With its pristine coastlines and vivid sea life, Baja California offers spectacular untamed wilderness. Sail aboard our nimble fleet into the biodiverse waters of the Gulf of California, home to more than a third of the world’s marine life. Enjoy thrilling opportunities for up-close encounters with gray whales and their curious calves on panga excursions in birthing lagoons. Spend days discovering vibrant marine life as you snorkel among playful sea lions or watch a pod of dolphins zip by your Zodiac. Then head ashore to hike amid shifting sand dunes and fascinating flora, from lush mesquite trees to monumental cardón cacti. Discover this awe-inspiring region—blissfully remote yet close to home.
Gray whales have the longest migration of any mammal, traveling 6,000 miles to and from Baja California where we encounter them in their birthing lagoons on the outer coast.
Baja California Holiday: A Living Sea and Desert Isles
Duration
8 days
Dec
From
$7,056
Top Highlights
Spend your holiday season in search of large pods of dolphins, blue and humpback whales, and other marine mammals including sea lions and leaping mobula rays
Explore the sculpted desert shoreline by kayak, hike uninhabited beaches, and snorkel among fish and acrobatic sea lions
Take in the stunning hues of a Baja California sunset at a festive, holiday-themed beach barbecue
Experience pristine desert landscapes and abundant wildlife
Board local pangas to get up-close views of gray whale mothers and their growing calves as they prepare for their journey back to Arctic feeding grounds
Kayak clear blue waters to search for wildlife, including magnificent frigatebirds, and investigate the intricacies of the shoreline
Board local pangas to encounter California gray whales and their newborn calves up close in lagoons, and witness breaching humpbacks from the bow of our ship, or on Zodiac excursions
Hike desert islands and sculpted sand dunes, and look for a variety of wildlife
Snorkel with sea lions (conditions permitting) and search for superpods of dolphins amid the pristine coral reefs of Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park
Sail among pristine islands in search of rare endemic creatures. Encounter whales, possibly up close, for an experience that will never leave you. Snorkel with playful sea lions. Hike up arroyos blooming with life and discover medicinal plants. Get a slice of life in rural Baja towns. Kayak, hike, stand-up paddleboard, snorkel, and actively explore this incredible playground of wildness.
One of the most rewarding sights on an expedition is witnessing the gleam of discovery in a child’s eyes, whether they’re hiking desert islands or snorkeling with sea lions. Moments like these are abundant in Baja California—and they’re especially meaningful when complemented with the learning opportunities offered through our exclusive National Geographic Global Explorers Program for kids and teens 18 and under.
Henry David Thoreau called it the "tonic of wildness." It’s what Baja California, with its beauty and wildness intact, gives you—a spirit lift. To compound this healthful effect, add the luxury of comfort to the privilege of being here—with a quality of shipboard life and a philosophy of wellness designed to relax and rejuvenate body, mind, and spirit.
This Epic Baja Cruise Includes Ocean Kayaking, Beach Biking, and Whale Watching
Watching grey whales is an experience of a lifetime—and one of the best places to see them is off the coast of Baja California Sur. Read Travel + Leisure magazine's report from National Geographic Sea Bird in Baja California.
Exploring the Sea of Cortez by water alone would make for an incomplete trip. On land, an equally spectacular sort of enchantment awaits if one knows where to look.
The planet’s largest creatures, whales spend the better part of their lives deeply submersed in their private watery world. But in Baja California, it’s a different story. There, in the warm protected lagoons, gray whales are equally curious about us as we are of them.
Thrilling Encounters: Wild Life in the Sea of Cortez
Lindblad has been taking guests to Baja California, a UNESCO World Heritage Marine Site that Jacques Cousteau called “the world’s aquarium,” for 40 years. Naturalists have deep knowledge of wildlife habits and ship captains have the freedom to position vessels to maximize wildlife viewing.
As one whale spouts in the distance, another spyhops up to take a look around, and yet another might breathe right behind you. You are afraid to turn in another direction because you might miss something. It is immensely exciting because there is so much going on!
See, do, and learn more by going with engaging experts who have been exploring this region for decades. Go with an expedition leader, naturalists, and more.
Expedition Leader
Veteran expedition leaders are the orchestrators of your experience. Many have advanced degrees and have conducted research or taught for years. They have achieved expedition leader status because they possess the skills, the experience, and the depth of knowledge necessary to continually craft the best expedition possible for our guests.
Naturalist
Our naturalists, passionate about the geographies they explore (and return to regularly), illuminate each facet through their enthusiasm and knowledge. Our guests consistently cite the expertise and engaging company of our staff as key reasons to repeatedly travel with us.
Undersea Specialist
Undersea specialists are your eyes on the world that lies beneath the waves. Using an array of tools, including a high-definition camera, our Cousteau-like undersea specialist dives frequently during the voyage to show you strikingly clear images of the seldom-seen world beneath the ship.
