Whale Watching Holidays

Whale and Dolphin Watching Holiday

Baja California Sur – Mexico

February 1st – February 7th 2013

Tour Leader: Nic Slocum Ph.D.

Whale Watch West Cork, through their overseas group Whales World Wide, are running a whale and dolphin watching holiday toBaja CaliforniaSur,Mexico from Thursday, February 1st to Thursday February 7th 2013, to see the amazing Pacific Gray Whales and their calves. This is a fully guided whale watching expedition with marine zoologist Dr Nic Slocum.

The Baja peninsular inMexicois one of the finest destinations for whale watching in the world. The main highlight of this expedition is a visit toSan CarlosonMagdalenaBayand Adolfo Lopez Mateos on the Pacific side of the peninsular to see the birthing lagoons of the Pacific gray whale. Really close encounters with mothers and calves are a frequent occurrence and a superb opportunity for viewing  and photographing these unusual marine mammals. All boat based tours are accompanied by Nic Slocum but we also use a local boat handler with local knowledge and expertise and adhere very strictly to current safety and engagement protocols. The gray whale mothers and curious calves will sometimes approach so closely to the boat that you can literally touch them! It is sometimes hard to believe these are wild animals.

Our Destination

Our Mexican whale watching destination will be the lovely old town ofLoretoon The Sea of Cortez. Loreto was the first Spanish settlement onBaja CaliforniaSur.The Spanish influence is still clearly evident in the old town. The settlement was founded in 1697 and served as the state capital of Las Californias until 1777.  We will stay in the prestigious La Mision Hotel, widely considered to be the best hotel in Loreto, close to the historic district with fabulous views over the serene and calmSeaofCortez- dubbed by Jacques Cousteau “The Aquarium of the World” due to it’s rich marine wildlife diversity.

February can also furnish some superb sightings in theSeaofCortezof blue and fin whales along with different dolphin species sometimes including the elusive killer whale and pilot whale. This provides an utterly unique and rare opportunity to view the largest whales on earth…an opportunity that many people never have the chance to fulfil in their lives

The unique local desert landscapes in this part of the Baja peninsular and the islands in theBayofLoretoafford us good opportunities for the keen photographers amongst us. There is also an opportunity to get up into the mountains that form the backbone to this part of Baja California Sur, the Sierra de la Giganta, and look at the cave murals created by the early native inhabitants on this part of the north American continent and the old mission of San Javier.

Itinerary

Day 1. Thursday. The adventure begins. Flight toLos AngelesInternationalAirport arriving afternoon or early evening. Staying one night close to the airport in one of the excellent airport hotels – a chance to unwind, have a nice meal or simply catch up on some sleep. After a leisurely breakfast the following day (Friday) we will fly down toLoreto,Baja California Sur leaving at around 1pm. There is only the one flight a day to Loreto and it takes around two hours affording you the first glimpses of this amazing Mexican desert peninsular and coastline from the aircraft.

Day 2. Friday. We arrive in Loreto late afternoon and settle into our hotel, La Mision on the Loreto waterfront, close to the old historic district and overlooking theSea ofCortez. There are buildings in Loreto that date back to the 17th Century! Evening is free time to explore the area and get to know Loreto meeting at “La Palapa” for Margarita’s and to talk through the weeks itinerary and activity programme. The transfer to our hotel from the airport at Loreto is around 15-20 minutes.

Day 3. Saturday. We head off for a day tour to Puerto Adolfo Lopéz Mateos on the Pacific side of the Baja peninsular to see the Pacific gray whales and their two tonne calves! Although you can see the whales from the land here we hire a Panga (local boat) with a local boat handler and head out on the calm waters of the lagoon looking for these huge mammals. Prior to their arrival on the Pacific coast of Baja these whales have made one of the longest migrations in the animal kingdom travelling non stop from their northern feeding grounds in the Bering Sea all the way down to the bays and lagoons on the Pacific side of the Baja peninsular – a 12,000 mile round trip! The more inquisitive animals will approach the boat affording us excellent close viewings and sometimes the opportunity to physically touch the calves.

Day 4. Sunday. Today we do something entirely different. We head up into the mountains of the interior of the Baja peninsular, the Sierra de la Giganta, to visit the cave murals, the cuevas pintas, in the rock shelters and canyons of these impressively beautiful mountains. We will also stop at the old mission of San Francisco Javier De Vigge-Biundo (thankfully San Javier for short!), the second mission to be established on Baja in 1699 and one of the best preserved. It is still in use today. The mission nestles at the base of the mountains in an oasis of green palms and colourful flowering bougainvillea .

