Isla Carmen, 2/15/2025, National Geographic Venture
Aboard the
National Geographic Venture
Baja California
After starting our day with an incredible sunrise, we were treated to a sighting of the largest animal on the planet: the mighty blue whale. And there was not only one, but a total of nine blue whales. After spending all morning with them, as well as with some humpback whales, we went ashore on Isla Carmen for tide-pooling and kayaking. Some guests opted to go for a Zodiac cruise where they spotted some bottlenose dolphins.
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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.
Our first full day together exploring the beautiful Sea of Cortez couldn’t have been better. Shortly after having watched a colorful sunrise over Danzante Island, National Geographic Venture delved deeper into the waters of the Loreto Bay National Park. The park was established in 1995 by the Mexican government to protect the very productive waters around Five Island, a well-known area for whales and dolphins, and today’s exploration didn’t disappoint. We watched not one or two, but five different cetacean species during the morning, starting with a solitary fin whale, followed by blue whales before breakfast! A Bryde’s whale, a few humpbacks, and more blues rounded out the number of baleen whales, while a pod of killer whales started the trip’s count of toothed whales. We went ashore in the afternoon at Puerto Gatos, a beautiful little bay just south of the national park where we snorkeled, hiked, and had a great time experiencing the magic of the Baja California peninsula. What an awesome first day!