Certified Photo Instructor
Every expedition aboard a ship in our National Geographic-flagged fleet offers an exclusive service—a Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic certified photo instructor. This naturalist is specially trained to offer assistance with camera settings, the basics of composition, and more tools and tips to help you become a better, more confident photographer.
The whale sightings were fantastic. Touching the gray whales was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Connie C.
Making a Difference
Lindblad Expeditions supports stewardship efforts in the places we explore, and one way we do that is through the Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic (LEX-NG) Fund. Traveler contributions to the LEX-NG Fund in Baja California currently support the Gulf of California Conservation Fund in its efforts to facilitate conservation and research projects across the region.
We started our day with a gorgeous sunrise at Bahia Almejas, the southernmost area of Bahia Magdalena Lagoon. On our way looking for gray whales, we sailed with local “pangueros” who are the permit holders for this activity. First, we visited Margarita Island where hundreds of birds nest in the mangroves. Once in the lagoon, we witnessed different whale behaviors, including swimming alongside our pangas, spy-hopping, and breaching. What a sight to see! After returning to National Geographic Venture , we repositioned to visit Sand Dollar Beach on Magdalena Island where we found lots of treasures on our walk towards the Pacific. From blooming shore plants to middens left behind by the original nations that inhabited the peninsula, there was plenty to observe. The perfect ending to this wonderful day was our delicious Mexican fiesta dinner aboard.
We spent the day enjoying a variety of activities in Puerto Magdalena on Magdalena Island. Some explored the seashore, and others made the hike across the island to spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean, observing the endemic cactus species along the way. Still others went for a bike ride on the other side of town. After our excursions, we all met at Chejo’s restaurant to enjoy drinks and snacks and a Q&A with Chejo, learning more about the lives of the locals. After a full day spent outdoors, we headed back to National Geographic Sea Bird for cocktail hour, and there was a spectacular sunset. We look forward to another day of fun tomorrow!
Early this morning we headed out for our first whale watching activity in the northernmost section of Magdalena Bay, near the town of Adolfo Lopez Mateos. To do this, coaches drove us over the Magdalena Plains, a huge flat desert area composed of alluvial, powder-like ground produced by erosion of the majestic volcanic mountain range on the eastern side of the peninsula, La Giganta. We also crossed the Santo Domingo agricultural area which is considered the green basket of the peninsula due to the existence of an enormous acquifer. Once in Lopez Mateos, our guests and staff boarded pangas (outboard, fiber-glass boats) toward Boca de la Soledad at the northern entrance of the bay. There we found our first gray whales playing with the tidal currents. There were several adult females and males and a mother and calf pair. Then we returned to the dock and had a delicious lunch of local style pescado zarandeado and other delicacies. In the afternoon, we enjoyed additional excursions and everybody observed a coyote feeding on an eel and other creatures in the mudflats. We continued our exploration at an oyster farm where our guests were delighted with fresh locally farmed oysters. We all returned to National Geographic Venture happy and joyful for our first encounters with gray whales!
The morning began with a warming sunrise sparkling across the glassy calm water of Bahia Almejas. After breakfast, there was much excitement in the air, as we had perfect conditions for another round of whale watching with the local pangueros. The first stop was at a sandbar filled with seabirds, mostly cormorants and California brown pelicans, with a few gulls in the mix too. It was quite spectacular listening to them take flight, as they ran across the water and flapped their wings to venture off in search of a fishy meal. Then as we rounded the sandbar, the heart-shaped mist from the exhalations of several gray whales could be seen ahead. The whale watching was fantastic; gray whales were spyhopping, fluking, blowing bubbles, and rolling. Some guests even experienced a whale swimming alongside — or right underneath — their panga. During the afternoon aboard National Geographic Venture , we cruised from Bahia Almejas into Bahia Magdalena to La Entrada, where the bay and the open Pacific Ocean meet. We looked for wildlife from the bow and the decks, finding quite a variety: gray and humpback whales, large schools of fish, sea lions, pelicans, gulls, and cormorants, just to name a few.
Our second day in Bahia Magdalena started right after breakfast, with a landing on the sand dunes on Isla Magdalena. Guests got the opportunity to explore this vast area with one of the naturalists on several different choices of hikes to Sand Dollar Beach, or on a birding walk along the inner shore to a mangrove area. After repositioning to Bahia Almejas after lunch, two rounds of whale watching were offered to the very south end of Bahia Magdalena for close encounters with the amazing gray whales that winter in this protected bay! It was a full and fabulous day in this very special place on the west coast of the Baja Peninsula!
Baja California is arguably the best place in the world to see whales in good conditions—humpback, gray, fin, blue, pilot—to name the most likely.