Slow Baja - Travel Talk With Slow Baja Meet Daniel And Paola From Antonio's Eco Tours

Episode Date: February 4, 2022

Today's Travel-talk with Slow Baja features Paola and Daniel from Antonio's Eco Tours in San Ignacio. Daniel's father, Antonio, founded whale-watching in San Ignacio Lagoon nearly three decades ago. His mother, Maria "Yaki" Aguilar, has graciously offered accommodations, meals, and hospitality unsurpassed on the peninsula. Multiple generations of the Aguilar family extend from the nearby rugged mountain ranches to the remote fishing camps that dot the coastline of Baja California Sur. Antonio is one of the region's whale-watching pioneers, while Yaki is a local legend for her fresh-caught seafood meals done in traditional Laguna San Ignacio-style. When the first whales enter the lagoon in late December, the local fishermen put their nets away until April, when the whales leave. Antonio and Daniel, and every other boat captain are full-time fishermen in the lagoon when it's not whale season. The San Ignacio Lagoon is a mecca of whale watching. Nowhere else in the world offers amazingly intimate interactions between whales and humans. Enjoy this light-hearted conversation with Daniel and Paula of Antonio's Eco Tours. Learn more about Antonio's Eco Tours here. Follow Antonio's Eco Tours on Facebook.

Well, hello, Slow Baja listeners. Today's travel talk with Slow Baja brings you a light, hard conversation with Paola and Danielle from Antonio's Eco Tours. Antonio's Eco Tours was started by Danielle's father, and he was the first one out there taking folks out to meet the whales. They're San Ignacio-based company, and they will put you on to whale watching or cave paintings or whatever you need to do. and it's just a lighthearted conversation about their lives, their work, and their backgrounds. And these two were on vacation themselves when I was at Ignacio Springs Resort, interviewing Bonnie and Paul. And Bonnie said, you really ought to talk to Danielle and Paola.

And so she put a round of drinks in our hands and I put the microphones in their hands. And we just had a fun time getting to know each other a little bit. So I hope you enjoy the show. I'll be back with something new next week, and I appreciate all your support. So here we go. Hey, this is Michael Emery. Thanks for tuning into the Slow Baja. This podcast is powered by Tequila Fortaleza, handmade and small batches, and hands down, my favorite tequila. Hey, I want to tell you about your new must-have accessory for your next Baja trip. Benchmark Maps has released a beautiful, beautiful Baja California Road and Recreation Atlas.

It's a 72-page large format book of detailed maps and recreation guides that makes the perfect planning tool for exploring Baja. Pick yours up at Benchmark Maps.com. Okay, it's Slow Baja here on a travel talk, and I have Paola, Paola. Yes, Paola. And Danielle from Antonio's Eco Tours. And Danielle, is Antonio your father? He's my father.

Okay. My mom said. You're going to lean in a little bit. You're going to come right there, right there. You're going to stay right there. Perfect. Okay. It's Travel Talk.

It's Slow Baja with Danielle and Paola from Antonio's Eco Tours. And we are here at the beautiful Agnostio Springs sitting out on the patio. I've got a Michelada coming. Danielle has a pinocalada in front of her. And Paola's got a pinoccalade in front of her. And Danielle is working on a barilito. And we're going to talk about Antonio's EcoTours. So tell me about what it's like to grow up here

in the tourism business. Yeah, we born San Ignacio Lagoon, San Juanico Town. San Ignacio Lagoon is around 70 kilometers from here from San Ignacio Town. Then they call San Ignacio Lagoon because it's near to San Ignacio Town. And we are living there. We made the company around 25, 30 years ago.

From that long, we made tours to see the whales. Now it's totally different between early in the years. Now there are different boats and different motors and all the stuff. Cabins. The business is growing up every year. And tell us when the, the whales are here. So when are you operating whale tours? What time of year? Yeah, we have the permit to see the whales to the 20th of December, 15th of December to 20 of April.

It's the permit to go and see the whales. But the whales start arriving probably in the end of December. They started living in the middle of March and they finished to leave in the beginning of May. And, Paola, you have... biology degree, yeah? Marine biology? Yes. Let's talk about that a little bit. Yeah, sure. Where are you from?

I'm from Owascalientes. Aguas Calientes. It's a little estate in the middle of Mexico. Next to Zakaecas. Yes, like two hours from Sakatikas. Okay, so you're from? I'm from Aguas. Okay, and you came to university here?

