Tag Archives: International

Whale Watching in Cabo - Baja International Realty - BIRCabo

WHALE WATCHING – ON EVERYONE’S BUCKET LIST

      By Nina Richmond                                                                          2014-04-02       

 

WHALE WATCHING – A DREAM COME TRUE & HOW WHALE VOMIT CAN MAKE YOU THE LUCKIEST PERSON ALIVE

 
In this post:
  • World class whale watching tours
  • How whale vomit can make you rich
  • Listen to a humpback whale song
  • The worlds loneliest whale
  • A marine life paradise

In a previous blog post I listed a number of questions that often accompany the thought of moving to a new area, the following blog post is indeed partly an answer to the question: what activities does the area offer. ENJOY!

 

 

WORLD CLASS WHALE WATCHING TOURS

Whale Watching off of the coast of Cabo San Lucas should be on everyone’s bucket list! We have some of the best whale watching tours in the world, which offers you close encounters with a number of different whale species. Clink on the following link to see a video, by Peak Travels, with our friend Abbie Moyer Sloan who is a biologist and tour guide for Whale Watch Cabo. Should this be on your bucket list? Take a look and judge for yourself:  WHALE WATCHING IN CABO SAN LUCAS, this video is created by Peak Travels.

Whale Head Slap - Baja International Realty - BIRCabo

 

The Whale Watching Season in Cabo

Whale watch Cabo tells us: “The Cabo San Lucas whale watching season begins in December and ends mid to late April, depending on the variations in the Whales seasonal migration. Every year starting late November Humpback whales return to Los Cabos from their summer feeding grounds (California, British Columbia and Alaska) to mate and give birth. Gray whales also make the journey, pregnant mothers stopping in the northern Baja bays and lagoons to calve while many of the adult Gray whales continue down to Los Cabos arriving in January. During the Cabo San Lucas whale watching season we often see both Humpback Whales (December – April) and Gray Whales on the same tour (January through April).”. “The whale watching season in Cabo San Lucas marks the arrival of many species of whales to their winter mating and birthing grounds. The Pacific coast of the Baja peninsula and the Sea of Cortez become home to thousands of whales for approximately 4 months every year.”.

So why is Whale Watching so fantastic in this particular part of the world?

Whale watch cabo says: “Humpback and Gray Whales can be encountered with guaranteed regularity. During the mating season, whales are often observed performing magnificent feats of physical prowess to impress their potential mates.”. “As the Humpbacks are here to mate we are often treated to an array of surface behaviors, mating competitions and playful baby Humpback Whales.”.

Here’s a photo of a Tail Slap, would it impress you?

Whale Tail Slap - Baja International Realty - BIRCabo

 

HOW WHALE VOMIT CAN MAKE YOU RICH

How’s this for a fun fact: Sperm whale vomit is worth thousands of dollars per pound and up to $20 per gram. Why, you might ask? Who in his right mind would pay that much for whale spew? As a matter of fact, french perfume companies will. Does this mean that the sperm whale’s vomit is exquisitely aromatic? No, it smells just as bad as it sounds. Then why would these perfume companies pay thousands of dollars for it? It has nothing to do with odor, it’s actually used as a fixative. In other words it helps the perfume to stick to your skin. In Egypt they use it to scent cigarettes, candles and to make teas. Back in the days it was used as medicine for headaches. Is this starting to sound familiar? If it is maybe it’s because Herman Melville mentioned it in his famous book: Moby Dick.

This so called vomit, more accurately refereed to as Ambergris but often called floating gold,  is not really vomit.  describes it as “… a hard, waxy substance produced in the guts of sperm whales. It forms from bile and it is thought to stay in a whale’s intestines to help it break up anything hard that it swallows (like an octopus beak). It is usually passed from the whale’s body along with fecal matter, but in the case of larger chunks, the whale typically needs to vomit it out. This (along with the rather disgusting fecal smell it gives off at first) has led many to begin referring to it as “whale vomit” or “whale poop.” But I doubt anyone would refer to one of their gallstones (about the closest analogy to ambergris our bodies can produce) as their vomit or poop. Besides, “floating gold” is probably a better nickname for ambergris anyway.”. Discovery news explains that it is the salty water that gives it a sort of waxy texture.

