Baja is a rare land. A peninsula and desert isles, many of them unmarred by infrastructure. Where forests of giant cacti line hillsides. And rare endemic animals thrive. The sea is alive. It roils with gigantic pods of dolphins and is home to vast varieties of whales and marine mammals. We’ve been sailing these waters for decades. Mapping out the places where whales return each season to rear their young. Finding the undersea shelves where whales feed year after year. The places where playful sea lions leap off the rocks to swim with snorkelers.
Baja California
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Length
8 days
From
AU$8,000
Prices are per person
Baja California
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Baja California
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Length
15 days
From
AU$14,850
Prices are per person
Baja California
Special Offers
Baja California
Special Offers
Length
8 days
From
AU$8,530
Prices are per person
Baja California
Special Offers
Baja California
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Length
12 days
From
AU$9,920
Prices are per person
Baja California
Special Offers
Sail among pristine islands in search of rare endemic creatures. Encounter whales, possibly up close, for an experience that will never leave you. Snorkel with playful sea lions. Hike up arroyos blooming with life and discover medicinal plants. Get a slice of life in rural Baja towns. Kayak, hike, stand-up paddleboard, snorkel, and actively explore this incredible playground of wildness.
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The whale sightings were fantastic. Touching the gray whales, a once in a lifetime experience.
Connie C.
Henry David Thoreau called it the "tonic of wildness." It’s what Baja California, with its beauty and wildness intact, gives you—a spirit lift. To compound this healthful effect, add the luxury of comfort to the privilege of being here—with a quality of shipboard life and a philosophy of wellness designed to relax and rejuvenate body, mind, and spirit.
Lindblad Expeditions supports stewardship efforts in the places we explore, and one way we do that is through the Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic (LEX-NG) Fund. Traveler contributions to the LEX-NG Fund in Baja California currently support the Gulf of California Conservation Fund in its efforts to facilitate conservation and research projects across the region.
Apr 19
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National Geographic Venture
The architypical experience of Espiritu Santo National Park, and perhaps all of the Sea of Cortez, is to get in the water and snorkel with the charming and graceful California sea lions. It was for just this purpose that National Geographic Venture arrived at Los Islotes this morning. Lindblad and National Geographic have a vested and historical interest in the conservation of Los Islotes and indeed all of Espiritu Santo National Park. The area was purchased by the Nature Conservancy with funding from our joint partnership and donated back to Mexico as a national park. Our final afternoon came to a dramatic finish when we found a mother and calf whale making short dives and at least one blue whale! The largest animal on earth and an epic finale to one of our most eventful days yet!
Apr 19
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National Geographic Venture
The moon’s fullness peaked just after 5 this morning, casting its rays upon the early risers of National Geographic Venture . Guests of all ages gathered in the pre-dawn light to witness “la luna” slip behind the western Baja terrain. What a beautiful way to start our day! Puerto Gato is one of few anchorages here in this part of the Baja Peninsula that offers protection from strong winds out from the northwest. These “norte ñ os” can blow for several days and can make for vigorous sailing conditions. Spending the day in a lee away from these winds afforded several hours of quality excursion! Some folks kayaked, others got to the paddleboards, while more still went on natural history and photography walks. Separately, a number of guests chose to swim in the warm salt water and trail along the sandy beach. Some guests even went looking for dolphins and whales aboard our Zodiacs! After such a day what better a way to top it all off than to have our hospitality crew bring the galley to us that evening! Our scrumptious beach BBQ, prepared by our amazing galley staff, topped off with roasted marshmallows and great stories around the campfire. As the stars twinkled overhead, the full moon again rose in the east, we were once again bathed in the magic moonbeams of Baja California!
Apr 19
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National Geographic Venture
Sunrise found us transiting across the northern boundary of the Loreto Bay National Park. Established in 1995 by the government of Mexico, the park protects five of the most precious islands occupying the Sea of Cortez: Monserrate, Danzante, Santa Catalina, Coronados, and Carmen. The waters around them are also part of these parks, and we spent the morning sailing through a good portion of the area. Once inside, we had the pleasure to witness not just the sunrise over the ocean but one that showed the elusive and ever-mythic green flash! Created by the refraction of the sun’s light over a very clean atmosphere, the green flash this morning made a few new converts among those witnessing. Shortly after, we had several small groups of bottlenose dolphins come to greet us and spend some time swimming nearby, jumping and bow riding the pressure wave created by National Geographic Venture . We sailed off the north and eastern sides of Carmen Island—the park’s largest—and learned about the important role it played in the colonization of the entire peninsula of Baja California. Starting in the early 1700’s, the Jesuit missionaries exploited the natural salt deposit located in Salinas Bay on the northeastern part of the island and traded the resource to those in the mainland to help fund many of the missions throughout the region. National Geographic Venture entered the protected harbor of Puerto Escondido and we boarded several vehicles that transported us to the town of Loreto. There we enjoyed a very nice time exploring the charming quiet town that used the be the first capital of that huge territory that once spanned from San Francisco to Cabo San Lucas known as California. We visited the gorgeous mission there, one which is still active. Afterward we attended the local museum, ate ice cream and popsicles, and had a wonderful time drinking margaritas, beer, and wine at a local hotel. What a great way to finish another beautiful day exploring Baja California and the Sea of Cortez!
Apr 19
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National Geographic Venture
The climate in the Gulf of California is unpredictable during the winter-spring transition, since it sits at the confluence of three different wind systems between the west, north, and south. Today, the wind began from the north and made National Geographic Venture locate to one of the most idyllic bays in this sea: Bahia Concepcion – south of the copper mining town of Santa Rosalia and north of the historic California capital of Loreto. The historical flavor of the early exploration and colonization of this peninsula, respectively, by Spanish Conquistadores and Jesuit missionaries blew through the winds and across the landscape. Taking the opportunity given in the bay’s clement waters, our guests and naturalists explored the area’s underwater expanse over snorkeling and cruising by boat around Coyote Island. The spotting of several osprey nests found off the island’s magnificent cliffs was the uncontested highlight of the day. From the boat, we counted ten individuals shared between breeding pairs and their chicks—a very healthy population! The parents were busy acquiring fish for the chicks, which never stop crying and demanding nourishment. The nests were very close to one another; so much so that it was difficult to determine which pair’s nest was whose. Wandering tattlers and frigates, pelicans, cormorants, and yellow-footed gulls were present, all immersed in their own affairs for the day. The vegetation of the island was no less interesting, having consisted heavily of organ pipe, galloping, and cardon cacti. The high cliffs demarcating the island were just gorgeous, seemingly immense against the set sky, fragmented and vivifying, all adorned in blooming and fruited cardon cacti. At night, everybody went aboard the ship, taking in the night hours over cocktails, stories, and an exceptional dinner.
Apr 19
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National Geographic Venture
A leisurely morning aboard National Geographic Venture allowed guests to enjoy this pleasant day out on the decks as well as presentations about the distinct geography and wildlife that makes Baja California such a beloved destination for those visiting. Our afternoon itinerary put us on a beach at the east side of Isla San Marcos. Conditions were superb—vivid blue skies under an open sun—and we had opportunities to hike in an arroyo and explore the coast by kayak, stand-up paddleboard, and Zodiac. Highlights on land included cardón and senita cacti, zebra-tailed lizards, and a rattlesnake! On the Zodiac tour, some of the guests had an amazing encounter with bottlenose dolphins.
“Baja California is arguably the best place in the world to see whales in good conditions—humpback, gray, fin, blue, pilot, to name the most likely.”
Sven-Olof Lindblad
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