BAJA: Ocean Safari: mobula rays, killer whales, dolphins, sealions
Baja California is one of the places with the most diverse marine life on the planet. Enjoy the beautiful colony of sea lions with their playful pups and swim with the huge schools of mobula rays. We will also be able to meet dolphins, various species of whales and especially killer whales, which come here at this time to feed.
Location
Duration
Price
Baja California
8 days
2450 USD
Available dates:
MAY 8 - MAY 15 2024
About this Trip
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Guests: max 6 people
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Duration: 8 days
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Boat: day trips on comfortable small private boats with shade
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Number of full days in the water: 5 full days on private boat + 1/2 day kayaking
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Food: breakfast every day + snacks during the boat days included
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Conditions: outside temperature: 25°C, water temperature: 16-22°C
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Skill requirement: good swimming skills
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Pick up location: SJD (San Jose del Cabo) airport / La Paz (LAP) airport
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Accommodation: Higher standard hotels (4*) in La Paz and Cabo San Lucas. Rooms for 2 people. Single room available upon request.
Price includes::
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Airport transfers
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7 nights of accommodation with breakfast
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5 days (6 hours every day) of ocean safari
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1/2 day of kayaking in Balandra Bay
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Professional guides for the entire expedition who will share with information about the animals, their behaviour and their importance for the ecosystem
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Snorkeling equipment
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All transfers during the expedition
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Album of professional underwater photos of you and your interactions with the animals
Expedition Highlights
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Swimming with wild dolphins
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Snorkeling in a large colony of sea lions, meeting their curious cubs
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Snorkeling in the largest aggregation of Mobula rays numbering in the thousands
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Watching mobula rays' acrobatic jumps
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Snorkeling with orcas and observing their behaviour
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Observing a variety of bird species
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Observing various whale species
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Information about the ocean and animal behaviour from professional guides
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Traveling the desert full of cacti
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Kayaking in the beautiful Balandra Bay
ITINERARY:
Day 1:
La Paz - Meeting, briefing, and accommodation
We will pick you up at the selected airport and take you to your hotel in La Paz. In the afternoon/evening, we will go over information about the interactions that await you in the following days. The expedition will begin the following 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. 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 life in this area full of sea creatures.
• Accommodation: hotel, La Paz
Day 3 - 4 - 5
La Ventana - Mobula rays and killer whales
We will take a road lined with centuries-old cacti to a town in the middle of the desert called La Ventana. At this time of year, Mobula rays congregate in huge schools of thousands near the shores of Baja California, and La Ventana is where their largest aggregations can be seen. Each day we hop on a boat and spend the day searching for them, watching their acrobatic leaps out of the water and finding the best opportunities to swim with them. Hundreds of rays leaping out of the water and slapping against the ocean's surface is one of the most amazing natural spectacles on the planet. On these exploratory expeditions, we'll also search for the killer whales that live and hunt in these waters. The waters of the Gulf of California are teeming with life, and we'll be looking for every opportunity to swim with the amazing wildlife we'll have the chance to see - dolphins, sea lions, and with any luck, various species of whales. Evenings will then be spent at our desert accommodation amongst the cacti and watching the stars, which are beautifully bright thanks to the little light smog here.
• Accommodation: La Ventana bungalows
Day 6
La Paz - Balandra
After intense experiences in the past few days, today we'll visit the Balandra Bay, which houses one of the most beautiful beaches in Mexico. The Balandra Bay area is on the UNESCO World Heritage list and its shallow turquoise crystal-clear water is surrounded by dusty pink mountains, offering a beautiful view of the Baja California coast. We'll explore this beautiful rugged beach on kayaks.
• Accommodation: hotel, La Paz
Day 7
La Paz - Ocean safari
We'll spend our last day on the ship exploring the Gulf of California, looking for every opportunity to encounter animals that migrate or live here. As we bid farewell to beautiful Baja California, we may be lucky enough to encounter huge pods of dolphins and rays, whales, killer whales, sea turtles, sea lions, manta rays or whale sharks. Not for nothing did explorer Jacques Cousteau call these waters the world's aquarium.
• Accommodation: hotel, La Paz
Day 8 End of the expedition
Transfer to the airport or to your next accommodation in this area.
GALLERY
What to look forward to?
On this extraordinary expedition, we will immerse ourselves in the breathtaking diversity of marine life found in the waters surrounding La Paz, aboard private boats exclusively for our small group. Guiding us through this remarkable journey will be professional animal behavior experts with nine years of experience.
Our expedition starts in the enchanting city of La Paz, situated along the coastline of the Gulf of California. From there, we will venture towards the captivating Espiritu Santo Island, an hour's drive away, revealing a rugged and unspoiled Baja California coastline that will leave us in awe. At Espiritu Santo Island, we will have the exhilarating opportunity to swim among the vast sea lion colony—the largest in the Sea of Cortez—where we can engage with their playful young while snorkeling. Our knowledgeable guides will explain about the intriguing behavior and body language of these magnificent creatures, ensuring that we approach them with utmost respect and only when they are comfortable with our presence.
Continuing our exploration of the Gulf of California coastline from La Paz, we will dedicate the following three days to the charming town of La Ventana, nestled amidst the desert's sprawling landscape, adorned with majestic cacti. Concealed within the bay, sheltered by the renowned Jacques Cousteau Island, we will witness awe-inspiring gatherings of Mobula rays. These magnificent creatures, numbering in the thousands, grace this location annually, captivating our senses with their acrobatic leaps above the water's surface, culminating in spectacular splash landings. With crystal-clear waters as our canvas, we will seek out these graceful rays, embarking on unforgettable snorkeling adventures amidst their magnificent formations. As they soar through the ocean, their synchronized wing flapping resembling celestial beings, we will witness a spectacle that has been immortalized in prestigious documentaries by BBC and National Geographic.
Moreover, during our stay in La Ventana, we will also have the opportunity to encounter dolphins, various whale species, and, most notably, killer whales that arrive in this area during this season to feed. Swimming alongside these majestic orcas will bestow upon us an unparalleled and cherished experience, one that we will approach with the utmost reverence for these magnificent creatures.