Hotel Based Welcome Letter
HOTEL BASED WHALES, WILDLIFE AND CULTURE OF BAJA
A Whale of an Adventure~ February 8th-15th, 2024
A close encounter in Puerto Chale, February 2023
Welcome to Our Adventure in Baja!
I am pleased to welcome you to a fantastic adventure exploring the wonders and wildlife of the Baja Peninsula Sur, from Desert to Sea!
In the early dawn of Blue Water Ventures, I led several trips through the rugged peninsula of Baja. One of the most profound experiences of my life occurred while eye to eye with a California Gray Whale in a remote breeding lagoon of Baja. I am very excited to share such experiences with you as we explore Baja’s rich and varied wildlife together.
The Itinerary will provide a detailed account of our travels. Over the years, our clients have expressed an interest in experiencing the whales and wildlife of Baja, but not camping or even “glamping”. To accommodate this request, we have created a hotel based adventure in Baja.
For centuries, California Gray Whales have traveled 10,000 miles round trip between their summer feeding grounds in Alaska and their winter breeding/calving grounds in the Pacific lagoons of Baja. Traveling in small skiffs into the lagoon of Lopez Mateos, we will wait for the whales to approach us. We are also extremely excited to offer another whale watching session in a relatively new lagoon destination, Puerto Chale. Both the scenery and over all whale experience are unique to each site and we are excited to offer both lagoon destinations during our new program. For two nights we will be based at a hotel in Ciudad Constitucion, conveniently located between both whale lagoons.
We will spend five nights in the quaint coastal town of Loreto north of La Paz on a beautiful stretch of the Sea of Cortez. We will enjoy the comforts, views and cuisine provided by Hotel Oasis, a lovely beachfront hotel in Loreto.
Our hope is to spend two full days exploring Loreto National Marine Park in this ruggedly beautiful region of Baja. In February, our chances are excellent to view a variety of whale species. Blue, Humpback and Fin whales are listed as frequent visitors to this biologically rich marine region of Baja. Traveling by small ponga boats, we will look for the largest species on earth to ever live. Most years in Loreto, we have had extremely close encounters with all three large baleen whales and several species of dolphins. The sea conditions can be ideal. A third day will be spent on a spectacular land tour to San Javier Mission learning about the indigenous people of the Sierra de la Giganta mountains as well as the history of the missions. In Loreto, whale watching is weather and sea conditions permitting. Alternative land activities exploring the local cultural history are provided in the event that weather cancels a whale watching session. From land to sea, Loreto offers such diverse cultural and natural history opportunities.
Our group is limited to 16 people so please reserve your spot by contacting Kim Powell by email at bluewaterventuressc@gmail.com then send a $200 deposit to: Blue Water Ventures, 127 Mason Street, Santa Cruz, CA. 95060. You may also make a bank transfer via Zelle or by credit card on Pay Pal. For instructions, please visit our Payment Center.
Please note that boat rides may be bumpy and jarring with the prevailing winds across the Baja Peninsula. Please review Medical Requirements and other important trip details at: More Info Page. before you decide to join our adventure.
COVID-19 UPDATE: Due to the nature of this program traveling in vans and boats together and sharing accommodations, we will require everyone to submit proof of the COVID-19 vaccination. We encourage eligible travelers to be fully vaccinated by getting their Covid-19 Booster Shot. For more information on COVID, please visit our More Info Page.
Our Baja program takes us into a remote area of the world where a medical evacuation could be extremely costly. All costs for evacuations and/or medical treatments are the responsibility of each participant, a cost that travel protection should cover. Please review our cancellation policy and travel insurance options at: Travel Protection. Be sure to travel with a credit card in the event that payments are required for an evacuation or medical treatment. We strongly recommend trip insurance for the full value of the trip which is an affordable way to protect your investment.
Payment schedule, cancellation policy and trip insurance may be reviewed at Deposits.
Before sending a deposit or making airline reservations, please email your interest and check trip status.
TRIP DATES: February 8th-15th, 2024
Trip Cost for a Fully Hotel Based Program:
9-11 guest $3195 and 12-16 guest:$2975
(based on interest, we expect this program to sell out)
The price does not include airfare, travel insurance, phone calls, unscheduled boat excursions, activities not described in the itinerary, personal liquor, gratuity for your Blue Water Ventures assistant guide or airport departure taxes.
In previous Baja programs, we have suggested a per person gratuity that was shared among our Mexican guides and boat captains. However, in 2024 the tip has been factored into the total trip cost listed above.
FLIGHT INFORMATION can be reviewed here: Getting to Baja
A complete package of information, most of which can be found on the website, will be sent to you before our trip departure. Please give me a call or send me an email if I can be of any other assistance.
May the Whales and Wild-Life be with us!
Blue Water Ventures
Naturalist-led field trips and adventures. We specialize in sea kayaking field trips for schools and adventures for women in the Monterey Bay, Baja, Belize, Tonga and beyond.
