As I mentioned before one of the main reasons we chose Posada LunaSol was for the convenience of going on day tours. One morning we met our group in front of the hotel and our guides outfitted us with snorkels, fins, and life jackets from their gear room. Then we walked a short way down to the pier and hopped in a boat. Half the group spoke Spanish and the other half English so he always translated his instructions and descriptions in both. Exhausting! I have so much respect for the guides and all that they do logistically while making sure everyone is having a good time.
We motored out just a brief way from the Malecon and La Paz when our driver cut the motor to search for whale sharks in the sound. After only a few minutes we were in luck! He spotted some a hundred meters away and we were off after them. I'm kicking myself now for not bringing an underwater camera but in all truthfulness we most likely would not have gotten a good photo in all the chaos. The sharks are very shy (I would be too). So after a few moments of us in the water snorkeling around them, they would dive off to find another feeding place. The astounding fact that our guide shared with us was that these were juvenile whale sharks. The whale sharks can be anywhere from 15-30 feet long on average.
So we went through the process a few times of motoring up to a group, hopping in the water near the whale sharks and catching a quick glance at them. The last time we hoped into the water I felt Matt grab my arm abruptly. I turned around to see a giant mouth heading my direction. I swam as fast as I could out of the way and watched the beast glide by me serenely. Whale sharks are not aggressive but my brain would not process that quick enough as I saw that it was about to eat me. Our entire time with the whale sharks was about a half and hour but the memory will last a lifetime.
We continued on to Espiritu Santo Island which was about another hour or so from La Paz. It held a colony of sea lions nearby on Los Islotes which we stopped at first. The boats drop anchor outside this little island and you spend an hour or so swimming with the sea lions. Our guide took our group through a tunnel on the side of the island that held an abundance of marine life below. Then after instructions on how to steer clear of the males, we had time to explore the rocks on our own. Until recently in the last few years, I've had a significant fear of fish. So snorkeling is always a bit challenging for me but worth the effort! I was swimming along with Matt and watching a few young sea lion pups play. One of them came up behind me and put its nose on the back of my neck and in my ear. I was so shocked I couldn't move. It just sat there for a few moments "cuddling" into my neck. It was oddest sensation with its whiskers tickling my neck. Then all of a sudden it flipped around and swam off in a hurry.
I was laughing to Matt when I saw his eyes go wide and he looked behind me. When I turned around I was face-to-face with one of the largest males in the colony. He bared his teeth at me and I was sure he was going to bite me. I grabbed Matt and pulled him in front of me as a shield (a very heroic move on my part which I apologized for later). It was apparently just a warning from the male to not get too comfortable with his pups because he flipped around and disappeared. I decided to do the same and not press my luck!
Back at the boat, we climbed in and waited for the rest of the group. We motored a short distance away to a beach on Espiritu Santo Island where we had a picturesque setting for our lunch. (One note about the island - there wasn't a bathroom facility or even a corner to put one in. The entire beach is exposed and we didn't have permits to walk around the island. In an emergency, the crew is available to set up a camp toilet but there wasn't a tent or anything to cover yourself from other boats docking on the beach.)
We all had a chance to snorkel around the bay and relax on the beach that afternoon before heading back to La Paz. It took us roughly an hour or so to get back to La Paz. Halfway there our guide spotted humpback whales breaching along the coast. He cut the motor and we spent time drifting and watching them in peaceful silence. That was the cherry on the top of a wonderful wildlife day - whale sharks, frigate birds, sea lions, tons of marine life, and humpback whales!
Adventure Life is always an excellent choice when planning complicated, extreme, or exotic vacations or expeditions. They provide friendly professional services and advice and are enthusiastic and encouraging in helping us to prepare and thoroughly enjoy our trip. They handle all the details which greatly reduces the stress of planning a difficult trip. I'm very impressed with Adventure Life and definitely recommend them to friends and family.
Scott Trochim
2 days ago
The response from Adventure Life to my first inquiry was prompt and promising. I worked with Jamie Broeckel, Trip Planner, via text, email, and phone calls- always extremely responsive and thorough with information and explaining the process to arrange a private tour for me to Malaysia Borneo. Within about week, the booking was complete and I made decisions because of Jamie's great customer service , friendly manner, and overall competence on behalf of the company's travel expertise. Now I have an itinerary, additional Trip Planner Assistants, several links for vital information for traveling to Maylasia, etc. Still many details for Sept. trip, but now the heavy lifting is done and I can enjoy the rest of the anticipation and research!! Thanks Jamie- you are amazing!!!!
Susan Campo
4 days ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
5 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.