Baja California Mexico Adventures
Baja California is a playground for adults and children alike! The rich desert nature supports an incredible variety of life and the waters around the Baja are full of surprises from calving whales to pods of dolphins.
There is a plethora of activities to choose from, including scuba diving, sea kayaking, snorkeling, sailing, whale watching, camping, and you can even participate in whale shark and turtle research with your whole family. Join a scheduled departure or let us craft you a truly memorable customized multi-activity trip.
Scuba Diving onboard the Don Jose
Cousteau called Sea of Cortez “the world’s aquarium” because of the hundreds of fascinating marine creatures that make these waters their home. Dive with scads, grunts, sergeant majors, machetes, Mexican barracudas, pods of pilot whales and dolphins, jumping mobulas, and the occasional orca and sperm whale. Explore El Bajo, Salvatierra, Cerralvo, Los Islotes and much more.The itinerary includes six nights onboard the 80-foot Don Jose and one night in a waterfront hotel.
Don Jose has seven cabins for a maximum of sixteen divers. There are four deluxe cabins sharing two bathrooms and three standard cabins sharing one bathroom. All cabins have storage and nightly air-conditioning. Up to four dives per day and, weather permitting, two night dives are offered. Other activities include snorkeling and kayaking.
Season: July to November 2011 / July to November 2012
Price: $1,625 - $1,825 per person, double occupancy + Mexican Conservation Passport $30 per person
Includes: Accommodations onboard plus one hotel night; three meals per day; soft drinks, beer and wine while onboard; dive tanks, weights and belts; dive guide services.
Natural History and Scuba onboard the Don Jose
Excellent for Families!
This family-friendly program on the Don Jose combines fun, adventure and learning. Your whole family will love cruising and exploring nature in the Sea of Cortez during the summer vacation. Snorkel among fishes and sea lions, explore the fascinating desert island ecosystem and bird watch, scuba dive, kayak and, after sunset, take in the millions of stars above. The experienced naturalist guide will lead hikes, kayak and snorkeling excursions and other environmental awareness activities sure to please all ages.
Certified divers can enjoy some great dive sites in the Sea of Cortez, while non-divers (ages 8 and up) can learn the necessary skills to safely try scuba diving. Don Jose has seven cabins for a maximum of sixteen guests. There are four deluxe cabins sharing two bathrooms and three standard cabins sharing one bathroom. All cabins have storage and nightly air-conditioning.
Season: June to July 2012
Price: $1,895 per person, double occupancy. One child under 15 staying in the same cabin as parents $1,327. Second younger child in the same cabin free. Mexican Conservation Passport $30 per person additional.
Includes: Accommodations onboard plus one hotel night; three meals per day; soft drinks, beer and wine while onboard; dive tanks, weights and belts; naturalist and dive guide services.
Whale Shark Research and Natural History Expedition
Excellent for Families!
Cruise the sea in search of the world's largest fish and actively collaborate in an important study of whale sharks. A spotter plane will help marine biologist Dení Ramírez locate the enormous fish, which migrate here to feed and give birth. Like sharks everywhere, these animals are threatened worldwide, and Deni’s research – with your help – contributes to the knowledge base necessary to their preservation. Each spring these amazing fish migrate to the Sea of Cortez, which teems with plankton, their primary food source. Feeding at the surface, the whale sharks give you plenty of opportunities for close encounters, even without the need for scuba gear.
The thrills of this expedition don't end with big fish sightings. You'll also stop at some of the best dive sites in the area that have earned the Sea of Cortez its world-famous reputation for diving excellence. Other activities include kayaking, hiking and snorkeling. Don Jose has seven cabins for a maximum of sixteen guests. There are four deluxe cabins sharing two bathrooms and three standard cabins sharing one bathroom. All cabins have storage and nightly air-conditioning.
Season: May to June 2012
Price: $1,995 per person. One child under 15 staying in the same cabin as parents $1,397. Second child in the same cabin free. Mexican Conservation Passport $30 per person additional.
Includes: Accommodations onboard plus one hotel night; three meals per day; soft drinks, beer and wine while onboard; dive tanks, weights and belts; naturalist and dive guide services.
Adventurous travelers seeking a rich variety of wildlife can find what they are looking for in the Sea of Cortez. In this bio-diversity “hot spot,” one-third of the world's species of whales and dolphins are seasonal residents and numerous species of tropical fish reside here year round. This is one of the few places in the world where you can frequently see blue whales. Second only to blue whales in size are the giant, sleek finback whales; the gulf is so productive in plankton that a population of finbacks – usually a migratory species – has made it their year-round home.