Day 5. Monday. We take a boat based whale and dolphin watching tour out of Puerto Escondido near Loreto looking for the great baleen whales – fins and blues – the largest mammals on earth. There is a good chance during February of catching up with the giant blue whales as they move in around the islands of the Loreto Marine Reserve. Several dolphin species frequent the area including bottlenose and common dolphins along with their larger cousins, pilot whales and killer whales. We have seen all these species in theSea ofCortez during February and March.

Day 6. Tuesday.  A tour toCoronadoIsland from Loreto, one of the prettiest islands in theBay ofLoreto national marine reserve. After a boat based tour looking for all types of marine wildlife, many unusual bird species like frigate birds, turkey buzzards,  osprey and the engaging blue footed booby in addition to the localCalifornia fur seals and usually dolphins; we will spend time exploring this fabulously beautiful volcanic island. The islands dotted around this part of theSea ofCortez are stunningly attractive with unspoiled, sun drenched white coral sand beaches and out of this world rock formations; and lovely desert scenery and plants with many unusual species of cactus and succulents adapted to the harsh, dry environment. One delight of this tour is to lie on your back on the white sand beach and watch the frigate birds and turkey buzzards cruise overhead. There are some lovely photography opportunities on this tour for the amateur and professional photographer alike.

Day 7. Wednesday. A day tour to Puerto San Carlos and theMagdalenaBay area on the Pacific side of Baja to see the Pacific gray whales again. Here there are more adult animals with a chance to see the magnificent leaps out of the water (breaches) that the young males do when they are getting a little frisky! After an early start we will spend the morning marvelling at the rich diversity of the wildlife ofMagdalenaBay, with gray whales,California fur seals (sealions) and many bird species such as brown pelicans and frigate birds. Following lunch we will return through the Sierra de la Giganta mountains to Loreto and a well earned aperitif before going out for that special last evening meal.

Day 8. Thursday. Free time in the morning for final sightseeing or shopping in the old Spanish district of Loreto prior to meeting for a light lunch and making the short transfer to Loreto airport for our early evening flight back to Los Angeles. Many customers decide to stay on over the weekend inLos Angeles to take in the sights and sounds of this vibrant city returning to a cold European winter on Sunday BUT with “once in a lifetime” memories of whales, warm sunshine on our backs and blue seas.

 

More general information about Loreto…

The immediate area around Loreto and the islands has nearly 250 km of coastline with  750 square km of sea around 14 islands. The Sierra de la Giganta mountain range is one of the tallest and most spectacular in Baja and overlooks the town ofLoretoand creates a breathtaking backdrop. The surrounding desert landscapes are rich in unique plant and animal life. The weather around Loreto is generally warm with more than 300 days of sunshine annually. The summer months can be hot but temperatures during February and March are warm and comfortable with an occasional cool wind.

For those interested in local history the mission museum in Loreto documents the last 1000 years of human habitation on Baja with many artefacts and detailed written history (in English) about the arrival of the Spanish that will absorb you for hours. In addition to whales and dolphins the marine life includes the Californiafur seal (sealions) and many unique bird species…it is a bird watchers paradise. The tranquillity of this part ofMexico is so unlike the mainland, away from the hustle and bustle of modern life and the local inhabitants are very friendly with an outstanding command of English and always ready to tell you about their special bit of paradise!

To Contact Us…

We have spaces on this popular whale watching destination for 2013. To register your interest or request a booking form or if you have any questions at all please email or phone Nic on:

Telephone Direct dial: 00 353 86 120 0027

Email: nic@whale.ie

Web: www.whalesworldwide.com

What IS included:

> Hotel accommodation in Los Angeles(one of the hotels located close to the airport) on the outward leg only. Food is not included.

> Return flight fromLos Angelesto Loreto and associated ground transportation.

> Hotel accommodation at La Mision, widely considered to be the best hotel in Loreto.

> All boat tours to the islands and whale watching and other activities.

> All transport where required including tours into the Sierra de la Giganta mountains to see the mission of San Javier and the cave murals of Santa Domingo.

> We include lunch on the days we are taking day tours. Saturday through Wednesday. Sometimes we take it with us when going out to the islands at other times we will stop at a local Palapa for lunch.

> We have a free booking service for any onward bookings you need.

What IS NOT included:

> Flight to and from Los Angeles. Fares are reasonable at this time of year though and we will help in researching the best airfares if required.

> We don’t include hotel accommodation on the return leg atLos Angelesairport as many customers take an extra day or two to exploreLos Angelesand this area ofCaliforniaas a holiday extension.

> We don’t include breakfasts or evening meals. We find most customers want the flexibility to be able to do their own thing.

