Mexico

Day 1: BoardSpirit of Adventure and sail

The day is at leisure in San Diego with boarding of Spirit of Adventure starting at 19:00.

There will be an introduction to the ship, crew, naturalists and a safety drill before the vessel sails at approximately 22:00. Eleven nights aboard Spirit of Adventure

Day 2: Mexican clearance and offshore wildlife viewing

The day will start with a brief stop in Ensenada, Mexico where we clear Immigration and Customs. We will then head offshore in search of cetaceans and seabirds and the possibilities could include both Long-beaked and Short-beaked Common Dolphin, with both ‘species’ seen in this area on our 2019 tour.

We may also find our first Grey Whales and there will undoubtedly be plenty of seabirds to enjoy with the possibilities including Black-vented Shearwater, Pink-footed Shearwater, Sooty Shearwater, Masked Booby, Royal Tern and Bonaparte’s Gull.

Day 3: Morning on San Benitos Island.Afternoon at sea

We will start the day exploring the San Benitos Islands which are an important location for Northern Elephant Seals. From December to March every year, all suitable beaches on West San Benitos Island are occupied by breeding seals, with the season initially starting with mothers nursing their pups.

California Sea Lions and the threatened Guadalupe Fur Seal are also often seen and there will be nature walks ashore which provide opportunities for close looks at hundreds of these fascinating animals.

This archipelago has been isolated from the mainland for tens of thousands of years and, as a result, has a number of endemic plants including San Benito Tarweed which grows profusely in many areas.

We are likely to land on the largest island, Benito del Oeste, and investigate its unique ecosystem, and for those who wish, there will be a walk to the island’s lighthouse.

The island is covered in seabird burrows with many of these being Cassin’s Auklets and both Scripp’s and Guadalupe Murrelets. We are unlikely to see these species ashore, however, as they only transit between the sea and their burrows after dark (to avoid predators), although we may witness the danger of doing this, as some birds occasionally crash into the large cacti and becoming impaled on the thorns. We will also hope to see the ‘San Benitos Sparrow” which is sometimes regarded as an endemic species rather than a subspecies of Savannah Sparrow.

There is likely to also be the option to explore the scenic coast using Spirit of Adventure’s skiffs which is an opportunity to photograph the sea lions which can be extremely curious.

We then plan to spend the afternoon at sea looking for cetaceans and seabirds with Blue Whale being one of the species we could see. Indeed on our 2019 voyage, Spirit of Adventure spent over an hour with one of these huge cetaceans.

This area can also be good for Cassin’s Auklet with over one hundred individuals seen during the afternoon on one of our recent tours along with other possibilities such as Black-footed Albatross.

Days 4-5: San Ignacio Lagoon

We will arrive at San Ignacio Lagoon where we have two days to enjoy the “friendly” Grey Whales. Spirit of Adventure will be anchored in the lagoon and there will be the opportunity to make several trips in local ‘pangas’ (small boats with experienced local drivers) to see the whales.

The females and calves will often come right up to us and nudge the side of the pangas and making eye contact with these 12m long cetaceans is an incredible and often very moving experience. There may well be opportunities to even gently scratch the whales’ heads, as they will often float alongside the boats almost demanding us to interact with them.

Day 6:Offshore from Magdalena Bay

We plan to spend the day at sea offshore from Magdalena Bay. This area is a prime location for cetaceans with chances for Blue, Fin, Bryde’s and Humpback Whales and a range of other cetaceans.

On occasions, the ‘Blues’ which are the biggest animal that has ever lived on our planet, can be extremely close to the vessel resulting in some simple stunning views. Indeed, a wide angle lens was needed in 2019 when a mother and calf swam right under the bow of the boat !!

We can expect to see other marine species with large pods of Long-beaked Common Dolphins a definite possibility along with turtles such as Loggerhead.

A variety of seabirds are also possible including Black Storm Petrel, Red-billed Tropicbird and both Royal and Elegant Terns, with a Nazca Booby seen on one of our recent visits.

Day 7:Entering the Sea of Cortez

We will round the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula, passing the small town of Cabo San Lucas and are likely to spend the afternoon exploring the Gorda Banks.

Once again, there are some great opportunities for whale watching with this area often being especially good for Humpback Whales which gather here. Our skilful skipper will aim to carefully approach them and we have previously enjoyed some exceptional views off the bow of our ship.

Later in the day, we may make a landing where options could include snorkelling or going on a bird walk. Fish which have been seen here previously include Angelfish, Rainbow Wrasse and Spotted Eagle Ray, whilst the birds could include Crested Caracara, Cactus Wren, Gila Woodpecker, California Gnatcatcher, Pyrrhuloxia and both Scott’s and Hooded Orioles.

Days 8-11: Exploring the Sea of Cortez

We have four days to explore the Sea of Cortez and the programme will deliberately be kept flexible to maximise on the overall experience. There is likely to be a mix of watching marine wildlife from Spirit of Adventure, going ashore for land-based exploration and birdwatching, and potentially further use of local pangas.

In recent years, the number of Whale Sharks which gather in the region has increased markedly as these huge fish are now protected and there can sometimes be as many as one hundred individuals which migrate here to feed on the rich plankton soup. If the ship’s team know that where these are present, there is likely to be an opportunity to swim with them which can be an extremely memorable experience. (Please note there may be an additional charge payable locally for pangas).

Previous trips have also enjoyed multiple encounters with Blue Whales and occasionally these have even been seen lunge feeding close to the boat. Fin Whale and Humpback are also possible and we can expect to see various dolphin species as well as the possibility of good numbers of rays.

There will also chances to go ashore and enjoy the extraordinary landscapes, plants (including some huge cacti) and birds and to snorkel with tropical reef fish.

Day 12: Disembark in Cabo San Lucas

Our expedition will end after breakfast in Cabo San Lucas from where it is a 45-minute ride to the airport to connect with international flights home.

THE SHIP

Spirit of Adventure is an 88-foot long, air-conditioned, U.S registered vessel which WildWings has used for many years for our trips to Baja California. Most of the cabins are twins (with two triple) cabins with some having upper and lower berths. These are small (consider them just for sleeping and changing in) with limited storage space, however, for viewing wildlife the boat is an amazing option.

There is a spacious salon for relaxing, socialising and eating, with four communal toilets and three hot freshwater showers (ie none of the cabins have private facilities).

Three sturdy long Mexican pangas operated by local fishermen are used for close encounters with the Grey Whales in San Ignacio Lagoon, with the Spirit of Adventure’s skiffs used at all other times.

CABIN OPTIONS AND PRICES

Twin Cabin (2024) - £4,895 per person

Single Cabin (2024) - £6,995 per person

Deposit: (2024) £1,250 (twin cabin per person); £1,750 (single cabin)

Please note that the dates and prices shown for 2025 are provisional as these can only be confirmed approximately one year in advance when the Mexican authorities begin issuing the permits for the various sites on our itinerary.