The first day of our voyage began near Isla del Carmen, where the tall, columnar spout of a whale rose in the distance. We experienced fabulous views of a blue whale, and another, as the morning progressed. Later, dolphins, seabirds, and a humpback whale surrounded us in a wild feeding frenzy. In the afternoon, we landed on the Baja California Peninsula for hikes, snorkeling, and kayaking.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 11 Mar 2018
Loreto Bay National Marine Park and Puerto Gato, Baja California Peninsula, 3/11/2018, National Geographic Sea Bird
- Aboard the National Geographic Sea Bird
- Baja California
Gretchen Pederson, Naturalist
Gretchen became intrigued by plants, animals, and the out-of-doors at an early age while growing up in the San Francisco Bay area. Tolerant and encouraging parents permitted almost any pet imaginable, which provided excellent opportunities for her to...
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Baja California: Among the Great Whales
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3/21/2025
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National Geographic Venture
Canal de Cerralvo / La Paz
We awoke navigating on the Cerralvo Canal, between Cerralvo Island and the peninsula, searching for wildlife. We were not disappointed, as two different pods of common dolphins came to visit and bow ride with us for a long time. After lunch, we anchored at Pichilingue Port and disembarked the vessel to visit the capital city of Baja California Sur, La Paz, where we had the chance to interact with the locals in some of the most popular places, like La Fuente, a traditional ice cream parlor, and the Jardin Velasco in downtown. Then guests enjoyed a fiesta, dinner, and returned on board National Geographic Venture .
3/20/2025
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National Geographic Venture
Magdalena Bay
Today we woke with the shining stars and took Zodiacs ashore to meet our coaches for a trip to Chale, a small town on the shores of Magdalena Bay. The goal was to find some wintering gray whales, magnificent leviathans which frequent this coast to give birth before the long migration back to their Arctic feeding grounds. These whales did not disappoint! Spyhopping, breaching, and even a bit of tail flukes. As a result, there were lots of smiles and laughter all around! We returned to the town for lunch and then headed back out on the local boats for a second round. As we returned to the ship, the sun set over La Paz, with glassy waters of gold in the harbor, and pink clouds above. The constellations of Orion, Taurus, and the Pleiades shone over our Zodiacs on our way back to dinner aboard National Geographic Venture .