Elevate Destinations

Experts in socially responsible luxury travel. We design travel experiences that support conservation and local communities without skimping on comfort.

Baja: Gray Whale Conservation and Research Trip

Mexico

Highlights:
  • Perfect winter trip for your wildlife enthusiast, budding marine biologist or aspiring researcher.
  • Travel to the lesser known and visited Almejas Bay, where you will have the chance to observe gray whales during their breeding and calving season!
  • Camp on a beautiful island where marine life and birds are abundant.
  • Accompany and assist researchers as they photograph and study migratory gray whale populations.
Day 1:

Arrive into Cabo, where you will be collected from the airport and transferred to La Paz. Once in La Paz, you will arrive at the lovely Cathedral Hotel, located in the very heart of the small city, near all the best restaurants and shops.

Overnight Cathedral Hotel

Day 2:

Have breakfast at your hotel, and then you start your adventure! You will be collected by van at 10:00 AM to start your two-hour drive to Puerto Chale. From here, board a skiff for the final 30-minute ride to camp on Cresciente Island. Arrive, join a brief camp intro, and then enjoy lunch.

In the afternoon, take some time to get set up at camp, and then head out for an evening walk along the tidal flats that contour the channel. Here you will see whales all around, breaching, breathing, and spy hopping. The tidal flats are always full of birds and interesting shells, rocks and other small creatures.

After your exploratory walk, arrive back at camp ready to sit down and enjoy happy hour with fresh margaritas (or soda) and guacamole with chips. Soon after, dinner is served with barbecued chicken, scalloped potatoes, and a fresh cabbage salad. If the weather and moon are just right, you can enjoy stargazing to appreciate the pristine night sky. Jupiter’s moons are usually visible through binoculars, and the stars can be amazing.

Days 3, 4, and 5:

Wake up early for the sunrise and coffee, then it’s free time until breakfast at 8:00 AM. Each day, you will spend a few hours out on the water watching and hopefully photographing gray whales.

Depart at 9:00 AM to start searching the bay for mother and calf pairs and breeding groups of whales. Then, head out to the channel to see large aggregations of animals. After a few hours, head back to camp for lunch and a rest during the heat of the day.

Depending on conditions, you might head out for another whale-watching session, or the team might participate in alternate activities such as exploring the mangroves behind camp for wildlife. Here there are often coyote tracks, nesting gray eagles, and hundreds of thousands of shore and sea birds. Nature is constantly putting on a show in this region!


After the evening walk, it’s often possible to catch a glimpse of dolphins frolicking in the waves!

Arrive back to camp for happy hour (ceviche!) and an early dinner. After dinner, hang out for a bit before heading to bed to get a good’s night rest.

Day 6:

Gather with everyone for coffee, and then get ready to pack your bags. After breakfast, head out for your final whale-watching session, followed by lunch at camp.

Depart camp, and arrive in La Paz in the early afternoon. Check back into the Cathedral Hotel, where you will enjoy a hot shower and a nice dinner.

Overnight Cathedral Hotel

Day 7:

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight home.

 

Interested in booking this itinerary or customizing a trip to Baja? Get in touch with a private travel designer!