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Our History

Pachico Mayoral and his son Pancho on a panga boat in San Ignacio Lagoon

The Story of Pachico

In the not too distant past, encounters with pacific gray whales were not friendly, and often led to a sunken boat or ship. 1945 is when whaling was banned in Mexico, and it took a few decades for these leviathans to no longer feel threatened and decided to forgive the human kind. In 1972 Pachico Mayoral, a local fisherman in San Ignacio Lagoon had the first friendly encounter registered with a gray whale. Soon after he began sharing his experiences with others and eventually the world. Today Pachico’s direct descendants all play a crucial role in whale watching and eco tourism in the lagoon.

About Us

Greetings, my name is Pancho Mayoral, the 5th kid of Pachico Mayoral and founder of Legacy Whale Tours. I was born in 1972, therefore I was raised in the whale watching industry in Baja. Got to meet the whales at a young age and at 15 started fishing and boat driving with the gray whales following my father’s guidance. In 1995 I participated in a Guide Training Program that prepared me with guiding skills, English, the importance of preserving nature and the concept of sustainability. Now with decades of “whale whispering” experience, I also conduct whale watching tours at Island Packers off Channel Island National Park and Marine Sanctuary in Southern California when not in Baja. I Am currently a member of the Terra Marine Research and Education, a non profit organization dedicated to research and ocean conservation.
Our passion for ocean conservation, hospitality, and education has been a blessing for me and my family. It is my pleasure to share the special gift of whale’s close encounters with you.

Following the legacy of my father of seeking unique experiences with whales, I am currently planning on expanding these experiences to other locations and other whale species worldwide. Next September 2025  we are running a Tahiti Whale Adventure 7 day trip, and we’ll be offering this experience with humpback whales in Tahiti every year, 2026 packages will be posted soon and other locations around the world with different type of whales in the near future.-

Pancho Mayoral, founder of Legacy Whale Tours.

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