This morning we woke up anchored offshore of Isla Margarita in the southern region of Magdalena Bay; a remote area of ocean where we tend to see single adult gray whales coming to court and mate. After a beautiful sunrise, we went out with local guides who took us on two rounds of whale watching from their pangas, rugged and seaworthy fishing boats converted for whale watching. After many encounters with adult gray whales and dolphins, we headed back to the ship for an afternoon of margaritas and talks as we repositioned the ship northward for our full day of whale watching tomorrow.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 12 Mar 2020
Bahia Almejas , 3/12/2020, National Geographic Venture
- Aboard the National Geographic Venture
- Baja California
Katie Mills-Orcutt, Undersea Specialist
Katie Mo started her career as a naturalist on Catalina Island where she taught marine science outdoor education and SCUBA diving. Her passion for conservation biology then led her to pursue a Masters degree in marine science at Western Washington Un...
Read MoreMark Coger , Videographer
Growing up in a military family, Mark Coger has been traveling most of his life. While living in Japan, he developed his passion for videography. He began his venture in the field of video production by filming numerous events for a local high scho...
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Baja California: Among the Great Whales
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3/21/2025
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National Geographic Venture
Canal de Cerralvo / La Paz
We awoke navigating on the Cerralvo Canal, between Cerralvo Island and the peninsula, searching for wildlife. We were not disappointed, as two different pods of common dolphins came to visit and bow ride with us for a long time. After lunch, we anchored at Pichilingue Port and disembarked the vessel to visit the capital city of Baja California Sur, La Paz, where we had the chance to interact with the locals in some of the most popular places, like La Fuente, a traditional ice cream parlor, and the Jardin Velasco in downtown. Then guests enjoyed a fiesta, dinner, and returned on board National Geographic Venture .
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Magdalena Bay
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 .