> Personal items purchased while on holiday such as souvenirs and presents.

> Alcoholic beverages you might require at anytime.

> Any tours or vehicle hire you require outside the published itinerary. We can help with the arrangement of anything you might like to do.

Photography on the holiday…

Because Baja California Sur and theSeaofCortezis such a unique destination we run dedicated wildlife and landscape photography holidays in tandem with the primary whale watching holiday.These are led by specialist photography guides. This means we often have a dedicated photography expert available to give guidance and advice to any aspiring photographers who join the whale watching group.

Wildlife and Photography Guides…

The lead wildlife guide on this whale watching holiday will be:

Nic Slocum PhD, FRGS

Nic is an experienced naturalist and wildlife guide and is best known for his escorted tours taking enthusiasts out, both inIrelandand overseas, to view and photograph whales and dolphins. Nic has maintained a lifelong passion for the conservation of our wildlife and wild places and has appeared as an expert commentator on RTE, Channel 4 and ITV. A zoologist by training, Nic has published articles on conservation related issues in both regional and national newspapers. Nic Slocum is based inWest Cork,Irelandand is a director of Whale Watch West Cork which runs tours to watch whales and dolphins off the coast of southwestIreland. Nic has been watching whales and dolphins from boats for over 25 years in places as far apart asNew England,Argentina,MexicoandNew Zealandand is an established authority on the threats facing these remarkable animals. Nic is no stranger to adventure and leading groups to remote places on earth; in 1976 he led an expedition across theSaharadesert crossing by the central route and re-crossing via the Tanezrouft Reg which earned him Fellowship of the Royal Geographical Society.

Our lead wildlife photography guide is:

Sheena Jolley

Sheena Jolley is one ofIreland’s celebrated wildlife photographers, Sheena was born inWicklow,Ireland. Between 1999-2001 she studied Photography full time at North Oxfordshire College of Art thus combining her creative talents with her knowledge and love of nature. Sheena is dedicated to capturing award winning images of the indigenous wildlife ofIreland. Her work specialises in tight close-ups as well as a studies of animals in their environment. Purchased by collectors in both Europe andAmerica her work has featured many times in a number of national publications such as The Irish Wildlife Trust magazine, broadsheets such as the Irish Examiner and the Irish Times and on regional TV. Recently one of her photographs, a stunning image of a Rock Pipit feeding on sand flies along the tide line of Inishmore, reached the finals of the prestigious Veolia Environment Wildlife photographer of the year Competition

Our lead landscape photography guide is:

Chris O’Dell BSC

Chris is a photographer and cinematographer, a graduate of the London International Film School. Initially trained as a stills photographer, he travelled widely in the 70s and 80s filming documentaries of every kind, including the world famous “Cosmos” with Carl Sagan, and “The Heart of the Dragon”, the story of China, for Channel 4. Chris was cameraman on two major wildlife series for Channel 4 with naturalists Gerald and Lee Durrell, “Ourselves and other Animals” and “The Amateur Naturalist”. As a qualified diver, he spent a lot of time filming underwater for the BBC and other clients. He ran a successful production company making arts and music programmes for the BBC. Since 1990 Chris has been the director of photography on many very successful TV drama series including Agatha Christie’s Poirot, Sharpe, Hornblower, Inspector Morse, the Morse sequel Lewis, and many single dramas. Chris lives and works in West Cork, Ireland and photographs the wonderful changing light on the landscape of West Cork for which he employs Nikon, Apple, Photoshop, and Epson equipment. Chris O’Dell was chairman of the 2009 Corona Fastnet Short Film Festival.

Flights…

We choose to stay in Loreto as this is an excellent destination from where we can reach the Gray Whales on the Pacific side of Baja and also get out onto The Sea of Cortez for the Blue and Fin Whales. It also gives us stunning opportunities to get up into the mountains of the Sierra de la Giganta. Flights to Loreto only operate four days a week and the plane is a relatively small Turbo Prop Bombardier with limited seating so we have to book well in advance for groups to ensure we can get reservations to Loreto. There are other flights toLa Pazand Los Cabos on Baja but routing through these airports requires land transportation to get back to Loreto which uses up time. This is why we start marketing these holidays very early. We also take the deposits early and final payments early as we have to pay for hotels and flights at the time of booking. Thank you for your understanding.

Booking…

If you would like to book place/s on this holiday please request a booking form. A deposit of €600 (euro) per person will secure your place. In order to secure the flights from LA to Loreto we look for the balance of payment no later than the end of June 2013. To make life as easy as possible we are able to take payments in € (euro) or £ pounds sterling equivalent. We can take credit cards, bank transfers, cheques…whichever is most convenient for you.