Baja Gray Whales and seafari
February - March
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Baja Gray Whales Expedition description
These lagoons have some of the largest aggregations of whales in the world! Some days we have over 100 sightings and each trip is always different, On some trips the mothers will show off their calves and bring them close to the boat for everyone to see, and on some, we see an excess of spy-hopping. On other trips. we get lucky and see the legendary Baja gray whale breaches… and the best thing is, that’s only half of the trip!
Think of a place so remote that there’s no mobile signal, now throw in some of the most biodiverse waters, with a mix of 8 of the 10 largest whales in the world, and a splash of Mexican culture and you arrive here in La Ventana, our quiet fishing village in the Sea of Cortez!
We have the chance of coming up close and personal with fin, humpback, and blue whales, with chances of seeing orcas, sperm Whales and more surprises that the Sea of Cortez throws at us! Of course, this is nature, so there are no guarantees, but that’s what makes these sea safari adventures so exciting, you never know what you will see!
Tour Information…
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Main species to see:
· Gray Whales
· Fin Whales
· Humpback Whales
· Blue Whales
· Dolphins
· Sea Lions.
Potential surprises:
· Orcas
· Whales - Sperm, False Killer
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Transfer from Tijuana to the Whale Locations and back.
All nights accommodation (double occupancy, single occupancy upgrades sometimes available)
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Boat tours and activities mentioned
Marine park entrance fees
Guide and Captains
Photos and videos
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Flights/transfers to meeting point in Tijuana
Extra food & drinks not mentioned in itinerary
Tips/gratuity - we are not fans of the forced tipping culture. So, if you feel inclined to leave a tip because you had an amazing time and you feel we did an exceptional job, the team would be delighted and grateful for your generosity :)
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Full snorkel gear - Snorkel, Mask, Fins, Weights and Weight Belt, Wetsuit (Recommended 5mm-7mm long - water temperatures averages range from 14°C/57°F to 19°C/66°F) We do not provide any diving equipment. In the remote village we visit there are NO rentals.
Warm clothing - it can get cold in the early morning and with the wind.
Waterproof clothing - if it’s windy the water can splash into the boat
Sunscreen/protection - it can also get really sunny and warm during the day - please bring biodegradable, as normal sun protection is damaging for the reefs.
Sea sickness pills - if you are prone to nausea - it can get quite wavey on the boat.
A good attitude, this is nature, there are no guarantees with what we can see, we will use our experience and expertise to put you in the best places possible for sightings but there is always a chance that you won’t see anything.
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$3500 USD per person
*minimum 4 people/Max 7 people: you have the option to cover the minimum cost of 4 if there are less than 4 people.
Want to join us?
Dates available 2024
Baja Gray Whale Season: End of January to the start of April. February and March are the best months.
Current available dates:
Feb 11 - 17: Spaces available
Feb 24 - March 2: Spaces available
March 3 - 10: Space available
Maximum group size of 7
Contact us to arrange custom Baja gray whale tour dates.
Itinerary
* Please note that the Baja gray whale itinerary may change slightly due to weather, current marine life sighting reports, and other factors out of our control.
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Day 1
· Meet and greet in Tijuana
· Ensenada for breakfast
· San Felipe for lunch
· Arrive in Guerrero Negro to check-in to hotel and go for dinner in the evening.Day 2
· Grey whales boat trip
· Afternoon activity or rest
· Sleep in Guerrero Negro
Day 3
· Grey whales boat trip
· Afternoon activity or rest
· Sleep in Guerrero Negro
Day 4
· Grey whales boat trip
· Drive to Bahia de Los Angeles
· Chill/Evening Activity
· Sleep in Bahia de Los Angeles
Day 5
· Boat in Bahia de Los Angeles
· Chill/Evening Activity
· Sleep in Bahia de Los Angeles
Day 6
· Boat in Bahia de Los Angeles
· Start Drive back to Tijuana
· Sleep at hotel midway through the drive
Day 7
· Cave paintings.
· Continue drive back to Tijuana
· Optional Kayak in river system.
· Arrive at meeting point/airport/boarder in Tijuana.
· Swap contact details, say good bye and arrange to see each other again in the future!
· Fly/travel back home!
