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Spectacular desert landscapes, brilliant

turquoise seas, rich marine life, remote

islands—Baja is full of wonder, and on our

unique journey, we explore it by land and by

sea. With a classic 86-foot wooden ship as

our cozy base, we’ll sea kayak along pristine

white-sand beaches, snorkel with playful

sea lions, and track magnificent whales in

the “Blue Triangle,” home to wintering blue

whales. Two of our itineraries find us visiting

Baja’s ancient cave paintings and swimming

with immense whale sharks, while two other

itineraries explore the great whale-watching

lagoons of the Pacific Coast, where we come

eye to eye with the gray whales who migrate

here each year—an unforgettable experience!

(11-day La Paz to Loreto Gray Whale itinerary)

Days 1-3

La Paz / Bahia Magdalena

From

La Paz, we head to Bahia Magdalena, the famous

coastal lagoon where gray whales spend the winter

courting, birthing, and rearing their young in Baja’s

warm waters. From our beachside hotel, we set out

by panga (skiff) for up-close sightings of these

gentle giants. The whales often approach our pangas

and seek interaction with us—it’s an incredible

thrill to encounter them at such close range.

Days 4-5

Isla Espiritu Santo / Sea of Cortez

Boarding our historic wooden motor yacht,

we head out into the azure waters and reach

enchanting Isla Espiritu Santo, a protected

wilderness of deserted white-sand beaches and

secluded coves. Keeping an eye out for pods

of dolphins, we sea kayak amid the mangroves

and snorkel with playful sea lions near the

uninhabited islands that dot these pristine

waters. In the evenings, we’ll savor sea-to-table

cuisine and star-filled skies.

Days 6-11

Sea of Cortez / Blue Triangle

Cruising north, our days are filled with

snorkeling above rock reefs teeming with

fish, watching schools of mobula rays or

dolphins leaping above the water’s surface,

walking the ridge lines and palm-lined

arroyos of the desert landscape of isolated

islands, or paddling kayaks in quiet coves,

an ideal way to view wildlife. In the “Blue

Triangle,” we watch for breaching blue,

sperm, and humpback whales. Depart from

Loreto on Day 11.

Traveling by historic wooden vessel, we spend our days snorkeling, hiking, sea kayaking, and discovering Baja’s bounty.

MICHAEL NOLAN

Baja: Exploring the Sea of Cortez WHALES, SNORKELING, AND SEA KAYAKIN

G

FOR MORE DETAILS ON OUR LATIN AMERICA TRIPS, VISIT

WWW.WILDERNESSTRAVEL.COM/TRIPS/LATIN-AMERICA

CHAD CASE

CARL ALAN SMITH

HIGHLIGHTS

• Explore by classic wooden boat, with

delicious sea-to-table cuisine

• Sea kayak amid lagoons and remote bays,

enjoy the beaches of Isla Espiritu Santo

• Snorkel with sea lions, watch pods of

dolphins, hike island trails

• Special departures to the gray whale

lagoons for up-close whale encounters

DETAILS

• 9-, 11- or 12-day trip begins in La Paz and

ends in Loreto (or reverse, depending on

itinerary)

• 6 nights aboard a historic 86-foot boat,

3 nights hotels, 1 night camping (depending

on itinerary)

• All meals included

DATES

Dec 14-22, 2017*

Mar 6-16***

Jan 4-12*

Mar 16-27***

Jan 12-23**

Apr 6-17***

Feb 2-13***

Dec 18-26*

Feb 13-23***

Dec28,’18-Jan8,2019**

*

Whale Shark itinerary

**

Cave Paintings itinerary

***

Gray Whale itinerary

TRIP COST

FALL 2017 / SPRING 2018

From $5250, depending on itinerary

TRIP LEVEL

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Hiking, swimming, snorkeling, sea kayaking,

whale watching excursions by panga

ON OUR WEBSITE SNORKELING WITH THE HUMPBACKS OF THE SILVER BANK

A full week of encounters with humpback

whales in the waters off the Dominican Republic.

Mar 17-24, 2018; Mar 16-23, 2019. From $5095.