and the salt works.. It is NOT possible to take your own boat out to the lagoon. You must have an authorized guide with you.
You can also drive yourself out to the lagoon (go south on Highway 1 and you will see a sign for tours) and drive through the salt fields to a spot that the local ejido operates.
Costs vary depending on the operator and what is included. Lunch, transportation and often accommodation is packaged into a bundle. Expect to pay $50 and up per person. Not to bad for an opportunity to pet a Grey!
Accommodations
RV Parks
Guerrero Negro
