A voyage to a magical marine haven, the San Ignacio Lagoon in Baja, Mexico, where the connection between man and beast is like no other on Earth.

Once a killing ground for whalers hunting a leviathan they called the “devilfish,” the San Ignacio Lagoon in Baja, Mexico, is now an environmental and spiritual sanctuary—the only place in the world where animals in their natural aquatic environment routinely seek out human contact. A nursery for the gray whale since before recorded history, the lagoon and its stories, told here by resident naturalist James Michael Dorsey, illuminate the magic of human connection to animals, and what those bonds teach us about ourselves and our purpose on this shared planet.

Weaving two decades of San Ignacio adventures in the company of his wife Irene with the fascinating history of the lagoon, Dorsey vividly captures the lively people of Baja, like the mystical godfather of whale-watching, Pachico Mayoral, as well as the whales he’s bonded with over the years, like Slackjaw, Patch, and Dervish—their individual personalities, their epic migration to and from the Pacific Northwest, and the science behind their behavior. Looming over his journeys are the many dangers to the area, from the Mitsubishi Corporation’s attempts to build salt works to plans for resort development on the Baja coast, to pollution and climate change, and even to the orcas who hunt the gray whales. The future of this refuge has never looked more threatened.

A tale of wondrous bonds between the intelligent, spirited gray whales and the men, women, and children from around the world who come to this place to touch, kiss, and play with them—The Lagoon is a testament to the importance of preserving these animals and their natural habitats.