Trip Reports

Hello whalewatchers,

We started our day with a lovely sunrise at Punta Colorado, Isla San Jose.  Passengers enjoyed a walk on the island to view the desert plant and bird life, followed by a snorkel session. We left the island and traveled north in the Sea of Cortez looking for whales and wildlife. We saw a single blue whale in the channel and then crew spotted multiple spouts close to the peninsula. We arrived with just enough light to see at least three more blue whales. It wasn’t the best lighting for photography but we enjoyed good looks at these amazing whales.

To top off our day, we anchored in a special spot called Puerto Gato.

Capt Art and Team Searcher

P.S. We had a spectacular show last night with a large school of smooth-tailed mobula rays around the boat. They were attracted by our underwater light. It was so very cool, and a video to follow!

Sunrise colors on Punta Colorado

Sky colors in Sea of Cortez

Hello whalewatchers,

We had a busy day today! We spent time in La Paz bay with whale sharks. That was a huge success. Those that snorkeled had a great trip, and the observers had great looks as well. Chefs Mike and Dan helped celebrate Valentine’s Day with chocolate dipped strawberries, some with coconut and even a few with….bacon?!

We traveled north looking for whales and wildlife. We ended the day at Los Islotes for a skiff rides to photograph birds and sea lions, and a snorkel session with sea lions and reef fishes. That was a huge success as well. We all enjoyed a great sunset as we retrieved our skiffs. Anth then there’s seared yellowfin tuna for dinner. Wow!

Capt Art and Team Searcher

Hello whalewatchers,

We enjoyed some spectacular humpback whalewatching today around the Gorda Banks! There were lots of whales and lots of acrobatics. Plenty of breaching, flipper flapping and tail lobbing. It was one of those days we hope to have on these trips.
We are headed to the peninsula to walk and snorkel for the first time this trip.

Capt Art and Team Searcher

Mother humpback is waving her pectoral flipper

A sea turtle

A distant fluking humpback

Duck breast, farro and asparagas for dinner

Hello whalewatchers,

Great humpbacks again today with lots of whales around. Before the wind came up, we had excellent whalewatching. We were able to stay with one big group of 8 whales. Lots of tail fluke photos for all the photographers. We traveled closer to the coast and found a mother and calf pair with the calf breaching and the cow flipper flapping. It was a good show!
We stopped to let the snorkelers test out their gear for tomorrow morning where the group will snorkel and observe the whale sharks.

Capt Art and Team Searcher

Hello whalewatchers,

We are offshore Bahia Magdalena today and we have seen multiple humpbacks and common dolphin too. It’s been good birdwatching with masked boobies, fulmars, shearwaters, frigatebirds, Craveri’s murrelets, and red phalropes. We have been busy this morning! The weather is great, with sunny skies and light winds with a long period swell that gently rolls us around a little.

Our photo is a pair of humpbacks close to the surface, one fluking and the other about break the surface.

~Capt Art and Team Searcher

Hello whalewatchers,

Great weather today. We started early today with 3 pangas full for the first trip. The second trip we had 2 pangas go to the mangroves with the high tide. Everyone had a great morning. Here is a photo of one of our pangas and 3 whales close to the bow. Headed back out after lunch.

Capt Art and Team Searcher

Hello whalewatchers,

We arrived this morning to Laguna San Ignacio and were greeted by gray whales in the entrance. As we traveled in the observation zone there was an increase in the amount of whales. They are increasing in numbers daily. Here is a photo of a gray whale approaching the Searcher as we arrived. It’s always great to see whales approach us every year in this place.
Everyone had a good time in the pangas with lots of spy-hopping and good looks at a cow and calf pair. Everyone is looking forward to tomorrow.

Capt Art and Team Searcher

Hello whalewatchers,

Everyone had a great visit to Islas San Benito today.  There were loads of elephant seals including jousting males, mating and lots of nursing pups with moms. About 25 Guadalupe fur seals were seen in one area and everyone had great looks. Ospreys, ravens and the endemic sparrows were on the birders’ list.

After leaving the island we saw lots of Cassin’s auklets and black-vented shearwaters. The crew did a great job finding a fin whale and we spent about an hour viewing it with some great looks. We are traveling south to Laguna San Ignacio.

Here is a photo of the anchorage as we leave. It is quite green.

Capt Art and Team Searcher

Hello all,

We departed last night for the beginning of our 2020 Baja California Whalewatching season and are excited to be back abaord! We were grateful to have a calm ocean all night and all day today. Islas Todos Santos were green with new growth, and there were northern elephant seal females with pups along with a single male. We also spotted some harbor seals and a few sea lions.

We are enjoying lots of southbound gray whales, plenty of long-beaked common dophin, and a single humpback whale who was breaching. For the birds, we watched black-vented shearwaters, northern fulmar and two Layson albatrosses at the end of the day. A great first day in Baja! We’ll be arriving at Isla San Benitos just after daylight.

Capt Art and Team Searcher

Southbound gray whales spouting

Common dolphins

Dolphins on the bow!

Our 2020 tour season is off and watching whales in Baja! Departure day saw people arriving from UK, New Zealand, Australia, California and Indiana, to name a few. A couple of surprise visitors came aboard to gift us with a brand new book for our library–Mark Carwardine’s Handbook of Whales, Dolphins and Porpoise–the author and Rachel!

Mark signs our book.

New book for library!

Enjoying sunny San Diego before departure