Two guests aboard our Wild Baja Escape share their experience of reveling in pure nature and recharging among pristine desert isles and the spectacular Sea of Cortez.
Hi! I’m Mika (that’s pronounced M-eee-ka!) and I‘m 9 years old. A few months ago, my parents and I had the chance to visit a beautiful and wild place called Baja. We saw so many amazing things like whales breaching, dolphins playing in the water around our ship, and a sky filled with hundreds of sparkling stars. I wanted to share some of them with you along with the photos my dad took of me on our trip. I hope you enjoy my photo diary!
The Gulf of California is teeming with 900-some species of fish and a third of the earth’s marine mammal species. As you approach untouched desert island, a world of endemic flora and fauna awaits you as you hike through colorful arroyos on protected land.
In honor of 40 years exploring Baja, we’re throwing it back to this life-changing wildlife encounter which had one naturalist wondering: Can a whale look into your soul?
Our magical day started bright and early with a stunning sunrise and a view of the majestic mountains of Bora Bora. Some of us woke up early and were lucky to practice some traditional dancing at our morning’s session of “Ura with Kura.” This was followed by a delicious breakfast and then a presentation about coral from Undersea Specialist Taylor Simpkins. Then a real surprise, a pop-up pearl shop on the back deck where we had the chance to do some shopping from a beautiful selection of local Tahitian black pearls. We set off for our adventure, which included snorkeling amongst all kinds of tropical fish in the coral garden, as well as an amazing visit to a local motu that was absolute paradise. We even had the kayaks and standup paddleboards available. But wait there was more! We also had an incredible BBQ put on by our amazing galley team. While some enjoyed a refreshing swim in the cerulean blue waters, others listened to music performed by local musicians while relaxing in the shade of a palm tree. Today National Geographic Orion was truly in a tropical paradise. What a perfect day!
Guests aboard National Geographic Venture enjoyed an exciting day on the Baja Peninsula at a little cove called Agua Verde. We had a full morning and a relaxing afternoon exploring history, mountains, and local taco stands.
Today, National Geographic Islander II explored three spectacular islands at the westernmost end of the archipelago. Before sunrise we circumnavigated Roca Redonda Island, an impressive underwater volcano and a haven for hundreds of seabirds. Later in the morning we crossed the equator from north to south to reach the southern flank of Ecuador Volcano, our morning's destination. Guests were offered Zodiac rides to closely explore the volcanic shores of this enchanting location. In the afternoon we went snorkeling and also launched the glass-bottom Zodiac. Our guests were thrilled to swim alongside numerous turtles, sea lions, and even Galapagos penguins. After returning to the ship, we set off for a wonderful walk along the shores of Fernandina. It was a magical time of day, strolling among hundreds of marine iguanas, several groups of sea lions, and we even spotted a penguin resting on the shore.
We are having fun exploring the Galapagos Islands. Today we arrived at the center of the archipelago to explore two magical visitor sites, Buccaneer Cove and Puerto Egas. Early in the morning we explored the shoreline in our Zodiacs and we saw many marine turtles mating and blue-footed boobies diving or resting on the rocks. We also saw frigates, pelicans, terns, and more. After breakfast some of our guests went kayaking for a closer encounter with nature. The snorkeling was also spectacular. We saw three different types of sharks, including a hammerhead. We found a school of eagle rays, a wide variety of multicolor reef fish, and a zebra moray. In the afternoon we explored the coastal line of Puerto Egas. This destination is full of wildlife and along our walk we saw red neck lava lizards, finches, land iguanas, mockingbirds, and hawks. At the intertidal zone we found sea lions, and many migratory birds such as plovers, whimbrels, and ruddy turnstones. We had an amazing day!
Continuing with mythical and epic places, we made it to the end of our trip with a few days to explore glorious Staten Island. Made famous by its treacherous waters, furious winds, hundreds of wrecks during the 1800’s, and the famous Jules Verne novel, ‘The Lighthouse at the End of the World’, it is by nature one of the wildest places in the world. We experienced that with changes in weather that went from 50 knot winds with heavy sleet, to a sunny calm day minutes afterwards.