Whale watching and Wildlife Adventures in Mexico
Jacques Cousteau once called this area the ‘Galapagos of the North’ with its beautiful lagoons where whales breed in tranquillity, uninhabited islands inundated with seabirds, perfect white-sand beaches, lapped by turquoise waters and framed by beautiful sunsets. It is truly an exceptional place offering outstanding wildlife viewing with sea turtles, boobies, pelicans, frigate birds, blue whales, grey whales, orca, humpback, pilot and fin whales, whale sharks, dolphins, mantas and sealions. But what makes this place truly special are the up close encounters with whales.
Think Galapagos have organised a number of small group trips to Baja over the years together with our truly wonderful local partners who are true pioneers in ecotourism in Baja California Sur. Family owned and operated, they offer a very personalised approach, combined with strong conservation credentials, three spectacular properties and most important of all, a team of guides and local staff who are passionate about sharing the extraordinary wildlife, natural beauty and unique culture of Baja.
“The Sea of Cortez is a living miracle.”
Jacques Yves Cousteau
We’ve put together three suggested itineraries with our local partner. Please contact us if you would like more detail on them; we can share our insights on the possibilities based on our experience here and put you in touch with our local partner to organise the trip. These three trips are just to give you a taster of some of the possible ways you could explore Baja California Sur and the Sea of Cortez.
You might want to spend time in the company of sea lions and whale sharks in the Sea of Cortez, get up-close-and-personal with California Gray whales and their calves, night snorkel in bioluminescence, witness the migration of mobula rays, take a ride to the best surf spot or go hiking in the Sierra mountains.
Or perhaps you’d like to glamp under the milky way on a deserted island. You can combine this with days exploring the local towns and their culture. Contact us to find out more!
The waters surrounding Baja California are some of the richest on earth and play host to an incredible array of marine life. Famously called “the world’s aquarium” by marine explorer Jacques Cousteau, the Sea of Cortez is one of the most biologically diverse bodies of water on Earth, home to 39% of the world’s total number of marine mammal species, a third of the world’s marine cetacean species, and nearly 900 fish species.
Super-pods of more than 1,000 dolphins, schools of jumping mobula rays, and colonies of sea lions are commonly seen around the coastline.
Highlights of a Baja California Ocean Safari include:
Baja California is a Mexican state, formed of a narrow peninsula stretching 1,250km south from California, which separates the Pacific Ocean from the Sea of Cortez.
The second largest peninsula in the world, it is divided into two states, Baja California in the north and Baja California Sur in the south. Its width ranges from 40 km (25 miles) at its narrowest to 320 km (200 miles) at its widest point and has approximately 3,000 km of coastline.
Much of the peninsula is very dry and mountainous with a ridge of mountains running through its core boasting rugged canyons adorned with cacti, which spring into verdant life when the rain arrives. The mountains are the result of tectonic activity 5 million years ago, when the peninsula broke away from mainland Mexico. Its deserts are one of the driest places in the Northern Hemisphere – often experiencing little or no rainfall.
The contrast of desert landscape meeting tropical ocean is part of what makes this region so special, but what really sets Baja California is that it is one of the best places on the planet to get up close to whales as they congregate in the warm waters of the Sea of Cortez to breed.
The best time for Whale Watching is between January and mid-March and if your schedule allows, this is the time we would recommend for your visit.
However it is in many ways a year round destination apart from July and September (when hurricanes are possible), as you can enjoy Baja California’s beaches and outdoor activities pretty much year round.
Baja California Sur is where are local partners are based and this is the best place on the peninsula for watching wildlife. The weather in the desert lowlands, along the eastern coast, is hot and dry. Along the western coast the weather is milder.
In the mountains it is cooler and wetter. If the rain does arrive (usually between July and October), the desert revives in a sudden burst of green.
Although the spectacular wildlife watching and natural wilderness of Baja California Sur is always going to be the main draw for any of our guests, the history and culture of this region is also fascinating and adds an extra dimension to your travel here. From ancient civilisations with their rock art to the Colonial Missions, to the Spanish Conquest and modern development, its history spans millennia and offers a rich tapestry of fascinating stories.
Before we go on to detail a bit more about the history of the region, we had to mention the ‘Taco Crawl’ that you can do in Todos Santos, one of the main towns in Baja California Sur and where our local partners are located. This is a guided afternoon activity which offers not only the chance to taste some of the best tacos in town, but also to learn some of the fascinating history of Baja California Sur.
Baja California Sur has a wealth of rock art sites, both petrogpyphs and cave paintings depicting scenes of daily life, the wildlife and spiritual belieces of the regions pre-historic cultures which date back many thousands of years.
