Baja California Expeditions

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February 10, 2022

Boca de Soledad, Baja California Sur

25.29° S -112.129° E

Berit Solstad, Naturalist

Starting in 2023, we are pleased to offer complimentary beer & wine aboard National Geographic Quest, National Geographic Venture, National Geographic Sea Bird, and National Geographic Sea Lion. See our new Free Bar Policy under special offers for details.

Go Remote Next Holiday Season

This year skip the Nutcracker in favor of a different kind of ballet. In a place Jacques Cousteau dubbed “the world's aquarium,” you’ll have a front-row seat to an unforgettable performance: pods of bow-riding dolphins, acrobatic sea lions, and graceful mobula rays leaping out of the water. And after each thrilling day there’s one last encore—a spectacular golden hour that lights up the desert landscape, changing colors until the sun slips behind the horizon and a curtain of stars envelops the night sky.

Departing Dec. 20 & 27, 2023. Get there with airfare, solo, or group savings.

Celebrate in the Vermillion Sea

‘Coastal Baja California is a natural paradise largely devoid of development, and the remarkably rich sea teems with life. I first discovered it in 1977 and it’s been a love affair ever since.’ —Sven Lindblad, Founder

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Baja California

California Coast

A Southern Migration: From the Channel Islands to Baja California

Special Offers

Duration

12 days

Dec

From

$8,330

Prices are per person

Special Offers (3)

Highlights

Baja California

California Coast

A Southern Migration: From the Channel Islands to Baja California

Duration

12 days

Dec

From

$8,330

Top Highlights

Discover the incredible biodiversity of Channel Islands National Park, home to over 2,000 species including 145 endemics.
Go behind the scenes and enjoy a private lunch at a boutique vineyard in the world-renowned Valle de Guadalupe.
Explore the waters and experience the wildlife of peninsular Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve; meet the fishermen of Isla Natividad’s model fishing co-op.
Observe breaching humpbacks and acrobatic dolphins from the bow of a small ship.
Snorkel in Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park, the only hard coral reef in North America; featuring over 220 species of fish.

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Special Offers

$350 AIR CREDIT ON SELECT DATES
SOLO TRAVELER SAVINGS
FREE BAR POLICY

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Baja California

Baja California: A Remarkable Journey

Special Offers

Duration

15 days

Mar
Apr

From

$12,240

Prices are per person

Special Offers (1)

Highlights

Baja California

Baja California: A Remarkable Journey

Duration

15 days

Mar
Apr

From

$12,240

Top Highlights

Get up-close views of gray whale mothers and their growing calves as they prepare for their journey back to Arctic feeding grounds.
Kayak clear blue waters to search for wildlife, including magnificent frigatebirds, and investigate the intricacies of the shoreline.
Snorkel the living sea: observe large schools of vibrantly colored fish, swim among playful sea lions, and much more.
With more time for adventure, rely on your expedition leader to take you where wildlife will be at its best—including the remote oceanic island of San Pedro Mártir with clouds of nesting seabirds and crowds of sea lions onshore, and expanses of sea where huge pods of dolphins gather.

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Special Offers

FREE BAR POLICY

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Baja California

Baja California: Among the Great Whales

Special Offers

Duration

8 days

Jan
Feb
Mar

From

$6,590

Prices are per person

Special Offers (1)

Highlights

Baja California

Baja California: Among the Great Whales

Duration

8 days

Jan
Feb
Mar

From

$6,590

Top Highlights

See Gray whales and their newborn calves up close in lagoons, and witness breaching humpbacks from the bow of our ship, or on Zodiac excursions
Snorkel amidst the vibrant sea life and pristine coral reefs of Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park, a conservation success story
Hike desert islands and sculpted sand dunes, and witness a variety of desert flora and fauna
Conditions permitting, swim with playful sea lions at Los Islotes
Get steeped in culture walking the quaint maze of streets and sun-drenched promenades in lively La Paz

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Special Offers

FREE BAR POLICY

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Baja California

Exploring the Gulf of California: A Living Sea & Desert Isles

Special Offers

Duration

8 days

Apr
Dec

From

$7,020

Prices are per person

Special Offers (2)

