Bahia Almejas, Punta Belcher, 1/11/2025, National Geographic Venture
Aboard the
National Geographic Venture
Baja California
Closing out our last day of this amazing voyage, we returned to Bahia Almejas for another session with the gray whales. Once again it did not disappoint, as we were surrounded by gorgeous spyhopping gray whales. After lunch our guests had the opportunity to enjoy kayaks and hikes at Punta Belcher. After our beach time we enjoyed the music of Los Coyotes, followed by our fiesta dinner, and finally the guest slide show to close out the week. An unbelievable journey!
Growing up as a farm kid in the tiny town of Tonganoxie, Kansas, Luke Manson always felt a strong connection to nature. An avid traveler and hiker, he began his true passion of exploring the world’s oceans in the Columbian village of Taganga in 2011....
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At the break of dawn, National Geographic Venture weighed anchor at the northern end of Margarita Island and cruised south, enjoying an amazing sunrise. Today’s destination was Bahia Almejas, where after breakfast we boarded local pangas to get close views of gray whales showing off their spyhopping prowess. One whale even did a full spin for us, very close to our boat!! After getting up-close-and-personal with many whales, we changed course and headed to the sandy point and nearby mangroves; there we observed brown pelicans, double-crested and Brandt’s cormorants, and yellow-footed gulls. It was an epic whale watching and birding session, with many amazing pictures taken for our slideshow. Back on board we were treated to an interesting talk about coyote research from Adrian Cerda, and a fun trivia team challenge from our naturalist Luke. The day ended with cocktail hour, fun recaps, an amazing meal, and finally stories from Carlos Navarro about his 30 years of adventures in the Gulf of California. It was another epic Lindblad day!!
After a nocturnal navigation along the Pacific side of the Baja California Peninsula from the Los Cabos area, National Geographic Venture reached Magdalena Bay, our final destination of the expedition. While navigating this morning, our guests and staff observed the profile of Margarita Island, which flanks the southern section of Almejas Bay. Along the way, we found several humpback whales breeching and travelling to their breeding grounds. We also observed long-beaked common dolphins and sea birds taking part in a feeding frenzy. By noon, the ship entered Magdalena Bay, and we felt the quietness of this coastal lagoon. Later, our guests had the opportunity of walking on the dunes of Magdalena Island, reaching the Pacific side, and had the privilege of watching their elusive inhabitants, including sea and shore birds, a suite of wadders, and a couple of coyotes! Our Global Explorers, led by Naturalist Mauro Butron, had the chance to discover the mangroves, sand dunes, and other wonders of this impressive environment.