The observant reader who remembers that I specifically wrote french perfume companies might be wondering whether or not they now need to check the ingredient list on all perfume bottles (if there is one), or only on bottles from France? The answer to that question is that in many countries, the US for example, it is illegal to use ambergris due to the sperm whale being classified as an endangered species. Therefore it is mostly french companies that keep this floating gold in stock and are willing to “upchuck” the big bucks for it.

If it is so valuable it must mean that it is nearly impossible to find, right?! It seems to be more a case of people not knowing what they have in front of them then of it  nearly being impossible to find. “A British man hit this smelly jackpot” – is the headline of an article about a man who found a 6 pound lump of ambergris and is now possibly going to cash in close to 180’000 USD. Another one of these success stories, to be read about, is a couple in southern Australia. They could get as much as 300’000 USD for their finding.

For all of you who wants to get out there right now and look for it, but are wondering what it looks like, take a good look at this picture.  This is a picture of the British guy who got rich thanks to his dog who clearly has a nose for a deal. However I ask you to finish reading this post before you run off to borrow your neighbors dog.

Whale Ambergris - Baja International Realty - BIRCabo

Something to think about: just, maybe a trip to Cabo will make you rich as these sperm whales do travel past here…

Believe it or not but whale spew is not the only vomit that pays the big bucks. There is more than one artist out there that sells paintings of their own disgorge, for example: Millie Brown Vomits To Create Art, and is supposedly admired by no other than Lady Gaga.

 

LISTEN TO A HUMPBACK WHALE SONG

(I recommend listening to the humpback whale song as you continue reading)

Whale Song Comic - Baja International Realty - BIRCabo 

According to Whale Watch Cabo: “…both male and female Humpback whales do sing, the male is especially well recognized for its long and complex songs. The songs are believed to be primarily a method of attracting a suitable mate. Songs can be up to 20 minutes long and whales sing the same song in a given population, which changes over time.”

 

 

THE WORLDS LONELIEST WHALE

The story about the worlds most lonesome whale started when the U.S. Navy gave whale researches access to their hydrophone array recordings in the North Pacific, meant for recording submarines. 1989 researcher William Watkins noticed a whale vocalizing at the range of 52 Hertz (which is why the whale is known as the “52 Hz Whale“). Now, this is highly remarkable considering that most whales vocalize at the range of 17-18 Hz – which by the way is too low for the human ear to pick up. The media and public was quick to take the story “of a whale that was swimming through the ocean, calling out on a frequency no other whale was using, never hearing a response.” to heart. It quickly spread around the globe, what today would be refereed to as going viral.

What’s the cause of this unusual range? Researches don’t know yet, since there has been no visual of the whale – at least not any knowingly. Documentary maker Joshua Zeman went out on a quest to find the lonely whale. Did he find it? The documentary “” is expected to be released in 2015. This means that researches still don’t know what species the 52 Hz whale belongs to. It could be a matter of a malformation but it is still believed to be healthy since it has been recorded all these years. Bruce Mate at Oregon State University and Hatfield Marine Science Center was chosen to lead the Joshua Zeman expedition. He says “I don’t believe the animal we’re looking for is a new species, or the dying out of an old species, or anything that dramatic. It is much more likely the animal might be the equivalent of an animal with a lisp, that it has — I won’t call it a speech impediment, because it’s probably understandable to other animals, but it’s different.”.

Is 52 Hz really swimming the worlds oceans all alone? Until there is an actual visual of the whale it is hard to say, hopefully the documentary will be able to give us the answer. At least I sure hope so, as I am anxious to find out.

“In other words, whether the team finds the 52 Hz whale, and whether it turns out to indeed be lonely or surrounded by companions, the story will have a happy ending. It will have provided a platform for scientists to learn more about the baleen whales of the North Pacific than they might otherwise have been able to. And while the whale may be lonely, its cries have not gone unheard.”. 

