San Ignacio Lagoon and Magdalena Bay Whale Watching Camps

Whales' Tails & Bird Trails

From San Diego to San Ignacio Lagoon and Loreto (or vice versa): combine whale watching with exploration of Spanish missions from the 1700s.

Baja Expeditions offers only two per year of these double-delight trips that combine nature with culture. The February trip starts in Loreto and goes north to San Ignacio Lagoon. The March trip goes the other way: fly from San Diego to San Ignacio for the whales, and then explore the missions on the way down to Loreto.

The highlight of both trips is spending quality time at San Ignacio Lagoon, where you'll observe hundreds of gray whales rolling, breaching, diving, playing, and caring for their young, during twice-daily skiff rides. Several hundred whales migrate thousands of miles from Arctic feeding grounds to these salty lagoons, The high saline content of the warm, protected waters makes it easy for newborn whales to float.

After several weeks, the whales’ return trip to the Arctic starts, so you can only see this spectacle in the late winter and early spring. Their round trip of 10,000 to 14,000 miles, at an average speed of six miles an hour, is believed to be the longest yearly migration of any mammal.

Also migrating to these warm, protected waters for the winter are sea turtles, harbor seals, California sea lions, and northern elephant-seals. And the bird-watching here is astonishing.

In between whale-watching forays, you’ll have plenty of downtime to relax in our new beachfront Cabañas Camp, where your private cabin – with a big bed and your own sink with running water – keeps a hardwood floor between you and the sand.

If you’re the energetic type, you can take off on one of our mountain bikes, or venture into the salt flats with a guide who knows the local flora and fauna like the back of his hand.

On both itineraries, on the way to or from the lagoon, you'll explore historical missions in Loreto and Mulegé from the early 1700s. They were founded by men who were not just churchmen, but daring explorers, too. One of them, the giant Father Ugarte, proved the Sea of Cortez was a gulf, not a strait.

You’ll take in the port city of Santa Rosalia, visit a bird sanctuary, or a ranch where traditional cheese is made. You'll spend a night in the picturesque oasis town of San Ignacio, where the Jesuit mission built in 1728 is still in use.

Each day you’ll enjoy fresh and tasty breakfasts and barbecues prepared by our talented local chefs. Each day’s adventures will wind down with a convivial happy hour as we watch the sun set over the lagoon.

Map Url:

Trip Map

Itinerary:

February 3, 2012 departure (Loreto to San Ignacio Lagoon to San Diego)

2/3, Day 1 ~ Arrive in Loreto and transfer to a hotel. Spend the rest of the day exploring on your own. (No meals)

2/4, Day 2 ~ After breakfast, you will load up in the comfortable van and visit the San Javier Mission. Stop by rock paintings along the way and consider the antiquity of the tribes of Baja California. Lunch is available in San Javier before returning to Loreto for a final night in the hotel. (No meals)

2/5, Day 3 ~ Following breakfast, get ready for an excursion north along the Baja highway through Mulege and Santa Rosalia. There are trails to hike and birds to spot! Have lunch in Mulege, which is located in a natural canyon facing the Sea of Cortez. In Santa Rosalia, marvel at the French-inspired architecture spurred by mining interests in the 1880's. Finish the day with a delicious dinner and comfortable lodgings in San Ignacio town. (D)

2/6, Day 4 ~ Take advantage of the serene morning to scope out riparian birds from nearby hiking trails as a group or on your own. A hearty breakfast will be served before you head into town to visit the Mission and Cave Paintings Museum. Lunch is available in town. The afternoon is open to several activities. Enjoy one more dinner at the hotel before heading to the lagoon. (B/D)

2/7, Day 5 ~ Early breakfast; two-hour drive to Cabañas Camp in San Ignacio Lagoon. Depending on arrival time, you'll enjoy two excursions by skiff to see whales. Here you'll observe several hundred gray whales rolling, breaching, diving, playing, and caring for their young in the warm salty waters of the Lagoon. (B/L/D)

2/8 - 10, Days 6 - 8 ~ The morning brings you face-to-face with friendly gray whales. After lunch, you can choose to re-enter the whale watching area or search for birds in the afternoon. Based on the group's desires, more time can be allocated for whale watching excursions.See whales up close during two full days at our camp, with twice-daily whale-watching excursions, plus activities in camp. Relax and enjoy the surroundings, use our mountain bikes, take a nature guided walk or pick up a book in our natural history library.

