Baja California & Sea of Cortez Traveller Reviews

11 days on the MV Searcher from San Diego provided us with some truly magical experiences. The main highlight (one of many!) was the interaction with the grey whales in the San Ignacio lagoon - long may it be protected. The crew of the Searcher were excellent and the holiday, though expensive, provided good value for money.

Wildlife specialist in remote areas. The tour leaders they hired for us were friendly, helpful and very knowledgeable. The organization and logistics were flawless.

On this trip, I was able to see all of my target whales and birds. The highlights included seeing a blue whale, our largest living animal, for the first time ever and at very close range. We also saw five other live whale species - fin, humpback, Byrde's, minke and grey - and one dead sperm whale. We watched several of these whales fluking, spy-hopping and breaching, and even kissed a number of grey whales! About 250 common dolphins gave us an amazing display one afternoon, breaching in twos and threes and fives before swimming alongside us for almost three-quarters of an hour. Some of us swam with a whale shark, the world's largest fish, on a beautifully tranquil morning in La Paz Bay; others gazed in awe at it from the safety of a skiff, as it fed with its enormous mouth wide open. Among the stunning birds we saw were a red-billed tropic bird, black-footed albatross, scores of black storm-petrels, one or two least storm-petrels, several nesting ospreys, immaculate egrets, lovely herons, many species of terns, gulls, orioles, flycatchers and woodpeckers, as well as the endemic Baja California grey thrasher. We visited several tiny, desert islands adorned with huge cacti and bursting with birdsong. We also witnessed some spectacular sunrises, moonrises and sunsets, and were completely enthralled one night when the captain switched off all the boat's lights for us to stargaze in near perfect conditions. A fantastic holiday!

Very helpful staff. The itinerary was very well-planned. There was plenty to see and do throughout the trip and everyone's interests were catered for. Lee Morgan, our group leader, was quite exceptional, having excellent people skills and an immense knowledge of sea mammals, birds, reptiles and plants. One of the very best wildlife group leaders I have met in my 30 years of travel experience. The captain and crew members were very accommodating, extremely skillful, and great fun to be with. The chef gave us healthy, varied and tasty meals, and he went out of his way to cater for our individual dietary needs. They all made it a truly memorable trip for me.

This was a boat trip from San Diego down Baja California and in to the Sea of Cortez. There was plenty of cetaceans and other marine animals to see plus lots of birds. Highlight was touching Grey whale calves in the San Ignacio lagoon.

Everything was well managed, from the booking down to the naturalists on board the boat.

In Baja California and the sea of Cortez we saw a huge variety of whales and other cetaceans and had the chance to stroke/pet grey whales and their calves in the San Ignacio Lagoon which was delightful and very moving, the chance to swim with a whale shark - beautiful and very exciting. Not just cetaceans but elephant seals, sea lions, turtles, rays, sea birds, a great variety of fish and on the desert walks, there were lots of birds and interesting cacti and other plants. It was an amazing experience and we still find it hard to believe all we saw!

The staff on the boat chartered by Naturetrek couldn't have been more friendly and helpful and the captain's skill in navigating our boat so close to the sea creatures we were watching made our experience very rewarding and enjoyable. The Naturetrek naturalist with us on the boat was endlessly patient with our questions, extremely knowledgeable, friendly and great fun. The same was true of the naturalist employed by the owners of the boat so we had 2 experts at the disposal of only 25 passengers.

Being on a boat, traveling around the Baja Peninsula looking at whales close up and personal is a tour that would be hard to beat. I've been many places and have had many grand experiences and there are many places left in the world to explore. That said, I may just have to fit this trip in again.

Everything ran incredibly smoothly.

We travelled for 12 days along the Pacific coast of Mexico for whale watching. I lost count of how many whales we saw! They included humpbacks, blue, grey, fin and pilot whales as well as hundreds of dolphins, sea lions, turtles, rays and a whale shark. The crew and naturalists on board were superb and took us close enough to stroke the grey whales which was just amazing. We walked on deserted islands, swam with the sea lions and snorkelled in crystal clear waters. It was the most awesome experience and one I would recommend to anyone with an interest in marine wildlife.

The web site was good and the staff very helpful when on the phone. The information provided pre tour was detailed and extensive so that we knew exactly what to take and what to expect on arrival. The tour guide, Lee, was always on hand with information and advice when needed and very reassuring when things went awry. (The ESTA computer link when down when we were trying to go through passport control in San Diego.)

Great attention to detail, excellent guides. Extremely well organised. All eating venues had been checked for health and cleanliness and we did not get sick. It was even safe to eat salads. Knowledge of local guides very impressive.

Naturetrek have clearly been in the business of organising specialised trips for many years and it shows by way of places to stay at and the guides who are contracted. In the UK before departure, the documentation side of it was handled generally pretty efficiently too.

The holiday was to see the whales of Baja California and it didn't disappoint. Not only did I see whales - Grey, Humpback, Fin, Sei, Blue, Pilot, Shark - but also dolphin, turtles, sealions to name but a few + wonderful birds. What a treat, what a trip. In the top five of all trips I have undertaken, ever.

I have been on several Naturetrek trips and they never disappoint. Accommodation and food always good, and the guides are just excellent, the best. I have nothing but high praise for them. The admin staff are also first class and respond quickly to any query. I travel on my own so it is reassuring to know they are efficient.