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Searcher Natural History Tours

12-day Itinerary: Gear List

TIP: You will spend little time in your cabin as we keep you busy with wildlife, but we suggest you pack very lightly. Searcher is a 95-foot sportfishing boat--the cabins are small and storage is limited.

Clothes

Choose clothes and shoes that will dry easily and can be worn several times. There are no laundryfacilities aboard. Attire is very casual. Daytime air temperatures are 60-75 degrees F.

• Long-and short-sleeved shirts: choose lightweight ones for layering, when needed
• Warm jacket with wind protection
• Rain gear: Lightweight pants and jacket with waterproof hat or hood (Even an inexpensive set is strongly advised for whalewatching in pangas.)
• Pants and shorts: lightweight fabrics
• Socks and underclothes
• Sleeping attire and/or sweats for lounging
• Water sandals, aqua socks, or booties for beach landings/wet conditions
• Comfortable walking or hiking shoes
• Hat with wide brim or visor for sun protection

Personal Items

It’s helpful to have items in a toilet kit for transport to/from the bathrooms.

• Medications (Include a seasickness prevention such as Dramamine, Bonine, or Meclizine. Check with your doctor for prescribed remedies such as the Scopalamine patch and the newer form: Scopace.)
• Glasses and/or contact lenses
• Lip balm with sun block and sun block (SPF 30 or higher). You should apply this several times a day
• Minor first aid items: pain reliever, antihistamine, bandages, antiseptic
• Toothbrush and paste; hair products/brush
• Shampoo and soap
• Towels (bathing, after-swimming)
• Shaving items

Equipment

• Snorkeling equipment: mask, snorkel, fins, wet suit or rash guard
  NOTE: We recommend you bring your own snorkeling equipment and practice with any equipment before the trip. However we will supply a variety of masks, snorkels, and fins for shared use.
Water temperatures vary from high 60’s to low 70’s (degrees F) in the Sea of Cortez. We recommend a wetsuit for prolonged snorkeling enjoyment and sun protection.
• Binoculars (You will use these every day.)
• Field guides/Baja map (Searcher carries a library of Baja and whale books.)
• Backpack--day pack or fanny pack style
• Sunglasses with straps (Polarized lenses are great on the water.)
• Camera and accessories (including battery charger)

Miscellaneous

• US dollars for Searcher souvenirs and crew gratuity. (10% of the trip cost is an averagetip.) Personal or traveller’s checks are acceptable for this as well. Cash for airport shuttle ($15 per person) and a meal in Cabo.
• Reading material, note pad, journal, pencil
• Ear plugs and possibly a sleep-aid if you are sensitive to noise (Engines run at night during travel.)
• Repair kits (glasses, sewing, camera)
• Passport and air travel documents

Cabin Notes
Your cabin will be small, but adequate for sleeping and gear storage if you pack reasonably. If possible, use soft luggage which stores away easier, plus a day pack since you’ll use that on the trip. There are storage shelves, mirror, and sink in each cabin. Most people choose to relax or read in the indoor salon or outdoors on deck, and use their cabin for just sleeping and changing.

Bedding (pillow, case, sheets, and blanket) is provided. There is an electrical outlet (conventional US style) in each cabin for recharging batteries, cameras, laptops, and other electrical devices.

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PHOTO TIPS

Before the trip:

1. Clean your camera and change the batteries.
2. Practice loading and unloading your camera with film or make sure you know how to manage memory storage of your photos.
3. Reread your instruction book and know your camera.
4. Check your insurance coverage, if necessary.

Items to bring on the trip:

A. Film or memory cards/sticks, extra batteries, lens paper/cleaner, canned air, and a silicone cloth.
B. Large plastic bags to fit both your camera and your hand (to keep your camera
protected from salt water spray and whale breath) and smaller Ziplock bags to store
film and batteries.
C. Padded camera case and/or camera shoulder strap for hiking trips.
D. Camera body
E. Lenses: Your normal lens or a moderate wide-angle lens will work best for whale pictures from the skiffs, a long lens or zoom for birds and seals and a macro lens for flowers and close-ups. If your camera has a fixed lens, don’t worry. Great pictures are taken with a pocket camera!
F. Searcher has 110 A/C power available in each bunk room for recharging cameras and laptops.

Answers to common equipment questions by Frank Balthis, nature photographer:

What lens is most useful?
A trip to Baja on board the Searcher is loaded with remarkable photo opportunities. Unfortunately, it is very difficult for one lens to cover it all. A close encounter with a gray whale requires a wide-angle lens. (At least 18mm in digital capture/28mm in 35mm film format). A flying osprey or breaching humpback at a distance requires a long telephoto. (At least 200mm in digital capture/300mm in 35mm film format.) Zooms are very handy for quick response and keeping your sensor clean during lens changes. Salt spray or blowing sand are enemies of digital sensors. Lenses with vibration reduction devices are very useful on moving boats. This is especially important with telephotos.

Will I need a tripod?
Tripods are of little use on a boat that is usually moving. However, if you plan to bring a telephoto lens of 300mm or longer for shooting birds and do not have vibration reduction, then a tripod is useful on early morning and late afternoon walks. There may be a few opportunities for long exposures at dawn or dusk and the tripod lets you use smaller apertures and obtain greater depth of field. Most passengers would rather not carry the extra weight, given that there are few times that we are on land at dawn or dusk. With digital capture, you also have the option of turning up the ASA Note that this will increase the noise/grain.