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north america: baja california

Baja: A Remarkable Journey

This special Baja photo expedition is one of our most exciting and comprehensive cruises to Baja and offers the unique opportunity to explore — and photograph — the gray whale lagoons along Baja’s Pacific Coast and the richness of the vast Sea of Cortez. Travel is aboard the 62-guest National Geographic Sea Bird expedition ship with National Geographic photographers on board to share tips and years of expertise.

Linger with the grays up close at water level from zodiacs, then with the luxury of a flexible itinerary island hop across the Sea of Cortez. During your Baja Mexico cruise you will discover that this region's wild shores and desert islands are a photographer’s paradise — a place where awesome wildlife and scenic landscapes meet. Photo leaders from National Geographic take an almost personal pride in introducing guests to its uninhabited islands, cactus forests, whales and dolphins, astonishing seabird colonies, expansive sand dunes and some of the world’s most memorable sunsets. Benefit from coaching in the field; back onboard, enjoy an array of presentations on Baja's natural history and on the creative and technical aspects of capturing its beauty with your camera.

Day 1 - Arrive in La Paz

Arrive in La Paz and transfer to the ship in San Carlos in the late afternoon.

Accommodations: Sea Bird
Included Meals: dinner

Day 2 - Bahia Magdalena

In kayaks and Zodiacs, explore the winding canals of the dense mangrove swamps of Bahia Magdalena. Bird watching here can be excellent — magnificent frigate birds, pelicans, cormorants, terns and great blue herons, ibis, whimbrels and willets are among the species we might see. It's not unusual to see forty species of birds in just one day along these fertile shorelines where they refuel for their destinations ahead.

Accommodations: Sea Bird
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Days 3-4 - Laguna San Ignacio

Laguna San Ignacio is a large bay and favored haunt of the gray whales in Baja. The ship will linger in this remote and important locale while you observe the mother and calf pairs — from the ship, and from water level in zodiacs. For some reason, the whales here seem to be friendlier than they are elsewhere. It’s not unusual for mothers and calves to approach the boats, the calves often playing hide and seek — even wanting to be petted and scratched.

Accommodations: Sea Bird
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 5 - At Sea

Traveling south along the Pacific coast of the peninsula, there is a chance of seeing a wide variety of marine life, including the largest animal on earth, the blue whale.

Accommodations: Sea Bird
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Days 6-14 - Islands of the Sea of Cortez

Cruise past the spectacular Friars Rocks at Land's End. For those who wish, a visit can be arranged to the historic town center of San Jose del Cabo.

Espiritu Santo. Los Islotes. Santa Catalina. Rasa. These are some of the melodious names of these islands scattered throughout this beautiful sea. After over 20 years of exploration here, we are still discovering new places and experiencing exciting events: one hundred bottlenose dolphins leaping over sperm whales near our ship; a pod of fin whales feeding around a convergence zone; thousands of Heermann’s gulls and royal terns arriving on the shores of Isla Rasa to begin incubating their eggs; the vision of hundreds of Humboldt squid illuminated in the ship’s bow lights. The best areas for whale watching remain consistent — the waters south of Isla Carmen, Canal de Ballenas up north, and near the mouth of Bahia Concepcion. Whether on the bridge of the ship, on zodiacs or kayaks, you will be in prime position to observe them all.

Accommodations: Sea Bird
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 15 - La Paz/Disembark/Return U.S.

After a visit of La Paz, enoy lunch. Transfer to the airport for your flight to the U.S.

Accommodations: n/a
Included Meals: breakfast



Itinerary Notes: Read this itinerary as a guide only; our exact route and program varies according to weather conditions - and the wildlife we encounter. Flexibility is the key to the success of this expedition.

Included: Accommodations aboard ship; meals as indicated; non-alcoholic beverages; excursions; services of Expedition Leader, Naturalist staff and expert guides; use of kayaks and snorkeling equipment; all port charges and service taxes.

Exclusions: Air transportation (sample airfare La Paz/Los Angeles, economy from $600); voyage DVD; personal items such as alcoholic beverages, emails, insurance, etc.; discretionary tips to ship’s crew.

Room Configurations: Arrangements can be made for roommate shares for solo travelers at the double occupancy rate in Category 2 only. You will be matched with a cabin mate(s) of the same gender. Even if a cabin mate is unable to be found for you, no single supplement will be charged.

Families & Children: Travelers aged 17 years old and under save $500. Specially skilled staff who are trained in organizing activities that inspire curiosity in young people of all ages. These staff members have gone through a course designed by travel experts with years of experience in childhood and environmental education. This course has also been created in conjunction with the National Geographic Education department and NG Kids Magazine.

For your party of 8 or more, you will each receive 5% off your expedition. A 10% deposit is due at time of reservation, and an additional 25% is required 120 days in advance.

Arrival & Departure: The Baja Remarkable Journey Cruise begins and ends in La Paz, Mexico. Embarkation and disembarkation time may vary as it is based upon arrival of group flights from Los Angeles, California. Contact AdventureSmith before scheduling flights.

Payment & Cancellation: In order to confirm this trip, a deposit of $600 is required at the time of booking. A Reservation Form, which includes a release of liability, must be completed and signed by all travelers. The balance of the trip price is due 90 days before the departure date. Guests who must cancel their trip for any reason must do so in writing. Cancellations are subject to the following fees, based on number of days prior to departure:
Up to 91 days - 50% of deposit
90 to 31 days - 50% of total trip cost
30 to 0 days - 100% of total trip cost

Terms & Conditions: This trip is subject to AdventureSmith Explorations Terms and Conditions. Please read this information carefully and call us if you have any questions. A packing list and extensive pre-departure and travel insurance information is sent upon confirmation.

Travel Insurance: We highly recommend our travelers protect their investment with travel insurance. Please note that you must purchase your travel insurance policy within 14 days of booking your trip for it to cover pre-existing medical conditions. Click the link below for a selection of policies from our partners at Travelex.



Qualifications: This trip will be enjoyed by anyone who is in good health and leads an active life. Daily excursions from the boat will be made in Zodiacs. Trip members will take excursions to specific areas for wildlife observation. Hiking time for most landings will be a couple of hours roundtrip with lots of time to stop to study, photograph and enjoy the flora and fauna. Some landings are dry but many are "wet," requiring cautious footing on slippery rocks. The boat staff will be on hand to assist.

Photo Expeditions: Every 2014 departure of Baja: A Remarkable Journey is a designated Photo Expedition. These special expeditions feature award-winning photographers that have graced National Geographic pages and are designed expressly to move at a photographer's pace so that you can take advantage of some of the most photogenic places on the planet. Join photographers Ralph Lee Hopkins on the Mar. 22, 2014 departure, or Jay Dickman on the Mar. 31, 2014 departure.

For additional information and reservations, please contact us:

800-728-2875 | 530-583-1775 | fax 530-583-1711 | travel@AdventureSmithExplorations.com