Highlights

Baja California

Exploring the Gulf of California: A Living Sea & Desert Isles

Duration

8 days

Apr
Dec

From

$7,020

Top Highlights

Search for large pods of dolphins and a variety of marine wildlife including sea lions and, with luck, leaping mobula rays, which flap for a moment before belly-flopping back in the water
Explore water-level caves by kayak, hike uninhabited beaches, and snorkel among fish and acrobatic sea lions
Photograph the landscape as the light changes and the golden hour approaches, with its deep red hues that seem to engulf the desert environment
Conditions permitting, visit Isla Rasa. Composed of Pleistocene and Holocene basalt lava flows, this is where 90 percent of the world’s Heermann’s gulls and a large population of elegant terns come to breed
Visit the old mining town of Santa Rosalia, with its wooden homes and historic steel church, designed by Gustave Eiffel

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Special Offers

$350 AIR CREDIT ON SELECT DATES
SOLO TRAVELER SAVINGS

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Expedition Highlights

Sail among pristine islands in search of rare endemic creatures. Encounter whales, possibly up close, for an experience that will never leave you. Snorkel with playful sea lions. Hike up arroyos blooming with life and discover medicinal plants. Get a slice of life in rural Baja towns. Kayak, hike, stand-up paddleboard, snorkel, and actively explore this incredible playground of wildness.

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Life Aboard

Henry David Thoreau called it the "tonic of wildness." It’s what Baja California, with its beauty and wildness intact, gives you—a spirit lift. To compound this healthful effect, add the luxury of comfort to the privilege of being here—with a quality of shipboard life and a philosophy of wellness designed to relax and rejuvenate body, mind, and spirit.

This Epic Baja Cruise Includes Ocean Kayaking, Beach Biking, and Whale Watching

Watching grey whales is an experience of a lifetime—and one of the best places to see them is off the coast of Baja California Sur. Read Travel + Leisure magazine's report from National Geographic Sea Bird in Baja California.

Discover

Discover Baja California

As one whale spouts in the distance, another spyhops up to take a look around, and yet another might breathe right behind you. You are afraid to turn in another direction because you might miss something. It is immensely exciting because there is so much going on!

Kelly Coursey Gray, Naturalist, February 14, 2022

More Daily Expedition Reports

Ready for the adventure of a lifetime?

1.800.397.3348

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FAQs

FAQs and key information

From climate conditions to water temperature to packing the right footwear, find answers to the questions Expedition Specialists get most often.

Expedition Leader

Veteran expedition leaders are the orchestrators of your experience. Many have advanced degrees and have conducted research or taught for years. They have achieved expedition leader status because they possess the skills, the experience, and the depth of knowledge necessary to continually craft the best expedition possible for our guests.

Naturalist

Our naturalists, passionate about the geographies they explore (and return to regularly), illuminate each facet through their enthusiasm and knowledge. Our guests consistently cite the expertise and engaging company of our staff as key reasons to repeatedly travel with us.

Undersea Specialist

Undersea specialists are your eyes on the world that lies beneath the waves. Using an array of tools, including a high-definition camera, our Cousteau-like undersea specialist dives frequently during the voyage to show you strikingly clear images of the seldom-seen world beneath the ship.

Certified Photo Instructor

Every expedition aboard a ship in our National Geographic-flagged fleet offers an exclusive service—a Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic certified photo instructor. This naturalist is specially trained to offer assistance with camera settings, the basics of composition, and more tools and tips to help you become a better, more confident photographer.

The whale sightings were fantastic. Touching the gray whales was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Connie C.

Making a Difference

Lindblad Expeditions supports stewardship efforts in the places we explore, and one way we do that is through the Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic (LEX-NG) Fund. Traveler contributions to the LEX-NG Fund in Baja California currently support the Gulf of California Conservation Fund in its efforts to facilitate conservation and research projects across the region.