Whale Watching Close Encounter - Baja International Realty - BIRCabo

 

A MARINE LIFE PARADISE

Book a trip before this season is over and cross it off your bucket list or make sure to book a trip for next season! Maybe you will be one of the few who catches a glimps of the 52 Hz whale. Whale Watch Cabo emphasizes that Cabo San Lucas is not only for the whale enthusiasts as it is also a paradise for the marine life lovers in general. Many other animals are frequently spotted such as: “… Dolphins, Orcas, Sea Lions, leaping Manta Rays, pelagic fish like Marlin and many species of Sea Birds (Frigates, Boobys, Cormorants, Osprey, Pelicans)”.

Dolphins Cabo - Baja International Realty - BIRCaboMobula in Cabo - Baja International Realty - BIRCaboBlue-Footed Booby in Cabo - Baja International Realty - BIRCabo

Are you interested in Real Estate in Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, Mexico? We are a full-service Cabo real estate firm – a leading buyer, seller and developer agent for land, residential, commercial and business properties in the area. Visit our website for more information or stop by our office. We can offer you discount on whale watching tours and many other fun activities. Are you just on vacation visiting and need a rental, let us know as we can help out with that too.

Do you have a story to tell about visiting or living in Los Cabos, about Ambergris findings or the 52 Hz Whale? If so let us know – as we love to collect interesting stories.

Whale Watching in Cabo - Baja International Realty - BIRCabo

 

The Green Trend in Real Estate

 

The Green Trend in Real Estate Solar Farm

The Green Trend in Real Estate The Green Trend in Real Estate - Sustainable Mansion in Pedregal, Cabo, BCS, Mexico The Green Trend in Real Estate - Sustainable Mansion in Pedregal, Cabo, BCS, Mexico The Green Trend - Baja International Realty

 See it as a PDF-file: The Green Trend in Real Estate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mexican gastronomy – a world intangible cultural heritage

When we plan to buy properties in a new region, let alone a new country, there is a lot to think about and many questions arise. Where do we want to buy our property? How much money do we want to spend? What is a wise investment for the future? These are all big and important questions to consider. However, big questions like these are often accompanied by a numerous smaller questions, which might also be of importance to us.  These can be questions like what’s the average rain falls yearly, what activities does the area offer and will I enjoy the local cuisine? By no means do I attempt to answer all possible questions one might have right here and now, but I will answer one of them – namely the latter.

Mexican gastronomy and food - BAJA INTERNATIONAL REALTY

“Mexican gastronomy is one of only two cuisines declared by UNESCO as a world intangible cultural heritage.” (UNESCO).

UNESCO – United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. UNESCO was created to build lasting peace and “create holistic policies that are capable of addressing the social, environmental and economic dimensions of sustainable development.” (UNESCO).

Intangible cultural heritage – what does that mean you might ask? It is also known as living heritage and among other things refers to practices and knowledge that’s being transmitted from generation to generation, which provides communities with a sense of identity and promotes social well-being and creativity, while also generating income. The UNESCO convention for the safeguarding of the world’s intangible cultural heritages aims to ensure that this living heritage endures.

So what is it about the Mexican gastronomy that’s cause for this rare attention? The Mexican cuisine is more than just food “it expresses the identity of a people” and “ensures community cohesion”.  The food is present “at birth and at death, at planting and at harvest” (UNESCO). It is mixing tradition and the future as well as creating new ways of sharing its flavors with the world. The Mexican cuisine “is shaping the worlds tastes” (Mexico Today).

Mexico is the fourth most mega diverse and top three most culturally diverse country in the world. These are two contributing factors to the outstanding Mexican cuisine which is “a melting pot of ancient knowledge and agricultural products” (UNESCO).

The base or so called trilogy of the Mexican cuisine consists of corn (maiz), beans (frijoles) and chili peppers (chiles) and is an important part of Mexican rituals and ceremonies as well as a communal diet. Nixtamalization is a cooking technique, which was invented in Mexico thousands of years ago, used to process corn. It is the basis for making Mexico’s world famous tortillas, tamales and so much more. Nixtamalization makes the corn more easily digestible and adds nutrients. The chili is not just a fundamental flavor for the Mexican palate but plays an important part in the complete and balanced diet that the traditional Mexican food has always been. The chili pepper aids nutrition by making it easier for the body to digest the protein in both corn and beans.

