Sea of Cortez & San Ignacio: The Ultimate Whale Encounter

Day 1 - Welcome to Baja!

Welcome to Baja! We are excited to have you join us. We encourage you to fly in early and enhance your vacation with additional adventures. There is so much to do from hotel stay to adventures out of La Paz, sea kayaking, scuba diving, complimentary whale watching, guided overlanding and sailing. SJD Los Cabos is the best gateway airport and it’s important to fly in at least one day early. Our concierges will be on standby to assist with transfers and hotel stay.

Day 2 - La Paz

Weather permitting, today is our opportunity to swim with whale sharks in the Mogote reserve close by La paz, as well as enjoying lunch and snorkelling with sea lions. Later in the afternoon, you will meet your expedition yacht at Isla Espiritu Santo, a beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Site and national park. Enjoy cocktail hour, a sunset cruise, and dinner onboard as we steam north toward Loreto National Park in our quest for mamma and baby blue whales.

Days 3-4 - At Sea in the Sea of Cortez

The exact itinerary will depend on the weather, but our primary objective is to take you out to observe mama and baby blue whales. They are in the area south of Loreto for several months every winter, and it is an awe-inspiring experience when these largest of all whales choose to approach our skiffs for an encounter. Keep an eye out for large pods of dolphins, finback whales, mobula rays, and whatever other whales might be in the area which might include orcas, sperm whales, false killer whales, and more. The Sea of Cortez is teeming with animals at this time of year, and our crew will be vigilant in maximizing your experience. As well as, beach excursions, hiking opportunities, kayaking, and generally having a really great time.

Day 5 - La Paz and Fly to Camp

Today starts with breakfast and disembarking your expedition yacht in La Paz. After disembarking, we will provide a transfer directly to the La Paz airport for a one-hour and 40-minute flight directly to the airstrip at San Ignacio Lagoon.

We will be landing on a 4,000-ft airstrip just 5 minutes from camp, where our happy, smiling staff will welcome you with trays of champagne. From there, transfer by suburban to camp for brunch, and briefing, and then head out for the first of your whale encounters.

After an exciting afternoon, unwind with a cocktail hour, watching the sunset around a campfire, dinner, and an evening presentation by your naturalist. A game of pool and specialty drinks in our bar tent is always a great way to finish the day before wandering back to your tent under the magnificent Mexican stars.

Days 6-7 - San Ignacio Gray Whales

All operators in the lagoon work together to maximize guest experience while ensuring no negative impact on the whales. For this reason, all whale encounters are in a small defined area of the lagoon with pangas taking turns entering the restricted area for a maximum of 90 minutes. The timing on this is worked out between the operators which means that we abide by scheduled departure times. For this reason, unfortunately, we can’t just send a panga out to go whale watching whenever our guests want.

Option 1: 7 am breakfast after watching the sunrise over the sierras and then head out at 7:45 am for several whale watching encounters.

Option 2: Sleep in and relax. Breakfast when you are ready. One more whale watching encounter at 2 pm.

After lunch, enjoy another whale watching encounter in the afternoon. Or as long as the weather cooperates, enjoy kayaking or paddleboarding the mangroves across the lagoon or a leisurely walk, mountain biking, hiking, and bird watching with one of our naturalists or just kicking back, and relaxing. Cocktail hour, sunset viewing, making new friends around one of our fire pits, pickle ball or a game of billiards and an evening presentation by a naturalist are all fine ways to finish off your day in camp.

Day 8 - Last Day

Early breakfast. One more whale watching encounter (always weather dependent) and then the beautiful flight back to SJD Los Cabos. Arriving 12:30 pm. If you are flying home this day, we recommend not booking a flight departure before 2:45 pm. Otherwise transfer back to SeeCreatures Cabo and more adventure!