During your stay you will have the opportunity to walk along the shore in search of resident species of birds, whale bones, and scallop shells. Plan to wake up early and have your camera batteries charged; you are in for a birding extravaganza! On your last night, enjoy a traditional Mexican-inspired meal complete with music and dancing. (B/L/D daily)

2/11, Day 9 ~ After breakfast, on a breathtaking private charter flight, take in the big picture of unspoiled nature preserves on your return from San Ignacio Lagoon to Tijuana or Ensenada, then ground transportation to San Diego, arriving early evening. You can plan your flight from San Diego to your home city any time after 6 P.M. tonight. (B/L)

March 22, 2011 departure (San Diego to San Ignacio Lagoon to Loreto)

3/22, Day 1 ~ Private charter flight from San Diego area to San Ignacio Lagoon; afternoon whale watching. (Breakfast snack/L/D)

3/23 - 25, Days 2 - 4 ~ Full days (see activities above) spent at Cabañas Camp in San Ignacio Lagoon. (B/L/D daily)

3/26, Day 5 ~ Morning whale watching excursion; two-hour drive to San Ignacio town, overnight in a hotel.(B/L/D)

3/27, Day 6 ~ Full day in San Ignacio town, with an opportunity to visit the Mission and Cave Paintings Museum in the morning. (B/D)

3/28, Day 7 ~ Leisurely drive to Loreto, visiting mission towns of Santa Rosalia and Mulegé enroute; overnight in a hotel in Loreto. (B)

3/29, Day 8 ~ A full day exploring the town of Loreto, focusing on the famous San Javier Mission. Spend the night in the hotel. (No meals)

3/30, Day 9 ~ Depart Loreto on commercial flight to your home city. (No meals)

Trip Fee:	$2,195 pp dbl occ
Includes:	For the Loreto to San Diego itinerary: (Trip begins in Loreto and finishes in San Diego) Hotel in Loreto on nights 1 & 2. Ground transportation in Loreto on day 2 from Loreto to San Ignacio town on day 3. Hotel in San Ignacio town on nights 3 & 4. Ground transportation from San Ignacio town to San Ignacio Lagoon on day 5. Comfortable catered cabañas camping on nights 5, 6, 7 & 8. A total of at most eight whale watching excursions on days 5, 6, 7 & 8. Charter flight from San Ignacio Lagoon to Tijuana or Ensenada on day 9 and ground transportation to meeting point in San Diego. Meals as specified on the itinerary. Services of knowledgeable guides and caring crew members. Detailed pre-departure information to help you plan your trip. Excludes: Airfare to Loreto, transportation from Loreto's Airport to the hotel. Meals on days 1 & 2, breakfast and lunch on day 3, lunch on day 4, and dinner on day 9. Conservation Passport Fee ($25) and gratuities. For the San Diego to Loreto itinerary: (Trip begins in San Diego and ends in Loreto) Ground transportation from meeting point in San Diego to airfield in Tijuana or Ensenada and charter flight from there to San Ignacio Lagoon. Comfortable catered cabañas camping on nights 1, 2, 3 & 4. A total of at most eight whale watching excursions on days 2, 3, 4 & 5. Meals as specified on the itinerary. Ground transportation to San Ignacio town on day 5. Hotel in San ignacio Town on nights 5 & 6. Ground transportation to Loreto on day 7. Hotel in Loreto on nights 7 & 8. Ground transportation in Loreto on day 8. Services of knowledgeable guides and caring crew members. Detailed pre-departure information to help you plan your trip. Excludes: Airfare from Loreto, transportation from the hotel to Loreto's Airport. Lunch on day 6, breakfast and dinner on day 7, mMeals on days 8 & 9. Conservation Passport Fee ($25) and gratuities.
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