Yeah, I go to La Pazas to study marine biology. Yeah, I move Baja when I was in. Can you tell me a little bit about that? So Aguas Calientes for people who don't know, it's a major manufacturing state. There's lots of business. It's a big place. What's it like to come here? Well, it was kind of weird.

For you. Tell me. It was a big change. Actually, my father asked me why I want to study marine biology if we are not even close to the ocean. You're not even close. from Aguas Calientes. No, but I was like eight years old when I was like, I want to be more in my geology.

Maybe at that time I didn't know what it was. So, no, I, I, as soon as I get the opportunity to come, I decided to study. It was a crazy thing, like it's something in your heart, I think. And from Aguas to La Paz, it's very tranquil, no? Yes. I was calm. It is really calm too, but now has been growing a lot.

We have many, many people. And it was completely different because La Paz is really peaceful place. Like no many people. So it was a big change, but it was good because I have ocean. And can you tell me a little bit about the difference between the Gulf of California and the San Ignacio Lagoon and the Pacific Ocean. So you have so much right here from La Paz where you did your marine biology

to where you're now working in the San Ignacio Lagoon studying the whales. Tell me a little bit about that. Well, the environment is completely different. Actually, Baha'i is really wonderful because you have many different ecosystems in the same little space. So in La Paz, you have a really hot, I don't know, climate.

Yes, climate. Very hot, this time of year. Yeah, it is really hot weather. When you come to the Pacific side, you have this cold wind that blows from the ocean, so that make it fresh. And actually, it's really nice to be out there with no... too hot. So the ecosystem in the lagoon is really special. We don't have like many touristic activity in there, but it is beautiful in this time of the year. Out of the

well-watching season, it is really nice. And what do you do outside? So we've talked, Danielle, you're a fisherman when it's not whale watching season. Yes. And you dive for scallops. clams and you're going to if there's an opportunity to take people to cave paintings you're taking care of that but tell me paula what what are you doing on the off season in the off season I'm just taking vacations yeah I just so it's seasonal work for you it is just during the season for the women it's more it's harder to get a job when it's not the season because it's only fishermen. And the fisherman job is really hard.

You need to be really strong. You need to work under the sun, many, many hours and pull the nets and everything. So there is... That's why this guy looks like a body. That's why this guy looks like, holy Toledo. I just got delivered a giant Michelada. Bonnie, that's the most beautiful thing I've seen all day. Holy Toledo.

Look at that. Wow. All right. What was I saying? I've already lost my train of thought. So, no, I'm saying, Daniel, he's a big, strong guy, and that's because he's doing all that work. Yeah, because it's a really hard job. So during the out of the season, there is no activity for me, I think. Take care of the day. We take care of the camp, like there is no many people going in this time of the year, but the cabin is out of buildings are available. We don't have restaurant service, but if somebody arrives, we are there too. Haiti, wish you had joined us on the Nora 500? Well, here is your chance. It's double the mileage, double the fun, double the parties, double the dirt. It is the Nora Mexican 1000. We're going to drive by day. We're going to party by night. I'm pouring Fortaleza tequila. April 30th through May 6th, 2020. We're going to drive by day. We're going to party by night. I'm pouring Fortaleza tequila. April 30th through May 6th, 2022.

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Baja Bound Insurance. The website's fast and easy to use, check them out at Bajabound.com. That's Bajaubound.com, serving Mexico travelers since 1994. It's a very tronquilo part of the year. I'm trying to get my tongue back after that salt and that beautiful Michilada. So it's a very tronquilo part of the year. Danielle, tell me a little bit about the fisherman's life, diving for scallops, the clams, That's all free diving?

No, we use the scuba. How deep is the water? We have like the deepest area is 20 meters. The deepest area in the lagoon is when the best scall of art you have to go for. Okay. Yeah, we had a seasons like in the summertime between May and June, July, we had the halibutcheon. We had the halibutcheon. And also the Kavikuchos, they're coming too.

And then we go there. We sleep in the open ocean, pull it up the net in around two, three in the morning. It's a hard job. But it's good money there. You make a good money there. And also now we have the scallops season. It's coming soon. And also you make a good money there too for the scallops.

And the fish, all of it's obviously fresh. There's no freezing. It gets packed on ice immediately. and when you have a load at your camp, when your ice box is full, then a truck takes it to Tijuana, Encinada, and that's when Javier Placencia turns it into a beautiful dish, or it gets onto a plate and people say, wow, this food is amazing.

Yeah, they had a really big fish market there in Tijuana, the biggest one in all Mexico, I think. The Blackmore. Oh, no, the fish market that, Big, big, like three or four blocks from fish market. I'm going to have to visit. I visited the black market in Ensenada. Ensenada.

