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Trip Highlights: Ample time for
water activities (swimming, snorkeling, kayaking), excellent birding,
fantastic naturalist guides, and quiet uninhabited islands.
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video chronicle of your trip from ExpeditionTrips.com!
Ship Name: Sea Lion / Sea Bird Expedition
Ship
Introduction
Spend seven glorious nights small ship
cruising aboard the 70-passenger Sea Lion/Sea Bird, exploring the Sea of
Cortez which fills the large cleft separating Baja California from the
Mexican mainland. Some refer to the over fifty uninhabited islands in
this incredibly rich sea as "Mexico's Galapagos," for each island is
different and, collectively, boast one of North America's richest
collection of specialized plants and animals. Enjoy time for bird
watching for such seabirds as pelicans, blue-footed and brown boobies,
and magnificent frigate birds. Other activities will include swimming,
kayaking, walking, and barbecuing.
Itinerary
Day 1: Los Angeles/Los Cabos, Baja
California, Mexico/La Paz/Embark
Fly to Los Cabos and transfer to La Paz, where you board the ship
and sail into the Sea of Cortez in the late afternoon.
Day 2: Isla Santa Catalina
This morning search for whales in the waters around Isla Danzante,
another rich area for whales and dolphins. In the afternoon, visit Isla
Santa Catalina for walks among huge cacti, snorkelling in the clear
waters of our anchorage, and kayaking along the rugged shoreline.
Day 3: Bahia San Basilio and Isla Ildefonso
Bahia San Basilio is a broad bay with a lovely protected beach, ideal
for swimming and kayaking. Trails lead inland past a small lagoon, and
there is excellent snorkelling from the tiny islets just offshore.
Isla Ildefonso is a small, rugged island that is home to many nesting
seabirds, including blue-footed and brown boobies. A Zodiac cruise along
the shoreline is a good way to observe the bird life, and snorkelling
reveals a colorful underwater world.
Day 4: Exploring the Sea of Cortez
The shores of the Sea of Cortez have many beautiful bays where there are
beaches for swimming and long, gently sloping arroyos for walks inland.
This time of year cacti may be in flower and wildflowers in bloom. No
matter where you explore, you will have an opportunity for one last
vigorous paddle in the kayaks.
Day 5: Isla San Marcos and Santa Rosalia
Kayakers will have the opportunity to paddle the length of the east side
of this jewel of an island. There will also be time for snorkelling,
hiking inland, or doing some more leisurely kayaking exploring the
coves.
Later you arrive at the port town of Santa Rosalia, originally a French
copper mining community. You see the church designed by Gustav Eiffel,
of Eiffel Tower fame.
Day 6: Isla San Jose
Isla San Jose has a highly varied mixture of habitats. Take Zodiac
cruises and kayaks into mangrove channels in search of shorebirds and
waders. Nearby are ancient shell mounds, or middens, that reveal traces
of former occupation by the Guaicura Indians.
Day 7: Islas Los Islotes and Espiritu Santo
With deeply indented shorelines and dramatically eroded cliff faces,
these islands, separated only by a narrow channel, are perhaps the most
beautiful in the Sea of Cortez. Experience one of life's great
pleasures--snorkelling with sea lions. Spend today swimming, kayaking,
taking long walks and perhaps enjoying a beach barbecue.
Day 8: La Paz / Disembark / Return Home
After breakfast, disembark in La Paz and transfer to Los Cabos for
flights back to the US.
Notes:
Included:
Accommodations; all meals; daily excursions.
Not Included:
Round-trip airfare U.S./Mexico; gratuities to ship crew and staff are
left to the discretion of the passenger; items of a personal nature;
travel insurance; visa and passports, as needed. |
