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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|
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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|
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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

2024-07-16T07:22:53-07:00March 25th, 2024|Trip Reports|
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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

Whale blow hole
2024-07-16T07:20:16-07:00March 23rd, 2024|Trip Reports, Uncategorized|
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2024 Baja Whalewatching Tour (Mar 16-25) Laguna San Ignacio

March 20

Hello whalewatchers:

We continued our wonderful visit with the gray whales in Laguna San Igancio today. Several passengers took a boat ride into the mangrove area to find shorebirds, and other birds associated with that habitat.

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

Captain Todd and Team Searcher

Baja gray whale hopping out of the water
2024-03-21T13:18:22-07:00March 21st, 2024|Trip Reports|
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2024 Baja Whalewatching Tour (Mar 16-25) Laguna San Ignacio

March 19

Hello whalewatchers:

We arrived to Laguna San Ignacio this morning after a nice night of ocean travel and a great view of the SpaceX rocket launch!

Our morning whalewatch among the gray whales was on the quiet side this morning, but the afternoon trip was fun for all! Passengers returned to the boat with big smiles and whale breath on their glasses.

We enjoyed a quiet “lights off” in the dark so we could hear the whales, birds and lagoon sounds. We’re looking forward to another great visit with the whales tomorrow.

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

Captain Todd and Team Searcher

Baja gray whale hopping out of the water
2024-07-16T07:21:31-07:00March 20th, 2024|Trip Reports, Uncategorized|
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2024 Baja Whalewatching Tour (Mar 16-25) Islas San Benito

March 18

Dear whalewatchers:
We arrived to Islas San Benito early this morning. Passengers did a hike to see the elephant seals, fur seals, and sea lions under beautiful and sunny skies. They took time to check out the variety of plant life and to see some active ospreys on their nests.
After a great day at the island, we got underway and encountered some white-sided dolphins that wanted to bow-ride the Searcher, and a blue whale! We got a quick glimpse of a fin whale in the area as well.
We had to get underway to get to Laguna San Ignacio, our next stop on this trip.
Captain Todd and Team Searcher
Dolphins
2024-07-16T07:20:53-07:00March 19th, 2024|Trip Reports, Uncategorized|
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2024 Baja Whalewatching Tour (Mar 16-25) Ensenada and southbound

March 17

Hello whalewatchers,

We made our required Mexican Customs and Immigration stop in Ensenada harbor, after a nice ride from San Diego and a champagne toast upon departure, courtesy of Chris Breen at Wildlife Worldwide. We are all excited to see what is waiting for us as we head south!
For starters, we enjoyed a huge herd of common dolphins just south of Todos Santos. More reports to come as we encounter new areas en route to Islas San Benito.

Captain Todd and Team Searcher

2024-03-18T09:30:18-07:00March 18th, 2024|Trip Reports|
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2024 Baja Whalewatching Tour (Mar 1-12) Islas Los Islotes and Espiritu Santo

March 8

Hello whalewatchers,

We started at an area on the peninsula,  Nopolo,  this morning and birders located the Baja endemic, Xantus’ hummingbird. (photo courtesy of a passenger taken in a previous year)
After getting underway again, we worked south looking for whales on the way to Los Islotes, which are rocky islets and an important haul-out area for California sea lions.
During our transit in windy conditions, we saw two humpback whales but the weather wasn’t favorable for staying with them. We ended the day with a snorkel with the sea lions and the Searcher-special “Back Deck BBQ” at Isla Espiritu Santo.
We’re heading for La Paz next for an expedition with whale sharks for our last day tomorrow

Captain Mike and the boys

2024-03-11T10:59:24-07:00March 11th, 2024|Trip Reports|
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2024 Baja Whalewatching Tour (Mar 1-12) Isla San Jose area

March 8

Hello whalewatchers,

We’ve enjoyed nice weather all day though it’s starting to get breezy this evening. We started at Isla San Jose for an early-morning hike to see the land birds, including hummingbirds, plants and to photograph the gorgeous colorful cliff formations on the island. One sighting of note is that passengers saw a bald eagle soaring high today.

After Isla San Jose we went north east to Las Animas, where there is a healthy sea lion and Guadalupe fur seal colony. We saw lots of boobies as well.

After departing the area, we had a few glimpses of a “stealthy” blue whale who gave us the slip, a pair of humpback whales, and a pod of bottlenose dolphin.

We’re going to explore the mangroves at Isla San Jose tomorrow.

Captain Mike and the boys

Bird flying over ocean
Whale blow hole
2024-03-09T08:05:00-08:00March 9th, 2024|Trip Reports, Uncategorized|
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