Before the Spanish arrived, the region was inhabited by a number of indigenous groups, the best known of which are the Pericúes and Guaycuras. The Pericúes, who were primarily located in the southern part of the Baja peninsula, were hunter-gatherers and known for their distinctive rock art and sea faring skills. The Guaycuras inhabited the central and northern areas.
In 1535 Hernan Cortez led a group of Spanish explorers who landed on the Baja Peninsula and began the conquest of the area. As part of these efforts Spanish missionaries established missions along the peninsula’s coat, aiming to convert the indigenous people to Christianity and establish settlements. This ‘mission’ period in Baja California Sur which spanned from the 17th to 19th centuries left enduring architectural and cultural legacies in the region most particularly the Mission at San Jose del Cabo and in Loreto.
During the colonial era, pirates seeking to plunder Spanish galleons laden with treasure frequently targeted Baja California Sur. The Gulf of California, with its secluded coves and strategic location became a battleground between the Spanish Naval Forces and notorious pirates like Frances Drake. The lasting legacy of this time are the construction of defensive forts along parts of the coast.
The history of the region then had more fascinating twists and turns with the region’s strategic importance in the Mexican-American war, as one of the boom places for pearl diving, the influence of Mexican revolutionary movements and finally by the development of tourism. In recent decades the area has become a focal point for environmental conservation efforts with a host of initiatives to protect marine reserves, preserve biodiversity and promote sustainable tourism. All of which brings us nicely onto our wonderful local partners here!
True pioneers in ecotourism in the region, our local partners are without doubt the leading eco-adventure company in Baja California Sur. Family-owned and operated since 2002 and run by husband and wife team Sergio and Bryan Jauregui, they have a very strong focus on personalised service and guest experience. They also have very strong conservation travel credentials and a dynamic team that loves sharing their passion for the phenomenal natural beauty, unique culture and extraordinary wildlife of Baja.
Their guides and instructors are all residents of Baja who have a deep knowledge and love for the area, and take great pride in sharing their knowledge and expertise.
All of their guides are certified Wilderness First Responders, have NOM-9 certification for naturalist guides from the local environmental protection agency, and are Leave No Trace certified by NOLS. In short, they share the same philosophy as Think Galapagos!
There are 7 national parks in Baja California. Ranging from pine-covered mountains to the remote Sea of Cortez islands and waters full of marine life, Baja California’s National Parks and Biosphere Reserves perfectly capture the diversity and natural beauty of the region. Highlights include:
Parque Nacional Zona Marina del Archipiélago de Espíritu Santo (Espiritu Santo National Park) – There are more than 900 islands and islets in this protected area of the Sea of Cortez in the Bay of La Paz in Baja California Sur. White sand beaches with shallow aquamarine water can be found along the bays of the islands as well as mangrove swamps and it’s one of the best marine life viewing destinations in the world. Whales, dolphins, whale sharks, sea turtles, manta rays and plenty of beautiful tropical fish call the surrounding waters home, while a huge range of bird species frequent the islands’ skies and shores.
Our local partners are one of the few people who are licensed to offer glamping in this national park at Camp Cecil, one of the Espirity Santo’s most beautiful beaches with comfortable tents (with real beds!) with an on site chef with wonderful food – and sundowner cocktails too! The days here can be spent kayaking, snorkelling, stand up paddleboarding, swimming with sea lions, birding, checking out cave art, exploring deserved beaches…. Or simply relaxing…. Sipping margaritas and gazing at the starts. It is a remarkable place!
Parque Nacional Bahía de Loreto (Loreto Bay National Park) – Loreto Bay National Park is located near the city of Loreto in Baja California Sur and comprises 5 uninhabited islands: Danzante, Carmen, Coronado, Montserrat, and Santa Catalina. A pristine marine ecosystem, it’s considered one of the best places to spot whales and one of the very few places in the world where the Blue Whales give birth close to the coast. The Whale Triangle is populated by Blue whales, Fin whales, Humpback whales, dolphins and sea lions. With some luck it is also possible to spot Orcas and Pilot whales in February and March.
Sierra La Laguna Biosphere Reserve – Once part of an island off the coast of Baja, the incredible diversity of plant and animal life of the Sierra La Laguna Reserve still reflects the island isolation the area once enjoyed – over 23% of plants and 10% of animals found in the Reserve are endemic to the area. This is a wonderful place to go hiking and be at one with nature.
We listen to you. We take the time to understand what you want your trip of a lifetime to be. We then we use our decades of experience and local partners to make it happen.
