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Mere miles from the shores of Los Angeles lies wildness that surpasses imagination and a gem of the National Park system: the Channel Islands. Exploring it is akin to entering a time machine. To enter a era when the coast of California was lined with the tallest, oldest trees—those that remain are among the rarest on Earth. Its isolation from the mainland has led to the evolution of wildlife found nowhere else. Few dive into the region’s surprising wildness and biodiversity as Lindblad Expeditions is able to by hiking inland over rivers of pinecones and kayaking along rugged coastlines.
Baja California
California Coast
Special Offers
Length
12 days
From
$8,090
Prices are per person
Baja California
California Coast
Special Offers
California Coast
Wild Escapes
Special Offers
Length
5 days
From
$3,260
Prices are per person
California Coast
Wild Escapes
Special Offers
One of the most biodiverse places on Earth, California’s seldom-visited Channel Islands National Park is home to vast wildlife breeding colonies, underwater realms bursting with life, and astonishing sea caves.
The coast of California is proof that a far-reaching adventure is much closer than you think. Go aboard an expedition ship, equipped with tools for in-depth exploration, to sail to protected islands, hike over rivers of pinecones to stands of gnarly, windswept trees, and discover wildlife found nowhere else. Watch as the coast grows wilder and see where Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo and the Jesuit missionaries who followed in his wake explored, mapped, and catalogued new flora and fauna. Go deep—whether kayaking the rugged shores or hiking to one of the last remaining stands of Torrey pines in the world.
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We love to travel with Lindblad. The naturalists and photographers really make the experience exceptional.
Maureen B.
Dining aboard is delectable. Get nutritionally savvy snacks, juices, menu options, and more, as well as Lindblad Expeditions’ longstanding commitment to locally and sustainably caught seafood, locally sourced produce—and food that rewards.
12/14/2021
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National Geographic Venture
Located just 60 miles north of Cabo San Lucas, Cabo Pulmo encompasses over 7,000 acres of marine-protected land that brims with life. Cabo Pulmo houses eight fingers of hard coral reef, providing a habitat for countless invertebrates and fish species within a complex labyrinth of crevices. Corals are composed of numerous polyps living and working together to form the beautiful reef. This morning, some of us snorkeled with a massive school of bigeye jacks in the rich waters off the coast. Those on pangas (fishing boats) enjoyed watching humpback whales and bottlenose dolphins dancing in the waves. In the afternoon, we landed on a verdant shoreline for beach walks and birding in Los Frailes, located just outside park boundaries. Birders headed to the estuary for a glimpse of migratory species and local waterfowl.
12/13/2021
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National Geographic Venture
In nature, borders are fluid and transition zones dynamic, as we are discovering on our voyage along the Pacific Coast. We traveled from the cool temperate waters of the California Coast to the warm, tropical waters of Baja California Sur. We have seen communities of fish, including the orange Garibaldi of the northern kelp forests and the bright reef fishes of the southern coral. As we crossed the Tropic of Cancer this morning, we moved into the tropics. A warm, humid wind welcomed us as we rounded the cape of the Baja Peninsula toward the Sea of Cortez, signaling our official entry into an ecosystem defined by arid desert mountains, lush freshwater oases, and abundant ocean waters. To begin our exploration, we landed in the town of San Jose del Cabo, where guests discovered the natural and cultural history of the peninsula’s southernmost point. Some walked through the estuary, an oasis in the desert to a huge diversity of bird life. Others took a historical tour of the town center with stops at the Catholic mission and an artisan glass blowing factory, both glimpses into a culture that thrives here in the heat of the desert. The tropics provide perfect conditions for marine megafauna; humpback whales migrate over 4,000 miles from summer feeding grounds in Alaska to take advantage of warm ocean waters as they give birth to their young. When we returned to the ship later in the day, we spotted multiple groups of these gentle giants almost immediately. A mother and newborn calf calmly swam along the surface while another group of four adult males tail-slapped and lunged in displays of competition. Simultaneously, bottlenose dolphins swam beneath the ship. All in all, an exciting and dramatic welcome to the warmth of the tropics! We will spend the last two days of the trip breathing it all in.
