Our day was full of adventure between whale watching, hiking, beachcombing and kayaking! Gray whales were bountiful in their breeding lagoon, Bahia Almejas. The gray whales were completely cooperative and put on a show: spy-hopping, lazily swimming to the surface and diving under the ship to a chorus of oohs and aahs from our guests. We also had our first introduction to the desert biome habitat of Isla Margarita. The drenching rain that plagued the Pacific Northwest made its way to this region, resulting in some beautiful flowers in bloom! We finished off the day with a beautiful sunset and a nearly full moon.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 16 Jan 2022
Baja California Sur - Bahia Almejas and Isla Margarita, 1/16/2022, National Geographic Venture
- Aboard the National Geographic Venture
- Baja California
Dana Filippini, Naturalist
Dana was born with a curious nature, which endures to this day. At a very young age she developed a love of wildlife and being outdoors. Although she loves all aspects of nature, it was seeing her first Humpback whale that was the impetus to pursue a...
Read MoreTaylor Butz, Expedition Leader
Born and raised on Vashon Island in Washington State, Taylor grew up exploring the forests behind his house and attending the island’s Pirate Camp during the summers. He considers himself lucky to have grown up in a place that allowed him to experien...
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Baja California: Among the Great Whales
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Today we woke with the shining stars and took Zodiacs ashore to meet our coaches for a trip to Chale, a small town on the shores of Magdalena Bay. The goal was to find some wintering gray whales, magnificent leviathans which frequent this coast to give birth before the long migration back to their Arctic feeding grounds. These whales did not disappoint! Spyhopping, breaching, and even a bit of tail flukes. As a result, there were lots of smiles and laughter all around! We returned to the town for lunch and then headed back out on the local boats for a second round. As we returned to the ship, the sun set over La Paz, with glassy waters of gold in the harbor, and pink clouds above. The constellations of Orion, Taurus, and the Pleiades shone over our Zodiacs on our way back to dinner aboard National Geographic Venture .