July 26, 2006

Tahoe City, CA > Expedition cruise specialist AdventureSmith Explorations is offering free air between Los Angeles and La Paz with its "Among the Great Whales" cruises or up to 25% off select "Baja: Whales & Wildlife" cruises, both featuring Mexico's Baja Peninsula and Sea of Cortez.

Among the Great Whales
Witnessing gray whales in their natural habitat is one of the great delights of any winter visit to Mexico's Baja Peninsula. Aboard the 68-passenger Sea Bird or Sea Lion, guests are literally among the whales, enjoying three days in the heart of the gray whale's winter feeding grounds at Bahia Magdalena on the Pacific coast. While most cruises offer just a half-day of actual gray whale viewing time, guests of AdventureSmith Explorations enjoy three days to observe these gentle giants from the comfort of a small cruise ship or at water level from a private inflatable Zodiac for up-close encounters.

The remainder of the 8-day cruise is spent exploring the wildlife-rich waters of Mexico's Sea of Cortez, enjoying naturalist-guided walks on uninhabited desert islands like Espiritu Santo and Los Islotes, as well as swimming, snorkeling and kayaking among the crystal clear waters of this biosphere reserve.

"Among the Great Whales" cruises depart between January and March 2007, with prices starting at $3,990, per person, based on double occupancy. Complimentary air is included with these cruises between Los Angeles and La Paz aboard Aeromexico. Special cruise features include Zodiac landing craft, sea kayaks, snorkeling gear, wet suits, video microscope, hydrophone and "Splash-Cam." In addition, AdventureSmith Explorations offers group discounts as well as family-friendly pricing: For groups of eight or more, guests receive a 5% discount; kids under 21 traveling with an adult receive $500 off the double occupancy price.

Baja: Whales & Wildlife
Round trip from Cabo San Lucas, guests cruise in comfort aboard the 138-passenger Spirit of Yorktown, exploring the crystal clear waters and uninhabited islands of the Sea of Cortez in search of whales and wildlife. If the season is right, passengers will travel overland to the Pacific side of the Baja Peninsula to spend a day observing gray whales at Bahia Magdalena. Highlights of the 8-day cruise also include excursions to the tiny fishing village of Loreto and Baja's capital city La Paz, as well as island exploration, nature hikes, swimming and sea kayaking. One particularly thrilling experience is snorkeling with the ever-curious and very friendly sea lions at Los Islotes.

"Baja: Whales & Wildlife" cruises depart between December 2006 and March 2007, with prices starting at $2,299, per person, based on double occupancy. On select dates, guests may receive up to 25% off their cruise price including a holiday cruise departing December 23, 2006.

Both the "Among the Whales" and "Baja: Whales & Wildlife" itineraries are flexible to make the most of wildlife sightings. Gray whales, humpback whales and the largest mammal on Earth - the blue whale - along with dolphins, sea lions, birds such as blue-footed boobies and frigate birds, cardon cacti, mangroves and sand dunes, are among the wonders guests will experience on their cruise.

For reservations or more information, visit www.AdventureSmithExplorations.com, call 1-800-728-2875 or email travel@AdventureSmithExplorations.com.

AdventureSmith Explorations specializes in small ship cruise expeditions and wilderness tours. Company founder Todd Smith pioneered the concept of wilderness cruising - combining the comforts of a small cruise ship with the adventure of sea kayaking and exploring ashore in remote wilderness areas. Founded in 2002, AdventureSmith Explorations strives to create connections with the world's exotic natural environments and native cultures through travel, combining fun and exciting activities such as sea kayaking, hiking, small ship cruising and rafting in places not found on more conventional itineraries; extraordinary, off-the-beaten-path places in such destinations as Alaska, Costa Rica, Belize, Ecuador and the Galapagos, Guatemala, the Arctic, Antarctica and New Zealand.

Attention Media: For more information and downloadable, hi-res images, view the media resources in our Press Room at AdventureSmithExplorations.com.