*Examples of afternoon activities: presentations on animals, hike, salt flats, viewpoints, cultural learnings, local activities, photo/video workshops
Want to join us?
Our Migration
We start the trip at our meeting point in Tijuana, from here we've got quite the road trip ahead of us—roughly 10-12 hours of open highway. It'll be a full day's drive there and another back, but don't sweat it! We've planned some fun stops in between to break it up with cool places to visit: small family-owned restaurants, viewpoints, kayaking, and cave paintings.
Think about it this way: if those gentle giants can make a massive migration traveling up to 22,000km from the Arctic Circle to the warm lagoons of Mexico over 2-3 months just to say hello to us, then surely, we can make a mere 24-hour round-trip journey to wave back. Here's to our own little one-day migration adventure!
Social Responsibility and Conservation
When you think of sharks, we can bet that the first thought that comes to mind is the “Jaws” theme song, we view sharks as scary, blood hungry predators. However, in Baja, Mexico, where shark fishing has been legal and regulated since the 1970’s, coupled with a long history illegal fishing and poaching, the regional shark population has plummeted 90 percent due to overfishing.
The local shark fisherman - Tiburoneros - face intricate realities that include harsh conditions miles from the coast, on a small boat, where everything can go wrong, but for many of these fisherman there are no alternatives. They continue to fish in a risky industry and for low wages as it’s their only known source of income.
Baja Wild Encounters begs to raise some questions on the relationship between fishing and conservation. In our efforts to challenge the trend we seek to provide alternative economic benefits by hiring the local fisherman, their boats, and their knowledge of the waters at a guaranteed fair and above-market salary.
We pride ourselves in supporting the local communities and families while helping to conserve the nature around them.
Area Information
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Dec-Mar: 17-22°C / 63-72°F
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Averages:
Day: 24-26°C / 75-79°F
Night: 10-16°C / 50-61°F
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Baja has a sunny, dry climate and only sees about 25cm/10 inches of rain in an entire year. Most of this rain falls from late August through September. The rest of the year we barely see rain.
Wind Season: Mid November to Mid April - during this time often the mornings are calm and the wind tends to pick up around 11 - we can still get shelter from the wind in various areas of the bay, don’t worry :) If the wind reports show the wind to be too strong and not enjoyable we will have to reschedule the trip.
We do still have days and even weeks with low wind where the conditions are great!
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Flights are often Cheapest to fly internationally to Tijuana or San Diego, from San Diego you can cross the border by foot via the CBX border. We will arrange to pick up from a central location in Tijuana or Ensenada.
Anything Else?
Please note that it is prohibited to swim with the gray whales in the lagoon, this section of the tour will be from the boat only an not snorkeling. The Seafari in Bahia de Los Angeles is a snorkel tour, and we will be in the water!
Please feel free to bring your own camera, although we do our best to take the perfect photos and videos for you, it’s always fun to take your own. perspective.
Both Locations are very small and not well developed, please be aware that we will not be staying in luxurious accommodation, and it is possible things will go wrong, we want positive people that won’t be upset if somethings don’t go as planned.
Want to join us?
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
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There are a few options, here are our recommended ones:
1) From LA to Tijuana:
Fly to Los Angeles.
Travel to San Diego (taxi/train/drive)
Cross the border on foot to Tijuana (this is safe and we haven’t heard of any issues - best to do in the day time as easier to see everything)
Take a taxi/uber to the hotel.
2) From Mexico City or Guadalajara to Tijuana:
Fly to Mexico City or Guadalajara.
Take a flight to Tijuana.
Directly to San Diego with CBX Crossing:
3) Fly directly to San Diego.
Use the CBX crossing to walk over the border to Tijuana.
Note: CBX requires a flight into or out of either San Diego or Tijuana.
Recommendation:
Book a hotel the night before the road trip (departure at 6 am).
Hotel Astor in Tijuana is recommended (comfy and conveniently located).
If booking a different hotel, guests are requested to take a taxi/Uber to arrive at Hotel Astor at 6 am.
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No, it’s not permitted to swim with whales anywhere in mexico, so all whale activity will be from the boat, but they get up close and personal that from the boat is often better anyway!!
The 2 days of sea safari are snorkelling so we have the opportunity to swim with all marine life apart from the whales.