On this 7-night voyage of discovery, you'll share some of the same experiences Steinbeck had when he recorded his travels in "The Log from the Sea of Cortez." You'll snorkel in waters where a wondrous array of tropical fish thrives. Watch blue footed boobies raising their young. See tens of thousands of royal and elegant terns in their nests. There are few other places in the world where you will encounter such abundant marine life. Activities include bird watching, snorkeling, kayaking and hiking. Don Jose has seven cabins for a maximum of sixteen guests. There are four deluxe cabins sharing two bathrooms and three standard cabins sharing one bathroom. All cabins have storage and nightly air-conditioning.
Season: February to April 2012
Price: $1,995 - $2,195 per person, double occupancy + Mexican Conservation Passport $30 per person
Includes: Accommodations onboard plus one hotel night; three meals per day; soft drinks, beer and wine while onboard; kayaks; naturalist guide services.
Coastal Sea Kayaking Expedition
On the longest and most challenging of the kayaking expeditions, this program finds you paddling along the 65 mile stretch of untamed coast between Loreto and La Paz in ten days. Kayaking five to fourteen miles a day from camp to camp, you experience the different faces of the natural coastline and its nature. Explore remote coves and inlets, and do some excellent snorkeling; hike hidden canyons full of fascinating geology, and even visit a few small villages and the ruins of a Jesuit mission to sample a bit of local history and culture.
A motorized support boat carries all camping equipment, personal gear, and the makings for delicious meals. There are even fresh water showers. The crew handles most camp chores and prepares all meals. Your expert guides share their knowledge of the area as they paddle with you and lead nature hikes and snorkeling explorations. Your journey ends with a nose-to-whiskers encounter with the sea lions of Los Islotes.
Season: October to November 2011/ March to May and October to November 2012
Price: $1,535 per person, double occupancy + Mexican Conservation Passport $30 per person
Includes: First and last night at a hotel; seven nights comfortable catered camping; all meals; sleep kit with tent, mattress, sleeping bag, liner and pillow; snorkel gear; single or double kayaks; services of guide.
Islands Sea Kayaking Expedition
Only a few people have seen any of the 900 extraordinary desert islands that populate the Sea of Cortez—and even fewer from the elbow-height perspective of a kayaker! You’ll experience the diverse natural history of Espiritu Santo, Isla Partida, San Jose, and Catalana Islands as you kayak four to six hours per day on this ten-day trip. These islands are a magnificent representation of the region, and you'll have the opportunity to experience the diversity of their flora and fauna as you paddle through green grottos opening into cavernous amphitheatres, explore mangrove-lined estuaries where a variety of seabirds nest, or snorkel with ballet-like sea lions.
A motorized support boat carries all camping equipment, personal gear, and the makings for delicious meals. The crew handles most camp chores and prepares all meals.
Season: October to November 2011 / March to April and October to November 2012
Price: $1,535 per person, double occupancy + Mexican Conservation Passport $30 per person
Includes: First and last night at a hotel; seven nights comfortable catered camping; all meals; sleep kit with tent, mattress, sleeping bag, liner and pillow; snorkel gear; single or double kayaks; services of guide.
Espiritu Santo Island Eco-Camp
Excellent for Families!
Espiritu Santo Island Eco-Camp offers comfortable amenities in a natural protected area, the perfect platform for you to experience the essence of Baja at ease as you kayak, swim, snorkel, and hike at your own pace. The flexible itinerary facilitates a variety of activities to match your interests and abilities, including paddling, hiking, swimming and snorkeling. The schedule can be as active or as relaxing as you choose. Novices will learn easy-to-master kayaking skills from our expert guides, and soon be paddling three to four hours per day along the western shoreline exploring caves, rock gardens, hidden inland lagoons and deserted beaches.
You'll hike up ochre-colored arroyos to explore cave art, cacti and other amazingly adapted plants. Bird watchers will delight in the antics of pelicans or frigate birds. Be sure to watch for mobula rays or dolphins leaping out of the water as your skiff speeds you to the best snorkeling spots, where you can swim with sea lions and hundreds of tropical fish. Accommodations are in cabin-style tents with raised platform beds and bucket showers. You’ll dine on tasty Mexican food and enjoy happy hour each evening from the cantina as sunny days turn into luminous nights filled with stars.
Season: October 2011 to April 2012 / October 2012 to April 2013
Price: $240 - $260 per person, double occupancy. Children 8 – 15 years 30% and 2 -7 years 50% discount. Children stay in a kelty tent beside their parents or in the parents’ tent.
Includes: Safari-style tent accommodation with bedding; all meals; kayaks and snorkeling gear
Magdalena Bay Camp
Excellent for Families!
Bring your family to camp and play at Magdalena Bay, in the breathtaking beauty and wildlife of a great wetland ecosystem. Observe gray whales mating, giving birth, playing, and raising their young. Paddle through mangroves rich in bird life, tumble down sand dunes, and learn firsthand why wetlands are such a big deal. In the warm and protected waters of Magdalena Bay, gray whale calves remain in close contact with their mothers while they grow large enough to migrate north. The surreal landscape provides a dramatic background as these noble creatures allow us to watch them roll, breach and tend to their young. Sea turtles, huge numbers of migratory birds, and dolphins also congregate here.
