Participate in sea turtle monitoring and learn about the conservation efforts in the area. Explore the bay and mangrove canals by panga, learn about local fishing techniques, walk along the sand dunes, and take a boat excursion to encounter friendly gray whales. Deluxe camping accommodations on the coast provide a perfect setting for activity and relaxation on this leisurely-paced Baja trip.
Highlights
Head out into Magdalena Bay by Panga to watch for Gray Whales
Join the monitor team as they collect data about the sea turtle population
Camp on an island in Magdalena Bay
Swim and snorkel in the turquoise waters of the Baja Peninsula
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
Your driver will be waiting for you at the Los Cabos airport to take you on the 2.5 hour scenic drive to La Paz, where you will be able to explore in the afternoon before the welcome dinner, where your guides will brief you on the week ahead. Take a good night's rest, tomorrow the adventure begins!
Visit Espíritu Santo Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to turquoise water, multitudes of fish species, and resident sea lions. Less than one hour from La Paz, this natural paradise will amaze you with breathtaking island scenery and rich marine life. Jump in the water to snorkel with the sea lions and observe tropical fish.
After a tasty lunch, our world-class nature guides will interpret the natural and cultural history of this unique place. Explore some of the astounding nature trails that take you into the heart of the island before returning to La Paz for dinner.
Depart from La Paz early in the morning en route to Magdalena Bay, Jewel of the Pacific. This bay is home to a staggering number of migratory and marine birds, sea turtles, and marine mammals including the migratory gray whales. Breakfast will be provided en route at one of our favorite local ranchos.
Continue on to your secluded island camp, searching for whales along the way. After happy hour, learn about the important sea turtle restoration project which will be the focus of tomorrow’s activities. Get a good night’s rest, tomorrow the search for turtles begins!
Wake up early and grab a cup of coffee on your way to watch the fisher-conservationists prepare the nets used in the sea turtle monitoring. Return to camp for breakfast and to learn more about the gray whales, their incredible migration, and the importance of Magdalena Bay for breeding and calving to these magnificent creatures. After breakfast, head out in pangas to look for gray whales. Friendly whales often approach the boats, and the mothers are known to push the young calves closer, which can make for an incredible interaction between two species. After lunch, you will have the chance to accompany the monitoring team to check the nets for turtles. Captured sea turtles will be brought back to camp where you will help take measurements and other important data before releasing them back into the wild. The monitoring continues through the night under the brilliant starry sky.
Day 5: Sea Turtle Monitoring | Gray Whale Observation Gray
Head down to the beach to finish measuring and weighing sea turtles before releasing them back into the wild. After breakfast, bid farewell to your hosts and head out in search for whales. Today, you'll explore the magic of the greater Magdalena Bay complex: its vast, rolling sand dunes and winding mangrove canals teeming with birdlife. You'll have another chance to look for whales, too--make sure your camera is handy to capture images of these magnificent giants. After a picnic lunch on a secluded barrier island, head back to the mainland where your driver will be waiting for you to return to La Paz.
Day 6: Continue Gray Whale Observation | Back to La Paz
After a relaxed morning, head to the town of Todos Santos located on the Pacific coast. Your naturalist guide will take you through the estuary to spot birds, and with luck you’ll be able to see humpback whales from the beach. Continue with a guided walk around the quaint town, and then you are on your own to enjoy its architecture, shops and fantastic restaurants before heading back to La Paz.
Your driver will pick you up at your hotel early in the morning to transport you to the marina to try on your snorkeling gear and wetsuit. Head out on the water for the short trip to the whale shark observation zone. On the way out of the bay, your guide will brief you on whale shark ecology and regulations for snorkeling. You’ll have the chance to get in the water accompanied by your guide to snorkel alongside one of these marvelous creatures.
Back on land in time for lunch, explore La Paz: tranquil, scenic, and a great town to get to know on foot. During the walking tour you will visit cultural and architectural sites of interest, learn about the history of La Paz, meet some of its people, and along the way stop to try many of the local delicacies. Take in the Mi Ciudad mural project, a treat for the eyes with murals from local and regional artists on display around the city.
Day 8: Return Home
1 Breakfast
After breakfast head to the airport for departure back home.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
Notes
Select a Date
Child Discounts are available.
Rates based on set departure dates. Private tour options available. Contact us for details.
Initial deposit is 35%, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 70 days (10 weeks) prior to departure by bank transfer, check or credit card. All final payments by credit card may be subject to a surcharge and maximum of $20,000 charge
The trip might have been the absolute best of our lifetime (thus far). We particularly want to commend our guide Peter in the Guilin area-he was so incredibly attentive, energetic, enthusiastic-and absolutely dedicated to ensuring that our meals were 100% vegetarian.
Jack Charney
TrustScore 4.8 | 254 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
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3 days ago
The holiday of a lifetime. The company is Alaksa-owned and thhat makes a big difference to the experineces you get i.e. meet genuine First Nations tribes people. The amount of wildlife was beyond my expectation, and seeing everything on sucha small, intimate boat made it even more spoecial and unique.
Liz O
3 days ago
Adventure Life covered all the details in planning our trip to Ireland. Any questions we had were answered immediately. Any trip glitches, which always happen when traveling, were resolved immediately. There were no worries, just fun!
Kathleen Weller
3 days ago
It was an outstanding, up-close, educational vacation of nature, culture, history, animals and geology! It was everything they promised! Binoculars were plentiful on the boat, but I'm glad I brought my own. Food was excellent. Rooms had black-out shades. Pack/wear multiple layers of clothing (I carried a small backpack when off the ship). Crew were delightful and very accommodating! Remember to jump FEET FIRST first when taking the optional polar plunge! Spend as much time outdoors as you are able and ENJOY!!!
Janet Dutton
1 week ago
Excellent travel advice and service
This is my second experience working with Adventure Life. I’m sold. Jess Heuermann is an experienced traveler and provides a lot of useful information when planning a trip. These are the questions I like to ask at the outset - What’s it like to go here, there, what would you suggest, what do people report, can we add any additional side trips? Jess took the time to answer my questions and seek additional information to share with me. Petchie Colina is outstanding in helping with travel logistics and final preparations. Adventure Life has excellent guides and offers private guides and small group adventures. We enjoyed the opportunity to talk with the guides and drivers to learn more about their countries, cultures and histories. A highlight was having the guides pick local restaurants where we could share meals together. Highly recommend.
Claire Cordon
1 week ago
Our six-day tour in Iceland went smoothly with one exception. We had asked for two rooms each night. Somehow we were booked with one room with three beds. It could not be fixed at the first hotel in Reykjavik because the hotel was fully booked. Once informed of the problem, however, Adventure Life rebooked for two rooms for the remainder of the trip. As an 85-year-old traveler, I appreciated that one could participate at different physical levels at many of the stops. Iceland is a great place to visit but on the expensive side.