2024 Baja Whalewatching Tour (Mar 29-Apr 9) Isla San Jose

April 8

Hello whalewatchers,

Today we enjoyed the beautiful colors on the sandstone cliffs at Isla San Jose, Punta Colorado. Then a big highlight was watching the eclipse from the deck of Searcher!

It was a great way to end a fantastic trip with a boatload of happy whalewatchers!

Land crew and Team Searcher

2024-04-09T14:17:24-07:00April 9th, 2024|Trip Reports|

2024 Baja Whalewatching Tour (Mar 29-Apr 9) Bahia Tambobiche and Las Animas

April 7

Hello whalewatchers,

Today we went ashore at a wonderful beach at a peninsula location. The birding was excellent and we generated a good list for the day.

During our travels, we spotted several marine mammals including CA sea lions, long-beaked common dolphins, a blue whale and a large group (500-700 individuals) of Guadalupe fur seals at Las Animas. We took a skiff ride close to the island to observe these fascinating animals and their behaviors.

Land crew and Team Searcher

2024-04-08T07:26:16-07:00April 8th, 2024|Trip Reports|

2024 Baja Whalewatching Tour (Mar 29-Apr 9) Bahia La Paz and Islas Los Islotes

April 5

Hello whalewatchers,

We had an exciting stop in La Paz Bay this morning, as many passengers swam with the whale sharks here!

After getting underway again, we headed to Los Islotes for a skiff ride around these islets to see the local birds, such as the blue-footed boobies and of course, the sea lions, who use these rocky islands as important haul-out spots. In addition, a snorkel at this area allowed everyone to glimpse the sub-tropical reef fishes here

Land crew and Team Searcher

2024-04-06T09:09:53-07:00April 6th, 2024|Trip Reports|

2024 Baja Whalewatching Tour (Mar 29-Apr 9) Offshore Cabo San Lucas

April 4

Hello whalewatchers:

We enjoyed a fantastic encounter with humpback whales today! There were two large groups of whales, including mother and calf pairs, showing lots of aerial behaviors and activity.

Later in the day, we found some mobula rays to entertain us.

A big thank you to Tabata O  and Kate Sutherland for our photos used here.

Land crew from Team Searcher

Baja gray whale hopping out of the water
2024-04-06T08:37:14-07:00April 5th, 2024|Trip Reports|

2024 Baja Whalewatching Tour (Mar 29-Apr 9) Offshore Bahia Magdalena

April 4

Hello whalewatchers:

The whale of the day? BLUE WHALE!

We encountered 25-30 blue whales during the morning, and several more after that. We also spotted two humpback whales and a huge herd of common dolphins.

Our seabird sightings were also terrific: shearwaters, petrels, murrelets, tropicbirds, storm-petrels, frigatebirds, and brown booby. The weather has been great and so we are busy with more wildlife spotting.

A big thank you to Tabata O  and Kate Sutherland for our photos used here.

Land crew from Team Searcher

Baja gray whale hopping out of the water
2024-04-04T07:34:50-07:00April 4th, 2024|Trip Reports|

2024 Baja Whalewatching Tour (Mar 29-Apr 9) Laguna San Ignacio

April 2

Hello whalewatchers:

Our second day in Laguna San Ignacio brought us more gray whale interactions and some wonderful birding in the mangrove ecosystem present on the lagoon shorelines.

The morning whalewatch excursion was on the slow side for sightings, so we opted for a birding trip next. The tide was low and we found a good list of shorebirds including white ibis, herons and egrets, and seabirds such as terns, jaegers, cormorants, and gulls. Osprey, turkey vultures, pelicans, and frigatebirds soared overhead.

Later we encountered some active and curious gray whale calves, so our day in the lagoon was deemed a success!

A big thank you to Tabata O  and Kate Sutherland for our photos used here.

Land crew from Team Searcher

Baja gray whale hopping out of the water
2024-04-03T07:09:59-07:00April 3rd, 2024|Trip Reports|

2024 Baja Whalewatching Tour (Mar 29-Apr 9) Laguna San Ignacio

April 1

Hello whalewatchers:

We arrived to Laguna San Ignacio this morning in anticipation of meeting up with the gray whales in the lagoon where mothers are still caring for their calves. On our first trip out, we were met with curious and friendly whales. The guests were all smiles!

The bird list from today was impressive as well, with many seabirds such as shearers, boobies, terns, loons, jaegers, and gulls

We’re looking forward to another great visit with the whales tomorrow.

A big thank you to Tabata O  and Kate Sutherland for our photos used here.

Land crew from Team Searcher

Baja gray whale hopping out of the water
2024-04-02T07:09:19-07:00April 2nd, 2024|Trip Reports|

2024 Baja Whalewatching Tour (Mar 29-Apr 9) Ensenada and points south

March 31

Hello whalewatchers,

This enthusiastic group of whalewatchers arrived to the boat on Friday, March 29 under sunny San Diego skies and we all enjoyed getting to know each other and for some, there were reunions with work colleagues and friends. This is one happy group!
Their departure from San Diego’s great weather turned into rolly seas for their overnight to Ensenada, as a storm from the north brought wind and rain. Captain Mike kept everyone safe and as comfortable as possible. Their customs and immigration check in Ensenada went quickly and smoothly, and then ventured southbound through the rough conditions. Seabirds, such as Laysan albatross were seen, but the viewing conditions weren’t ideal for much else.
They were able to make a stop for a beautiful walk and exploration at a Baja coastal location where elephant seals, CA sea lions and harbor seals were abundant. The plant life was fantastic also, with blooming agaves and wildflowers.
They are enjoying better sea conditions and looking forward to entering Laguna San Ignacio on Monday morning.

Land Crew, Team Searcher

2024-04-01T07:29:40-07:00April 1st, 2024|Trip Reports|

2024 Baja Whalewatching Tour (Mar 16-25) Sea of Cortez

March 23-24

Hello whalewatchers!

We have enjoyed two days in the Sea of Cortez including a snorkel session with the whale sharks in Bahia La Paz and the sea lions at Islas Los Islotes, and a wonderful island visit on Isla San Jose.

It’s been a great trip with so many wildlife encounters from Baja California! We are headed to Cabo San Lucas for guests to leave the boat and fly back home.

As always, we are grateful to Tabata O for sharing her photos!

Captain Todd and Team Searcher

2024-03-25T09:51:56-07:00March 25th, 2024|Trip Reports|

2024 Baja Whalewatching Tour (Mar 16-25) Bahía Magdalena

March 21-22

Hello whalewatchers!

We ventured offshore Bahia Magdalena and found a blue whale to observe and photograph, then we had an amazing humpback whale encounter with a mother, calf and escort. They stayed on the surface for over an hour, which allowed us to observe their behaviors closely. It was a day full of wildlife encounters!

The next day we spent time offshore Cabo San Lucas and enjoyed more humpback whales, and we also spotted a dwarf sperm whale which is a rare sighting on these trips. To end the day, we went for a beach walk at Punta Arena for all to enjoy a remote beach and sunset.

Captain Todd and Team Searcher

Bird flying over ocean
Whale blow hole
2024-03-23T07:27:52-07:00March 23rd, 2024|Trip Reports, Uncategorized|

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