Gulf of California and Pacific ocean Wildlife adventure
Baja California is without a doubt one of the places with the most diverse marine life on this planet. Exciting expedition with whale sharks, wild dolphins, sea lions, and mobula rays aggregation, along with an epic action with striped marlins and whales during the second largest sardine run in the world.
Location
Duration
Price
Baja California
9 days
3300 $
Available dates
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NOVEMBER 1 - NOVEMBER 9 2023. 2 spots left
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About this Trip
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Guests: 6 people
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Duration: 9 days
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Boat: day trips on small private boats
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Number of full days in the water: 5
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Food: breakfast, lunch, and snacks included
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Conditions: outside temperature: 30°C, water temperature: 24°C
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Skill requirement: good swimming skills
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Pick up location: SJD (San Jose del Cabo) airport / LAP (La Paz) airport
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Accommodation: Hotels La Paz and Magdalena Bay. Rooms for two. Private room on request.
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About this expedition
Baja California is a place that promises some of the most interesting interactions with big marine life. Mobula rays, whale sharks, dolphins, sea lions, whales, orcas and striped marlins in the waters of the open Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of California, on an adventure guided by professional animal behavior specialists.
We will start our expedition in La Paz, a beautiful city located on the coast of the Gulf of California. The location of La Paz will become our base, and from here, we will enjoy three days on private boats, each day in a different location promising unique animal encounters. We will swim in a big sea lion colony, look for whale sharks, snorkel with huge pods of aggregating mobula rays in clear water, and watch humpback whales. All our encounters are based on respect for the animals and our guides will teach you about their behavior and body language. We always make sure the animals are comfortable with our presence before jumping into the water.
We will also visit the Cabo Pulmo National Park for one day. This place is an iconic example of Mission Blue Hope spot - a protected marine area with thriving marine life, full of schooling fish, where you will feel like the clock stopped 50 years ago. Cabo Pulmo is proof that protected marine areas make sense and you will see how the ocean can be if it is treated sustainably.
For the second part of our expedition, we will drive to Magdalena Bay, where the second-largest sardine run in the world takes place. The Mexican sardine run refers to an annual phenomenon that occurs off the coast of Baja California where large schools of sardines migrate and follow the plankton bloom in search of food and warmer temperatures. During the sardine run, millions of sardines can be seen swimming in dense schools, forming so-called bait balls. The event is a major attraction for marine predators, including huge marlins, dolphins, sea lions, and seabirds, which all converge to feed on the abundant prey. Whales also come here this time of the year and if we're lucky, we'll encounter a humpback whale, Fin whale or a Bryde's whale.
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.
Wildlife Highlights
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Swimming with wild dolphins
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Snorkeling with schools of Mobula rays
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Swimming in a big sea lion colony with their playful cubs
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Close encounters with whale sharks
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Snorkeling with huge tornadoes of jackfish, schooling reef fish, and observing bull sharks in Cabo Pulmo
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Chance to encounter blue whales, humpback whales, Bryde’s whales, Fin whales, and Orcas
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Swimming with striped marlins feeding on huge sardine bait balls
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Encounters with mahi-mahi, wahoo, tunas, and sailfish
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Watching various species of birds: albatross, shearwaters, boobie birds, frigate birds, pelicans, and several different species of gulls
ITINERARY:
Day 1
La Paz - 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
Sea lion colony and Whale sharks
We will spend the day on the boat with breath-taking sceneries of the coast of Baja California, swim in a large colony of sea lions, and play with their curious cubs. Whale sharks, the largest plankton-eating fish in the world, come here this time of the year and if we are lucky, we will snorkel with them too. We will enjoy lunch on a white sandy beach in a beautiful blue lagoon and on our way back to the marina, we will observe rare birds and other animals that we meet in this area full of marine life.
• Accommodation: hotel, La Paz
Day 3
Cabo Pulmo National Park
In the morning, will drive through the desert full of cacti and amazing views to the romantically rustic and secluded village of Cabo Pulmo. The national marine park in Cabo Pulmo is a shining example of a successful transformation of a rustic fishing village into a sustainable tourism destination. The place feels as if time has stood still here, and the ocean is full of animals that can breed and stay here without danger. We will snorkel with huge tornadoes of schooling jackfish and observe bull sharks from the surface, as November promises some of the best visibility in Cabo Pulmo. Cabo Pulmo will show you how the ocean can be when it is treated sustainably.
• Accommodation: hotel, La Paz
Day 4
Mobula rays aggregation
This time of year, Mobula rays, or Munk's devil rays, aggregate close to the shores of Baja California in huge pods of thousands of individuals. We will jump on a boat and spend the day looking for them, observing their acrobatic jumps from the water, and finding the best opportunities to free dive and snorkel with them. Hundreds of rays jumping from the water and slapping the ocean's surface is one of the most incredible natural spectacles on our planet.
• Accommodation: hotel, La Paz
Day 5
Magdalena Bay
In the morning we will head to Magdalena Bay. Along the way, we will observe the beautiful colors of the Mexican desert full of enormous cacti. We will make a stop at one of the most beautiful beaches in Mexico, Balandra Bay. The shallow turquoise crystal-clear water is surrounded by dusty-pink mountains, offering magnificent views of the coast of Baja California. We will explore the area on kayaks before continuing our journey to Magdalena Bay from where we will have the access to the open Pacific Ocean. In the evening we will go over a briefing about the sardine run - an epic natural event when huge schools of sardines attract marlins, sea lions, whales, and other large animals to the area. The Mexican sardine run is the second-largest sardine run in the world.
• Accommodation: hotel, Magdalena Bay
Day 6
Magdalena Bay - Mexican sardine run
We will spend this day on a private boat, and by watching the activity of seabirds, we will locate the schools of sardines. The sardines school together for protection. They create a living, moving ball of fish. The marlins push the bait to the surface, then attack it from below. When we find the spot of this action, we jump into the water. The marlins grow to 420cm in length and weigh up to 200kg. Sea lions, dolphins and whales come and join the feast. It is an unforgettable experience to watch these beautiful animals going after a bait ball right in front of your eyes.
• Accommodation: hotel, Magdalena Bay
Day 7
Magdalena Bay - Mexican sardine run
Another day that we will spend on a private boat watching and snorkeling with incredible animals that sardines attract to these waters. Nothing can be promised in nature, but we can encounter the following species: a large number of Californian sea lions, mahi-mahi, wahoos, tunas, sailfish, orcas, sharks, fin whales, Bryde’s whales, humpback whales, dolphins, and various species of birds. Swimming with these animals is a unique and thrilling experience, and it can make you feel like becoming a part of the underwater ecosystem while witnessing the delicate balance of nature.
• Accommodation: hotel, Magdalena Bay
Day 8
La Paz – White sand beach
After the epic experiences of the last days, we will enjoy the last moments on the beach in beautiful Magdalena Bay. We will take a quick boat ride to a beach where thousands of sand dollars get washed up every day, walk on the sand dunes and enjoy the scenic views of the pristine coast of Baja California. In the afternoon, we will drive back to La Paz.
• Accommodation: hotel, La Paz
Day 9
End of the expedition, transfer to the airport or your accommodation.
