BAJA: Grey whales and Snorkeling with Sea Lions
Watching the majestic whales breaching the surface of the water and waving their tails before diving back down to the depths is an unforgettable experience. Encounters with gray whales that actually seek interaction with humans and swimming with playful sea lions and their pups.
Location
Duration
Price
Baja California
8 days
2450 $
Available dates
FEBRUARY 25 - MARCH 3 2024
About this Trip
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Guests: max 8 people
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Duration: 8 days
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Boat: small private boats
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Number of full days on the boat: 5
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Food: breakfast and snacks included every day, lunches included during the boat days
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Conditions: outside temperature: 23°C , water temperature: 20°C
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Skill requirement: good swimming skills, suitable for children
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Pick up location: La Paz airport
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Accommodation: Hotels La Paz, and Magdalena Bay
We will start our expedition with a full day on a boat in the waters of the Sea of Cortez. The water here changes its color from charming shades of clear turquoise to deep ocean blue. Here, we will have a chance to encounter pods of dolphins, we will swim in a big sea lion colony and snorkel with their playful cubs.
Then we will travel up north through the state of Baja California to the coastal waters of the Pacific ocean, to the world of whales and wilderness. - Magdalena Bay is a place where hundreds of grey whales return to their traditional breeding and birthing grounds. They travel from Alaska's Bering Sea and their journey is the longest mammal migration on Earth. This is the place they choose to birth and raise their calves. Grey whales are known for their friendliness. It is not unusual that they approach the boat and ask you to gently rub their large heads. It is a thrill to see that the whale chose you to play and interact with. Here, it feels like it’s not us who are on the expedition for the whale watching, but that the whales come to watch us.
Our mission is to protect the underwater world, educate people of all generations and explore the treasures the ocean hides in its depths. Our conservation activities are our top priority and we fund them through expeditions like this, and if you join us, you will help us move our vision one step further.
Expedition Highlights
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Swimming in a big colony of sea lions with their playful pups
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Mother come to you, observing you from up close
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Pups come us, wanting to play and interact
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Encounters with wild dolphins - in Baja California, pods of hundreds of indivuduals can be seen regularlz
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Friendly encounters with grey whales and their calves in Magdalena Bay
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Grey whales are the only whale species that interact with people in such friendly way
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Whales come to the boats, wanted to be touched - they seek out the human interaction
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You will be able to observe the special bond between mothers and their calves
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Whale calves learn how to breath and breach in the bay, in front of your eyes
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Our guides will share information about the complex whale behavior
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All interactions are done in ethical, responsible way - always on whales's terms.
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Whale watching: orcas, humpbacks, fin whales, sei whales, sperm whales
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Watching rare species of birds
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Travelling two destinations in Baja California
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Kayaking in one of the most beautiful beaches in Baja California, Balandra beach
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Learning about sea lions, whales and other animals we encounter: each day, our guides share fun, interactive and educational briefings about the animals and their importance
ITINERARY:
Day 1
Airport - Meeting, briefing, and accommodation
We will pick you up at the airport and take you to your hotel in La Paz. In the afternoon, you will get a brief introduction to the adventures that await you in the next days. The expedition will start the next morning.
• Accommodation: hotel, La Paz
Day 2
La Paz - Sea lion colony
On this day, we will spend time on a boat with stunning scenery along the coast of Baja California. We will swim in a large colony of sea lions and play with their curious pups. During this season, whale sharks, the largest plankton-eating fish in the world, come here, and if we're lucky, we'll also snorkel with them. We will enjoy lunch on a white sandy beach in a beautiful blue lagoon, and on the way back to the port, we will observe rare birds, dolphins, and other marine animals in this area full of life.
Accommodation: hotel, La Paz
Day 3
La Paz - Ocean safari
We'll spend our day on the ship exploring the Gulf of California, looking for every opportunity to encounter animals that migrate or live here. In the channel heading towards Los Islotes we will look for different species of whales such as humpback whales, fin whales, sei whales and more. As a farewell to beautiful Baja California, we may also be lucky enough to encounter huge pods of dolphins and rays, sea lions, sea turtles, manta rays or whale sharks.
Accommodation: hotel, La Paz
Day 4
Balandra Bay and a desert full of cactai
On this day we will make our trip to Magdalena Bay. On our way, we will visit the beautiful Balandra bay with white sand beach and crystal clear turquoise water. The bay is surrounded by small beaches and we will explore them on kayaks. The drive to Magdalena Bay takes around three hours through the desert full of huge cacti that is Baja famous for. Many of these giants are over 100 years old.
Accommodation: hotel, Magdalena Bay
Day 5, 6 & 7
Magdalena Bay - grey whales
Magdalena Bay is a place where each year, the grey whales migrate to give birth, mate and take care of their calves. Locals say that the first friendly grey whale encounter here happened in 1970 when a local fisherman was alone in his boat when a grey whale approached it. It took him some time to look over the side of the boat to see a very large eye staring at him. Summoning his courage, he reached out to touch the whale and to his surprise found it responding to his hand.
You will have a chance to encounter single female whales looking to mate, pregnant grey whale females, and mothers with their calves. The encounters are always on the whales' terms, they come slowly and gently to the boat and ask for attention. The whales hang around the watching boats, wanting to be touched and played with. The mothers sometimes even push their young towards the boat to get some rubs as well. You will probably also be able to witness the whale mothers teaching their kids how to breath, breach and coordinate their movements. The whale calves can be very playful and interactive and we will share with you information about their behavior, migratory patterns and importance for the ecosystem. It’s also worth mentioning that Magdalena is a huge bay and whale watching is carefully regulated here, so it’s just you and the whales coming out to see you.
• Accommodation: hotel, Magdalena Bay
Day 8
Return to La Paz, transfer to the airport or accommodation
