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about Whale Watching Trips!
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Trip
Highlights: Excellent naturalists, kayaking, snorkelling and hiking
excursions, diving opportunities, and great whale-watching.
Rates: $3,990 - $5,160
Single rate $5,980
Fuel surcharge may apply.
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video chronicle of your trip from ExpeditionTrips.com!
Ship Name: Sea Lion / Sea Bird Expedition
Ship
Introduction
Come explore Baja during an ideal time of
year! Conditions are excellent — consistently calm and warm waters make
for ideal swimming, snorkelling and scuba diving. Aboard the 62-guest
Sea Voyager, fully equipped with Zodiacs, kayaks and a convenient
swimming platform on the stern, this trip emphasizes time in the water!
But time on land will be wonderful too. See whales up close from the
deck of the ship -- best bets are fin, sperm and Bryde's, but other
possibilities include blue and orca. Hike miles of uninhabited beaches
and desert, observe myriad seabirds, kayak in pristine waters, scuba
dive among reef fish and enjoy the serenity of a sunset beach barbecue.
Itinerary
Day 1: Los Angeles / Loreto / Embark
Depart US and fly to Loreto, Baja California, Mexico. Drive directly
to your ship in nearby Puerto Escondido and set sail on the Sea of
Cortez.
Days 2-7: Exploring the Sea of Cortez
This expedition is designed to take advantage of the best wildlife and
exploring opportunities in the area. You will keep yourselves open to
the possibilities. Your routing will include some of the islands listed below,
although the order may vary:
In the morning land on Isla San
Esteban for a walk up a desert wash, to search for desert birds and
the endemic pinto chuckwalla — a fat, harmless desert lizard. In the
afternoon visit Isla San Pedro Martir, a 1,000-foot-high
guano-covered island that is home to thousands of seabirds. At this
time of year blue-footed boobies, red-billed tropicbirds, pelicans
and frigatebirds are all found here. A Zodiac cruise gives us close
views of the birds and throngs of sea lions along the shoreline, and
kayaks allow for personal explorations.
Canal de Ballenas and Isla Angel de la Guarda
In Canal de Ballenas it may be possible to see many species of
whales and dolphins. Fin, sperm, and orca whales, bottlenose and
common dolphin are among the species found in these waters. Later,
you land on Isla Angel de la Guarda for hikes among elephant trees
and cardon cactus, and another opportunity for kayaking along a
remote island shoreline.
Isla Rasa
In the spring one of the great wildlife spectacles of the Sea of
Cortez is in full swing at Isla Rasa — the nesting of thousands of
Heermann's gulls and elegant and royal terns. This population of
seabirds has been closely studied for many years, and you will go
ashore to meet the researchers and unobtrusively observe the
nesting, feeding and territorial behavior of these three species.
Isla San Marcos
At Isla San Marcos there is a beautiful cove for swimming,
snorkelling, scuba diving (available only aboard the Sea Voyager),
and kayaking, and a broad arroyo leading into the interior, with
intriguing desert plants and good opportunities for bird watching.
In the afternoon you are again in rich whale waters, near the mouth
of Bahia Concepcion where you stand a good chance of sighting
several species of whales, particularly fin or sperm.
Isla Santa Catalina
This morning you'll search for whales in the waters south of Isla
Carmen, an area that has proven to be one of the best for finding
blue whales, and often bottlenose and common dolphins. In the
afternoon, visit Isla Santa Catalina, famous for its giant barrel
cactus and rattleless rattlesnake. The protected bay of your
anchorage is also an excellent site for snorkelling. With a full
afternoon here there is time for swimming, scuba diving (Sea Voyager
only), snorkelling, hiking and kayaking.
Isla Carmen
Isla Carmen, historically known for its vast salt deposits
discovered in the 1500s, is home to a shoreline of cliffs, sand
dunes, and white beaches. You plan on exploring Carmen by foot,
(watch for rocky mountain big horn sheep which were introduced from
the mainland some years ago), by kayak and zodiac, and there will be
ample time for snorkelling the rich blue waters, home to moray eels,
reef cornet fish, sardines and guitar fish. In the evening, the
island is a perfect setting for a beach barbecue.
Day 8: Loreto / Disembark / Return
Home
This morning after breakfast, disembark and drive to Loreto's historic
district for a visit to Baja California's oldest mission church. After
lunch at a local restaurant you'll drive to the Loreto airport for your
flights back to your home city.
Notes:
Included:
All accommodations aboard ships or in hotels per
itinerary or similar, all meals and nonalcoholic beverages aboard ship,
meals on land as indicated, air transportation where indicated as
included, shore excursions, sightseeing and entrance fees, special
access permits, transfers to and from group flights, use of snorkeling
equipment and wet suits, use of kayaks (where available), tips (except
to ship's crew), taxes and service charges, services of a shop physician
on most voyages, and services of your expedition staff.
Not Included:
Air transportation (except where
shown as included), extensions, passport, visa, immigration fees, scuba
diving (where available), meals not indicated, baggage/accident/travel
protection plan, items of a person nature such as alcoholic beverages,
e-mail, laundry. Gratuities to ship's crew at your discretion. |