12/12/2021
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National Geographic Venture
Today was our second day in the protected waters of the bay. National Geographic Venture lifted the anchor before sunrise, and sailed from Bahia Almejas to Bahia Magdalena. We sailed along Isla Santa Margarita as the sun started to rise, and by daytime we dropped the anchor near Isla Magdalena. Here we had our morning activities, which included walks across the island towards the Pacific side, into the mangroves for bird watching, or simply time to explore on our own. We landed on the south side of the island, not too far from the tiny town of Puerto Magdalena. The beauty of this place is unique. Today we learned about the myriad of creatures that inhabit the sand dunes, from coyotes and jackrabbits to the tiny beetles, mice and lizards. Once at the beach on the Pacific side of Isla Magdalena, everyone enjoyed their experience in a different way. Some sat down in the sand to contemplate the views, and others walked far along Bahia Santa Maria. The bird watchers found over thirty species of birds, while learning about plants and the dune ecosystem as they explored the mangroves. After a very nice morning on Magdalena Island, we sailed away from the bay into the Pacific Ocean once again, bound for the Los Cabos region. On our way out, before even leaving the bay, a humpback whale and its calf breached several times not too far from the ship. As we kept sailing, we had other encounters with several humpbacks and interesting seabirds.
12/11/2021
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National Geographic Venture
Polaris, the North Star, rested dimly on the horizon as we entered Magdalena Bay this morning. A reliable navigation aid and the tip of Ursa Minor’s tail, Polaris is actually three stars; the brightest is a yellow supergiant. Above Polaris, the familiar Big Dipper shone brightly. Higher in the sky, the lovely Virgo constellation gazed over our shoulders. In spite of dramatic celestial happenings, the horizon stole the show. To stand on the bow of National Geographic Venture this morning was to feel like Odysseus returning from battle. It seems possible that Homer secretly slipped off to Baja California while writing the Odyssey, for there could have been no greater inspiration for his rosy-red fingers of dawn than the slender wisps of cloud, bathed in a roseate crepuscular light and beckoning us into the bay. Slowly, the sun appeared, cooling and brightening the warm pinks and purples to yellows and blues. Magnificent frigatebirds floated overhead, squadrons of brown pelicans crisscrossed the skyline, and a lone crested caracara passed by on the way to scavenge. Just as rosy skies might portend, the day continued gathering momentum. During a morning spent cruising in inflatable landing crafts, guests caught sight of hundreds of frigatebirds. In mangroves along the shorelines, the birds ballooned their gular sacs, more red than any rosy dawn, in attempts to attract mates. Other guests paddled kayaks in search of the world’s southernmost bald eagles. The afternoon was all about exploration on land. Guests discovered a range of birds along the coast, including the lovely cardinal-like pyrrhuloxia with its punk rock crest and the loggerhead shrike, a black-masked songbird known for impaling its lizard prey on the spines of cacti. Following our adventures, we returned to the ship for a cocktail hour replete with fermented pineapple drinks and a three-piece local band that featured our own naturalist and musician, Alberto Montaudon, on guitar and percussion. Our day ended as beautifully as it began in this paradise. We gazed at stars from the bow as we listened to the lapping Pacific.
12/10/2021
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National Geographic Venture
As the morning light gently painted the clouds above, we awoke surrounded by the Pacific Ocean. National Geographic Venture gently rocked in the mistral swell as we journeyed southbound towards the cape of Baja California Sur. The waves lapped the sides of the ship, adding a pleasant soundtrack to the beginning of our day. There are few things I enjoy as much as a day at sea. At any moment, wildlife could pop up seemingly out of nowhere and disappear just as quickly along the horizon. This pattern would be the theme of the day, glimpses of the ocean’s residents as they carried on about their lives in the open sea. All day long pelagic seabirds passed by the ship, showing their mastery of the ocean’s winds as they sheared above the waves. Phalaropes, fulmars, boobies, shearwaters, tropicbirds, jaegers, and storm-petrels showcased the dazzling diversity we can find in this seemingly uniform landscape. On the horizon we spotted a pod of dolphins, likely reaching over a hundred strong, heading directly for the ship. We had a wonderful time watching the long-beaked common dolphins ride the pressure wave of our bow in playful displays, audibly clicking and squeaking the whole way. It’s always exciting seeing these marine mammals play with our ship, surfacing skillfully and fully breaching for stunning experiences. In the distance we spotted several humpback whales, elusively surfacing for quick and trying views. These giants seemed to be on their way south, perhaps to their wintering grounds where we will hopefully meet them. On the ship we had a continuous stream of activities; our naturalists gave presentations on seabirds and whales and, in a more light-hearted vein, we held trivia and painting complimented with delicious snacks and drinks. After a glorious sunset illuminated the swaths of clouds in shades of reds and purples, we heard stories from our staff during recap about how the ocean has captivated us all in many ways. For myself, a day in the Pacific is truly a treasure, and today was an incredible day proving this.
Sven-Olof Lindblad
Escape or Go Epic - Close to Home | Channel Islands: The Untrammeled National Park | Socal to Baja: Whales, Birds & Desert Landscapes | Free Air, Solo Offer + More
