Description
Unique, immersive style of travel
Each year California gray whales pause during their migrations to birth and nurse their calves in the birthing lagoons on the Pacific side of Baja California. Our ship becomes your mobile basecamp and you’re immersed in the life-cycle of these gentle giants, making daily Zodiac forays for up-close observations.
Special access to Baja’s gray whale lagoons
Laguna San Ignacio and Bahia Magdalena are well-known for being the preferred nurseries for gray whale females to birth and instruct their young before making the annual migratory trek to the food-rich Arctic waters. Each morning, head out in Zodiacs with naturalists and local guides for rare opportunities to observe them at water level. Not only are we often rewarded with the close encounter of calves and watchful mothers, mere feet away, but often we’ll experience heart-touching eye contact with playful calves surfacing to interact with us. In the evening, hang out on deck under the stars, or depending on the calendar, a full moon, and listen to the whales breathing and moving around the ship. Encounters with these marvelous creatures don’t end there as we head into the Sea of Cortez, where magical moments continue with possible sightings of other whale species and dolphins.
Every day is active and engaging
You’ll be able to hike through forests of towering cacti and up striking desert canyons. You’ll take expedition landing craft along the shore to see and shoot photos of plunge-diving pelicans and blue-footed boobies and to join a different naturalist as you choose: there are no assigned groups.
Travel in excellent company
Explore under the sure guidance of an expedition leader, five veteran naturalists, including a National Geographic certified photo instructor and an undersea specialist, plus a wellness specialist. Their knowledge and passion for Baja California is the key to your once-in-a-lifetime experience.