It's very small. Yeah. It's totally different in there. So that fish market then is in Tijuana is also feeding the world. Yeah. It's going to grocery stores, whole foods in California and maybe to Japan. All the whole world, yeah. And do you have a favorite fish to eat?

Oh, I like it. You like it all. All right. Depend. If you want to fry or butter and garlic or breaded. Or ceviche, you have different fish for some. If you want to make simple butter and garlic, you can use a halibut, a good one. Or fish taco, the sharks or guitar fish or the fish.

All the pens. See, the thing that I always come back to, that catching a fish here, you get off the boat, you go right to the restaurant, and they prepare the fish five ways. So you've just already touched on that. It's one of the most beautiful things about Baja and about being here in Mexico's to have this fish that you just caught one hour ago. Yes. Now be presented four or five ways for you to eat. So you're saying in your own life, in your own house, well, if you're going to eat this, you're going to have it this way.

If you're going to eat that, you're going to have it that way. Exactly. Paolo, do you want to chime in on this? I'm learning. You hate fish? I love fish. Now, the thing is that in Alaska, it's really hard to get fresh fish. Usually, if you go there, there's a...

How do you say? The water. Fresh water, fishes, and they have been frozen... many like I don't know a month maybe they're really frozen so right now that I'm living here I have the opportunity to get the fish directly from the boat that arrives so I'm I'm learning how to make this preparations Daniel's mother it's an awesome cooker I have been learning a lot yeah they have been living there so they know how to make different dishes with the same fish or one different, I don't know. It is amazing.

Is Daniel smiling all the time? Yes. That's what I love him. I think he's at peace with the world. I think Daniel's at peace with the world. Yes. All right. Well, I want to say thank you for spending a few minutes with Slow Baja today and telling me about Antonio's eco-tours. If people want to book a tour with you, you can do it with Paul and Bonnie here at Ignacio Springs. On the web, it's Antonio'secotours.com.m.m.x. That's Antonio'secotours.com.m.m.m.m. And to make it very easy, you can find Bonnie and Paul at Ignacio Springs.

Do it all. They can book your accommodations and hook you up for a great tour during whale watching season or cave paintings or what have you. So thanks a bunch for making a few minutes and see you soon. The first stop to go there is stop here with Bonnie and Paul. Paul, stop here and spend the night, go there, see the whales. Yeah, we touched on this earlier, but you're staying here. This is a pretty nice place.

Both of you look pretty relaxed. Yeah. Can you talk about, can you talk a little bit about your stay here? I know you're under some pressure because Bonnie and Paul are also sitting at the table, but can you tell people what it's like here? Pretty clean, huh? It is completely clean, and it is peaceful, and I love it. Like, it's a perfect place to stop by and relax.

Oh, by the way, the piñacolata, it is amazing. So ask for one when you come. And also, you don't hear any noise from cars or something. If you go there close to the river, you stay there and you hear only the birds. Yeah, so you were kind enough to come and join me here at the table. But Paola, you were swimming when Bonnie and Paul went to see what you're up. So you're swimming right here in the river and you've got some little fish there that will nibble your toes. Yes, they clean it up.

They give you a beautiful. The massage is included. Yeah, it is included. But have you taken a kayak or a paddleboard tour up the river yet? No yet. Not yet. But it is the plant. It's the plant. It's the plan.

All right. Again, thanks for making some time. Very nice to meet you and I hope to be back and see you during whale season. Okay. All right. So, everyone to stay there. You're welcome. Thank you.

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and you're going to want a great map in your lap. Trust me. Hey, well, that was fun. I don't know if you caught Danielle when I asked if Antonio was his father. He made a little joke, yes, that's what my mother says, so I got to love that. getting a little humor in early in the recording. But those two are terrific.

Antonio's Eco Tours, if you need to check out the cave paintings or the whales, Antonio's mom is a legendary cook. So if you're in San Ignacio, do see if you can get her to prepare a meal for you. I just want to say thanks again for the support. I'm prepping for the Nora 1000 at the end of April. So if you feel like perusing the Slow Baja store at Slowbaha.com, there's new hats are in stock. T-shirts and sweatshirts. We're still waiting for a few sizes, but we've got a couple sizes in now.

So check it out, Slowbaha.com, pick up some merch, buy some stickers. Help me by putting a taco in the tank so I can keep doing what I'm doing. And I'll be back next week with another show. Cheers.