Baja whale watching safari in Mexico

Planet

CARBON REDUCTION

The island we visit remains untouched and undeveloped due to our permit here. In order to protect this area, we completely remove our camp after the whale season. The area remains vacant for 10 months per year. We further this in our commitment to sustainability in our tours by strictly adhering to Leave No Trace camping policies. We pack in and pack out all of any garbage, carefully separating compostable material from other garbage. Guests are encouraged to limit their own impact in packing for the tours, including taking precautions like using biodegradable soap and covering up with clothing instead of using sunscreen in these water-focused activities. Human waste is also removed from the island with a custom-built porta-potty. Toilet paper is carefully burned per the Park Service's policy. Garbage found on shore (ie plastics that end up in the ocean) is always removed.

On this tour we also use shared local transportation. We carpool all guests into one van to be transported from the Gulf of California side of Baja, to the Pacific Coast where we begin the whale watching journey. This happens on day one of our tours and carpooling all guests together at once greatly reduces our carbon footprint on the Baja peninsula.

When we are at camp we have vegetarian and vegan options available for travelers with a variety of dietary needs. From the minute you inquire about one of our tours we discuss what your dietary needs are and do our absolute best to ensure you are well fed, energized, and satiated throughout your adventure travels with us. Dietary restrictions are always communicated from our office staff to our guides on the ground to ensure our guests are well taken care of.

ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE

Wildlife is such an important part of this tour that we include natural history information and lectures for our guests to better learn about how to preserve and understand this ecoscape. Many of our guides are marine biologists, fully versed in conservation of their chosen species and the Baja peninsula. We also support local environmental groups and wildlife conservation efforts, including sea turtle initiatives.

We are also members of the World Cetacean Alliance, an honor that we take very seriously. Part of our ongoing case study is to hold a gray whale summit and better enforce protections and whale watching practices on a local, grassroots level by establishing a culture of respectful whale watching. Guides accompany all of our guests in the whale watching boats (we use local operators) and we are quite strict about procedures and proper behavior toward the whales. We always turn off boat motors when whales begin to approach our boats, we never crowd more than four boats near a whale, and we never follow or harass the whales we encounter. If a whale swims away from our boat we take that as a sign they are uninterested in us and we will motor the other way.

People

LOCAL ECONOMY

We utilize locally owned hotels and transport services, and patronize local restaurants, to keep operating costs benefiting the economies in which we operate. After 20+ years of operation and living in this area, we value the relationships with our local vendors and look forward to sending our guests to their caring services. We know the best people to recommend for any need, and have enjoyed years of happy guests and happy vendors.

All of our guides leading our tours are from Mexico, with the majority being from La Paz and Loreto, Baja California Sur. We operate tours in both Loreto and La Paz and understand that those local to the area can share the best information on the history, culture, environment, and conservation efforts going on in the area. Our local guides provide a more meaningful and intimate experience in the destination they are visiting.

Additionally, we encourage our guests to shop at the port market that's run by locals. On the first and last day of this tour we dock at the port either awaiting or disembarking transportation and allow guests time to look around local art vendors set up in the area. We patronize them as much as possible and encourage our guests to do the same. The local vendors here are often family members of the people who drive the boats we whale watch from.

EMPLOYMENT, INCLUSIVITY, AND DIVERSITY

Our entire guiding and support staff are native Mexicans, many of whom call Baja home. These intrepid people are bilingual and worked their way through the highest international standards of wilderness first aid and sea kayaking certifications. Some are marine biologists, while others come from fishing families with generations of experience on the Sea of Cortez. Their pride in their homeland and enthusiasm for sharing their knowledge adds a priceless element to the tour. We pay living wages well above the standard, and offer educational and training opportunities for higher certifications.

This tour is able to accommodate people with physical limitations, disabilities and medical conditions; please speak with our team ahead of time if you think you will require any additional assistance while on the trip.

This tour is LGBTQ+ friendly. Everyone is welcome on the tour regardless of identity.