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Daily Expedition Reports

Daily Expedition Reports

1/27/2023

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National Geographic Sea Lion

Mayflower Bocawina National Park

What a day! We left National Geographic Sea Lion anchored off Hopkins and traveled by Zodiacs to a dock. We disembarked, boarded buses, and set off. We went a bit north, then a bit west, and entered beautiful Mayflower Bocawina National Park. Mayflower is the common name of a species of Tabebuia, a tree with beautiful yellow or pink flowers that is abundant in the area. A bumpy road reminded us that we were going somewhere wild, and the spitting rain told us we were visiting a rainforest. We observed huge Ceibas, Cecropias, vines, and much, much more. We split into groups to hike trails of different lengths with different objectives. There was something for everyone, including birds, Mayan archeology, exercise, and a dip in a waterfall. When we returned, most of us were wet and all of us were very happy with our accomplishments. Just a half hour away, a traditional Mayan lunch was waiting at the Mayan Center. Wouldn’t you know it? The ship was repositioned in a different, convenient anchorage, Placencia, and gelato was offered to refresh us. Despite an already-full-day, it wasn’t over! By 4:45 p.m., we were once again in the Zodiacs. This time, we were showered and dry, and we had on our dancing shoes! In a palapa-style bar on a dock, the Garifuna Collective, an internationally acclaimed musical group, was waiting to give us a rollicking good time as the sun set in the clear sky.

Daily Expedition Reports

1/27/2023

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National Geographic Sea Bird

El Barril / Canal de Soledad

After an adrenaline filled day with grey whales yesterday, we awoke in El Barril (the Barrel) to a beautiful sunrise over a lush forest of mangroves. At low tide, the feet-long salt tolerant roots are exposed for us to study from the side of our kayaks. These gorgeous oceanside trees continue to grow their own carbon storing substrate. They do so in such an efficient way that they can store up to ten times that of a terrestrial forest. Led by all-star naturalist Linda Burback, we winded through the maze of waterways that cut through the trees spotting birds and snaping photos. We pulled anchor and were on our way just before lunch when we were visited by five bottlenose dolphins near the bow of our ship. Our guests took turns getting photos as we pulled away and lunch was announced. We take on a ‘pilot’ for the upcoming journey through the Canal de Soledad. Affectionately called the ‘Hull Canal,’ our pilot makes sure our ship can make it through the canal’s shallow waters safely. Once we arrived at our anchorage there was time for some afternoon hikes on Isle Margarita. There is one mile of land that protects the calm waters of the canal from the Pacific Ocean, where the crashing surf is loud enough for us to hear. Some of our braver guests made the journey to the other side to see a decades old ship wreck and an amazing view. We stood side by side on the beach and soaked up the sounds and scenery for a minute of silence before making our return. The night’s end came with a surprise appearance from a Lindblad favorite, “Los Coyotes de Magdalena.” Their sweet serenade took us through cocktail hour and straight into dinner.

Daily Expedition Reports

1/26/2023

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National Geographic Venture

Lopez Mateos

Our day began alongside the town of San Carlos. Our guests boarded buses to head towards the port of Lopez Mateos. We went out in pangas to look for the gray whales that return to this region every year to give birth to their young. We had incredible weather all day. It was perfect for watching whales and birds in the area.

Daily Expedition Reports

1/26/2023

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National Geographic Sea Bird

Bahia Almejas

National Geographic Sea Bird had an iconic day among the gray whales of Baja California. It started with a sunrise streaked with reds and oranges and a couple of California sea lions splashing around near the ship. We had a full day of whale watching, one that no one will ever forget. The whales did not seem bothered by our watchful eyes, and a few even approached the pangas with little fear. Everyone was ecstatic, and we returned to the ship with smiles spread ear to ear.

Daily Expedition Reports

1/25/2023

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National Geographic Venture

Man o’ War Cove and Sand Dollar Beach, Isla Magdalena

With a new moon this past weekend, there have been some incredibly high tides all over the world. For us in Baja California, that meant that this morning we were able to do something that is never possible on this itinerary – kayak in the mangroves! In the afternoon, everyone went ashore for a beach day farther north on Isla Magdalena. Walking what felt like much more than half a mile over the sand dunes, we all enjoyed the plethora of sand dollars and other seashells scattered along the Pacific Coast of the island. Afterwards, we headed back to the ship for cocktail hour.

Baja California is arguably the best place in the world to see whales in good conditions—humpback, gray, fin, blue, pilot—to name the most likely.

Sven-Olof Lindblad

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Baja California 2023

Baja California

Baja California 2023

2023 Voyages

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