Wilderness Travel 2018 Catalog of Adventures

MICHAEL NOLAN

CHAD CASE

CARL ALAN SMITH

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

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

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. 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.

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*** Mar 16-27*** Apr 6-17***

Jan 4-12*

Jan 12-23** Feb 2-13*** Feb 13-23***

Dec 18-26*

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

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FOR MORE DETAILS ON OUR LATIN AMERICA TRIPS, VISIT WWW.WILDERNESSTRAVEL.COM/TRIPS/LATIN-AMERICA