Another celebrity on the food stage, we have Mexico to thank for, is tacos. According to Jeffrey M. Pilcher, who is a professor of history at the University of Minnesota, tacos was most likely invented during the 18th century by Mexican silver miners. In silver mines the word taco is a small explosive charge used to excavate the ore. Taco was later reinvented by the Mexican Americans and mass-marketed by Taco Bell’s own Glen Bell (Smithsonian).

It is safe to say that when it comes to food Mexico is a great country to be in!  This is not only due to the flavors that have the world spell bound, for example in most supermarkets in Sweden you can find a whole aisle dedicated solely to the ingredients necessary for recurrent tacos dinners, but also for its ways of bringing a community together and optimizing the nutritional value of the different comestibles. This is why UNESCO feels the Mexican gastronomy worthy of its protection and also one of many reasons why we think Mexico is the place to be. Why not come over here and experience it firsthand. We know everything you need to know about real estate in the Los Cabo region in Baja California Sur and we would gladly recommend a good cooking class in the area if you want to learn more about the ins and outs of the Mexican gastronomy.

Contact:

don@bircabo.com

BAJA INTERNATIONAL REALTY

 

Sources:

UNESCO

http://bit.ly/UNESCO-bircabo

http://bit.ly/Traditional-Mexican-cuisine-bircabo

http://bit.ly/Intangible-Cultural-Heritage-bircabo

http://bit.ly/Traditional-Mexican-Cuisine-Video-bircabo

MEXICO TODAY

http://bit.ly/Mexican-Gastronomy-Video-bircabo

SMITHSONIAN

http://bit.ly/Taco-bircabo

For further reading:

http://bit.ly/Planet-Taco-bircabo

 

 

Best Condo Value Under $200K

As they say timing is of the essence. We have the absolute best condo value on a 3BR 3BA Penthouse condo in all of Cabo. This hot rod is priced at $198,000 with relatively low miles and has been owned by a couple in their 80s for the last 9 years and has never been rented.

Villa Domejean has been on the market for less than a month and will not last long. Priced well below market value the nearest comparable is priced $67,000 more.

Seller is now offering financing, 40% down, 15 year amortization, 5% interest, balloon over 4 years.

Follow this link to see the details:

Click to view listing(s)

Or contact Tony

TonyG@BIRCabo.com

Best Condo Value

Relax by the pool

Best Condo Value

Enjoy the gorgeous view from the balcony

Best Condo Value

Wake up to a beautiful morning

 

Best Condo Value

Enjoy the house from the pool

 

 

                                

PRIME DEVELOPMENT LAND – HOTEL LAND – CABO SAN LUCAS – CONDO LAND – BUILDING SITE

Best development land in Cabo! If you are looking for an absolutely prime, signature building site for a hotel site, condo project, this is it! In Los Cabo, today, it does not get any better than this land for a signature project. Perfect land for a hotel building site or a high end condominium project. Or?

Feel free to call for a preliminary discussion but details cannot be shared until we first confirm the financial ability of potential buyer to move forward on this prime Cabo land. Appropriate discloser agreements will be signed after approval of potential purchaser.

CONTACT: Don Weis

Email: don@bircabo.com    Mexican Cell from USA or Canada: 011 52 1 624 129 6245

Baja International Realty www.bircabo.com

Sunny Retreats along the Sea of Cortez

Mexico’s stunning and sunny retreats along the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific Ocean coast of the Baja retreatCalifornia Peninsula offer investors and travelers a magical combination of perfect weather, warm Mexican culture and world-class hotel suites that range from the traditional to the whimsical.

 

 

Baja International Realty

Financing Mexican properties for American and Canadian dreamers

The breeze to owning a home in Mexico . . .

You can finance your home in Mexico with affordable MEXICO home LOAN solutions.

International mortgage offers you the most extensive line of Mexico mortgages in the cross-border Mexico lending market today.  All of Premier’s Loan Programs are designed exclusively for the U.S. and Canadian buyer wishing to acquire their vacation, retirement, or investment real estate in Mexico.

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