This special experience takes you to one of the only four areas (lagunas) where the entire population of Eastern North Pacific Grey Whales (Eschrichtius robustus) congregate to calve and mate; either Puerto Chale or Magadalena Bay. With the longest known migration of any mammal, these whales take their respite in our protected warm coastal waters. Early in the season you'll find adults and juveniles at the height of their activity, while later on you'll have the distinct privilege of witnessing female whales and they newborn calves together.
PUERTO CHALE
MAGDALENA BAY
We'll check the weather forecast for you and advise you on your attire, but please bring the following:
We also offer the Magdalena Bay Grey Whale experience as an overnight package which offsets having to do the long drive in both directions in a single day. In addition to aforementioned inclusions, this also includes:
The feeling of watching the Grey Whales swim, breach, and interact up close is indescribable. We can almost guarantee you'll want more time with them! You can get two uniquely special opportunities with our 2-day Grey Whale experience. Day 1 can be spent at either Puerto Chale or the better known Bahia de Magdalena, where you'l spend 3 hours on the water. You'll spend the night in a waterfront hotel in the fishing community of San Carlos, where you can relax and enjoy a delicious dinner with your group. In the morning you'll head out to see the whales in Bahia de Magdalena for another 3 horus of spectacular up close viewing.
DAY 1
DAY 2
Note: Roundtrip transportation included, but you are welcome to convoy with us in your own car if you prefer
We'll check the weather forecast for you and advise you on your attire, but please bring the following:
On this excursion we casually explore the waters surrounding Cerralvo Island and cruise the Cerralvo channel at our pace, stoping to enjoy whatever nature offers up that day. With our personalized private trips, there's no tight agenda to stick to which means we go were the wind, (or the wildife!) takes us. You'll get several opportunities to snorkel and swim in the open water, or near the shore, and as much or as little time as you like to lounge and relax while we take our lunch on the island and learn about the natural and maritime history of the area. The beauty of this island, officially named Isla Jacques Cousteau, is the abundant marine life that can be seen throughout various times of the year. Come back time and time again for a distinctly different, yet equally alluring experience.
We'll check the weather forecast for you and advise you on your attire, but please bring the following:
Wildlife is awesomely unpredictable! We always go out with no expectation and are always grateful for any and every sighting and interaction we have. Generally speaking, we are more likely to encounter:
Have you ever slept under a Baja night sky? Woken up to the sunrise glowing on the Sea of Cortez? Baja Beluga offers a magical camping experience on Cerralvo Island the night before you embark on your Sea Safari. This adds an element of harmony to the experience and allows you to fully immerse yourself in the beauty and serenity of this mecca for marine wildlife.
The first afternoon and evening are spent swimming, relaxing, and swapping tales over dinner. After a quiet night listening to the sounds of nature, you'll start the day early for calmer seas, and better chances of viewing wildlife.
We'll check the weather forecast for you and advise you on your attire, but please bring the following:
Bahia de Loreto National Park boasts the most tranquil protected bay surrounded by 5 main islands that are a naturalists' paradise. Whale and bird watching is incredible in these waters, where you can watch Blue Whales as they pass through the Gulfo de California. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this national park has also earned a place on the IUCN Green List of protected areas for excellent management. Explore here with us and experience something truly magical off the shores of one of our "Pueblos Mágicos", the beautiful town of Loreto.
Single Day Option:
Overnight option:
We'll check the weather forecast for you and advise you on your attire, but please bring the following:
Baja is well known for the whales that spend so much time here, but each winter we are also blessed with the presence of whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) in several areas in the Sea of Cortez. One of these places happens to be La Paz, thanks to the warm water, currents, and surface winds that make plankton abundant in our bay during these months. These giant filter feeding fish, actively graze on plankton using mesh like gill rakers behind their gills while steadily swimming in the shallow waters of our whale shark refuge just minutes from the malecon. If you're extra lucky you might also catch a glimpse of giant mantas also feeding in the refuge. This experience is profound in the water with the sharks, but can also be enjoyed topside for those that aren't confident swimmers or have any disability.
Unlike our other experiences, we can't offer any flexibility with this one because it's strictly regulated, and we are very happy about that! La Paz's whale shark tourism has steadily evolved into a well governed operation that monitors the tour operators, captains, and paying customers. It's a an excellent example of responsible eco-tourim because the welfare of the whale sharks is prioritized. (see graphic below for guidelines)
These tours are roughly 3 hours and can start early in the morning depending which of 3 times slots our boat is assigned in the daily lottery. The earliest slot gets the extra hour because those boats have to find the sharks. This information is shared with the captains in the later time slots.
Each boat gets to spend roughly 50 minutes with one whale shark at a time and swimmers onboard are divided into groups of 5 that go in the water with our certified guide and the shark in turns for 5 minutes at a time. Cruising at roughly 3mph (5km) you'll manage to keep up with them with a bit of effort, but you might be grateful for your turn to watch from the boat while the other group is in the water. Less people on your boat means a lot more time in the water with the whale sharks.
We'll check the weather forecast for you and advise you on your attire, but please bring the following:
Let us take to you to the beach the way we do it. We'll handle everything, from getting you there, to setting up our spot, and food, drinks, and activities. So many of our guests are looking for a genuine way to enjoy more of what the locals appreciate and love about living in La Paz. With so many lesser known beaches to visit, what better way to get there and do it right than have us take you and bring everything you'll need. Spend either a half day or full day at one of our favorite beaches, completely catered to you.
They can spend as little or as much time with you as you like, and are happy to give
you your space or be in full marine biologist guide mode all day !
We'll check the weather forecast for you and advise you on your attire, but please bring the following:
San Juan de la Costa lies roughly 84km to the north of La Paz. Here you will come across stunning landscape with impressive rock formations and caves, meandering streams, beautiful beaches, and native flora and fauna. Explore the magnificent beauty of San Juan de la Costa by land and sea on a full day excursion that is entirely yours. We typically spend the morning searching for marine wildlife and taking in the scenic landscape from the sea to take advantage of the best conditions. After that we can enjoy our lunch on a beautiful beach, swim/snorkel, and relax as you wish, and then take in the unique landscape through nature walks and guided geology talks, or bird watching, or whatever your preference. A superb experience for naturalists and nature photographers.
Roundtrip transportation to/from La Paz
We'll check the weather forecast for you and advise you on your attire, but please bring the following:
All of our experiences are led by one or more of our qualified marine biologist guides who actively work in the field of marine science or conservation. We are all fluent in spanish and english, and competent and certified in CPR, first aid and rescue. We live for marine education and conservation and with a contagious energy you'll see us get as excited for each and every experience as you will.
Our captains are people we trust and people that share our values and act as stewards for the marine environment. The safety of our guests and wildlife is always a priority. All vessels and captains are permitted and licensed. Furthermore, our relationships with our captains builds on our network for responsible tourism. Learn more about how many of our captains assist MMWRC.org and work in eco-tourism as a seasonal or permanent shift from their fishing careers.
Baja Beluga proudly respects international guidelines and laws for interacting with marine wildlife and encourage others to do the same through sharing our understanding of the negative consequences invasive interactions and direct contact can have on wildlife behaviours, feeding strategies, social interactions, breeding, and health. It's our duty as stewards to do this respectfully as observers and educators and be grateful just to be in the vicinity of all of these magnificent animals.
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