If David Attenborough’s latest Blue Planet series has inspired you to explore the world’s marine life, then Naturetrek’s trip to Mexico’s Baja California offers a chance to recreate this incredible experience in what is known as the Mexican Galapagos, one of the many dazzling destinations featured in the series. Led by expert naturalist guides, this cruise takes in the coast of the Baja Peninsula and the island-studded marine wilderness of the Sea of Cortez, which boasts one of the greatest diversities of marine life anywhere on Earth, including Grey Whales, Blue Whales, Humpback, Orcas, hugely varied birdlife and California Sea Lions.
Departing on 8 March 2018, this 14-day tour offers intrepid travellers, perhaps with last-minute holiday to utilise, the opportunity for an adventurous two-week trip. Bookable at short notice, travellers only require the ESTA visa waiver to enter the US (up to 72-hours pre-departure) and no unusual vaccinations (just one-off typhoid and hepatitis A jabs, which do not take long to organise or take effect) in order to travel to Baja California, where endless blue skies and warm weather will provide a welcome relief from the grey skies of Britain.
Paul Stanbury, Operations Manager for the region, says: “With a 100% success rate in finding the Blue Whale, coupled with the opportunity to tickle a Grey Whale’s baleen* and to cruise alongside ‘superpods’ of 1,000+ Common Dolphins, in Naturetrek’s view this trip really does offer the best whale and dolphin-watching experiences on the planet.”
Baja California and Sea of Cortez is a 14-day whale-watching and wildlife cruise holiday, including an 11-night cruise down the western coast of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula and round into the Sea of Cortez. Beginning with a night in the stunning border city of San Diego, the group (of up to 25 passengers) then boards the MV Searcher, a small, comfortable passenger vessel chartered exclusively for Naturetrek clients. Cruising south along the Pacific coastline of the Baja Peninsula, travellers will have the opportunity to observe the famous, friendly Grey Whale, which undertakes one of the longest migrations of any mammal, as well as many other magnificent cetaceans, sea mammals and fascinating birdlife including Red-Billed Tropicbird and Xantu’s Hummingbird. Rounding Baja’s southern cape, the vessel will enter the deep blue waters of the Sea of Cortez, where travellers will be able to witness more of the incredible cetaceans attracted to these rich feeding grounds, as well as snorkelling in search of turtles, rays and some of the other 650 species of fish for which the area is home.
Departing 8 March 2018, the price is from £5,895 pp (two sharing), including BA flights (Heathrow) to San Diego, all transfers, 13 nights’ accommodation (one in San Diego, 12 on board the MV Searcher), all meals (except in San Diego and lunch in Cabo San Lucas), all drinks on board, all excursions and fully-guided activities.
* Baleen is a tough, hair-like, material that hangs down from the upper jaw of baleen whales used to filter their food out of the seawater.
For more information or to book, call Naturetrek on 01962 733051 (www.naturetrek.co.uk)
