Isla San Jose, Baja California Sur, 2/18/2024, National Geographic Venture
Aboard the
National Geographic Venture
Baja California
Many guests hoped to see a blue whale on this voyage, and before breakfast on the first day we had five individuals we could see from the bow. One was close enough for the loud exhalation to cause the viewers to rush to the side of the ship, knowing what made that noise and excited to see this massive animal.
Our afternoon was spent at Isla San Jose’s beach snorkeling, kayaking, stand-up paddling, and hiking.
Family vacations to the Jersey shore engendered a deep love affair between the ocean and Kimberly Baldwin. But growing up in Pennsylvania proved challenging for a hopeful marine biologist. College afforded the opportunity to earn a B.S. in Marine Bio...
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Baja is known for its sunsets and sunrises. Sailing north in the Pacific Ocean, the sky lit orange and the clouds red, as dawn broke. Gulls passed by with a stiff north wind as whales spouted around us. At the entrance to Magdelena Bay, National Geographic Venture steamed on, marking a new leg to our expedition. In the afternoon, we explored Sand Dollar Beach. This is a favorite location of ours, and it’s easy to see why. Rolling sand dunes leading to the massive Pacific, mangroves teeming with bird life, and a gentle bay-side beach all shine beautifully in the afternoon light. With another day celebrated, we look forward to what tomorrow holds.
This morning, we awoke at Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park, a protected natural area established in 1995. Some guests hopped in pangas to snorkel the northernmost coral reef in the Americas, observing balloon fish, Moorish idols, damselfish, rays, and more! Others opted for a drier morning to search for whales. Cabo Pulmo is often a place where humpback whale moms birth their calves and a safe place to raise them in their early weeks of life. We were lucky to see mom and calf pairs breaching. However, the real surprise was the huge number of gray whales congregating off Cabo Pulmo. Many adult whales even approached the panga boats within arm’s reach! This was a record-breaking number for National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions, not only to see so many gray whales, but especially their friendliness. Even the local panga drivers were in shock at the numbers and behavior! National Geographic Venture was buzzing for the rest of the day after such a special and eventful morning.
Early morning greeted us with a stunning sunrise over the tip of the Espiritu Santo Archipelago where we snorkeled around the iconic sea lion colony. Not only that, but we got to experience the beauty of this destination both below and above the water. Playful sea lion pups got close as we swam around the rocks’ contours, while reef fish glistened below the surface. Above the water, blue-footed boobies could be spotted amidst the endemic yellow-footed gulls, turkey vultures, magnificent frigatebirds, and pelicans. On our way from the archipelago to La Paz, we spotted a juvenile humpback whale putting on a show for a small yacht in the bay. It breached several times as we navigated towards the docking port of this culturally rich city. We were greeted by our land staff who showed us the way into the theater to watch some traditional Mexican folk dances, listen to mariachi music, and experience firsthand some charreria mastery. Dinner followed in a beautiful restaurant in the center of the city.