Water activities feature whale watching from skiffs and paddling kayaks through tangled mangrove estuaries rich with wildlife. On land, you'll have fun walking on – or tumbling down – towering sand dunes, along miles of unspoiled beaches.
Season: February to March 2012
Price: $240 - $260 per person, double occupancy. Children 8 – 15 years 30% and 2 -7 years 50% discount. Children stay in a kelty tent beside their parents or in the parents’ tent.
Includes: Safari-style tent accommodation with bedding; all meals; kayaks; services of a guide
Fly or drive at your convenience to the newest whale watching camp in San Ignacio Lagoon, where your accommodations are in comfortable cabanãs, elevated from the sand. Twice-daily skiff rides take you to the whale viewing area, where you'll experience the thrill of friendly whales surfacing just a few feet away. The spectacular annual migration of whales to the protected waters of Baja arrives in January each year. Gray whales, the first to arrive, are destined for three shallow lagoons the Pacific coast of Baja. San Ignacio Lagoon, the most remote of the three, lies midway between Magdalena Bay to the south and Scammon's Lagoon to the north.
Surrounded by low dunes and mangrove lined estuaries, San Ignacio Lagoon provides a perfect home for Baja's most celebrated and magnificent winter visitors, the gray whales. Enjoy cocktails around the barbecue as you watch the spectacular sunset and whales passing by. Each private cabin has a full or queen-sized bed, hardwood floors, and a sink with running water. Other activities here include bird watching and mountain biking in the desert.
Season: December 2011 to April 2012
Price: $210 per person, double occupancy. Children 8 – 15 years 30% and 2 -7 years 50% discount.
Includes: Cabin accommodations; all meals; two whale watching excursions per full day in camp; mountain bikes; services of a guide
Turtle Monitoring and Sea Kayaking Expedition
Excellent for Families!
Explore two of the most beautiful landscapes of Baja on this trip. Kayak unspoiled beaches and snorkel with playful sea lions near uninhabited Espiritu Santo Island. Then, help local conservationists monitor sea turtles in magical Magdalena Bay. Your participation benefits both turtles and people in this important service project, which provides an alternative income to fishing for local people.
This great 8-day long trip combines the best of two very different areas. The first days you will lodge in our recently improved Espiritu Santo Island Eco Camp, where kayaking near secluded beaches, hiking on a beautiful unspoiled island and snorkeling with colorful tropical fish and sea lions will be only a few of the highlights. The second part will take place on Magdalena Bay, where a group of local fisherman and conservationist have set up a camp. Here you will directly participate in the turtle monitoring process, in which conservationists use scientific monitoring to measure the effectiveness of efforts to recover threatened populations. Your first-hand participation in this trip will directly support community-based conservation of endangered sea turtles, while at the same time provide an alternative income to fishing and help to train local community members in ecotourism. You can’t get closer to real eco-tourism than this!
Season: November 2011
Price: $1,695 per person, double occupancy. Children 8 – 15 years 30% and 2 -7 years 50% discount. Mexican Conservation Passport $30 per person is extra.
Includes: Three nights in hotel (nights 1/4/7); two nights in safari-style tent (nights 2/3); two nights in small camping tent (nights 5/6); all meals except days 4 & 7 only breakfast and lunch; sleep kit (mattress, sleeping bag, liner and pillow); snorkel gear; kayaks; transfers; services of guide
Turtle Monitoring and Whale Watching Expedition
Excellent for Families!
Meet with two marine icons: gray whales and sea turtles, on the Pacific side of Baja on this 7-night expedition. Take skiffs out among gray whales and their calves in beautiful Magdalena Bay, where thousands come to mate and rear their young. You’ll see a lot of whale action: breaching, rolling, spy hopping, and spouting. Later, help monitor sea turtles with local conservationists, with time to stroll, paddle, swim or snorkel by sand dunes, unspoiled beaches and mangrove estuaries.
Green sea turtles feed on the bay’s sea grass year-round. You’ll help a local monitoring team weigh, measure, tag, and release sea turtles. Helping locals with on-the-ground projects addressing the main threats to turtle survival also helps the local economy. Turtle watching is an alternative source of income to fishing or poaching for local residents, and helps save these ancient animals.
Season: February 2012
Price: $1,795 per person, double occupancy. Children 8 – 15 years 30% and 2 -7 years 50% discount. Mexican Conservation Passport $30 per person is extra.
Includes: Two nights in hotel (nights 1//7); three nights in safari-style tent (nights 2/3/4); two nights in small camping tent (nights 5/6); all meals; sleep kit (mattress, sleeping bag, liner and pillow); snorkel gear; kayaks; transfers; services of guide