The See Turtles project partners to personally connect travelers with wildlife and local conservation efforts for an inspiring, natural adventure. Your first-hand participation in this trip will directly support community-based conservation of endangered sea turtles, while at the same time provide an alternative income to fishing and help to train local community members in ecotourism. Conservationists use scientific monitoring to measure the effectiveness of efforts to recover threatened populations. Most of the profits from this trip will be used by M06399 to bring along and train local guides from San Carlos who will lead future trips.
See Turtle Monitoring and Whale Watching features whale watching in Magdalena Bay
Tour Itinerary:
SEE Turtle Monitoring and Whale Watching
DAY 1 ~ ARRIVE IN LA PAZ, MEXICO
Arrive to La Paz, use your taxi voucher for the transfer to the Los Arcos Hotel, a comfortable hotel located right across from the picturesque bay. Upon check-in, ask the front desk staff for a Baja Expeditions Welcome Letter that contains information pertinent to your trip. After, spend some time exploring the colorful city of La Paz, with its charming boardwalk and many fine restaurants and shops. Dinner is on your own this evening. (No meals)
DAY 2 ~ LA PAZ TO MAGDALENA BAY
Meet in the lobby of the Los Arcos at ~7:30 AM in the morning, packed and ready to go. (Check your Welcome Letter for exact departure time). We will transfer to our La Paz office for a light breakfast of cereal, yogurt, juice and coffee. You may leave a bag of "city clothes" behind, and shop at our store for T-shirts, suntan lotion, etc. A four-hour van or bus ride transports you to Magdalena Bay, with lunch en route or at camp. Once we arrive at the Bay, a short boat ride delivers us to our base camp, where you'll have an orientation, assignment of tents and a safety briefing. Tonight you’ll enjoy a beautiful sunset over the Bay while the staff prepares a delicious welcome dinner. There will also be an evening presentation. (Meals: B/L/D)
DAY 3 & 4 ~ MAGDALENA BAY
The surreal landscape of the ever changing sand dunes provides a dramatic backdrop for exciting excursions to see the gray whales! There are two excursions each day using motorized skiffs, each lasting up to three hours. Our experienced naturalist guides will point out many behaviors of the whales, including spy hopping, mating, breaching, and nurturing their young.
In between whale watching excursions, you'll have time for walks along the beach or hikes in the dunes. You can also go kayaking on guide-led forays into the mangroves or other permitted paddling areas using our fleet of kayaks. You may opt to go bird watching, or just enjoy some "down time" as you relax with a book from our camp's library.
Happy hour brings an opportunity to compare notes with fellow travelers and you sip both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and sample tantalizing appetizers, while watching the sun disappear beneath the horizon. Dinner is buffet-style, and often includes fresh fish and home-made tortillas. After dinner, one of our experienced guides will present a natural history talk to help you learn more about the Baja Peninsula, its local people and the marine wildlife protected in Magdalena Bay. Be sure to take advantage of the opportunity to star-gaze while you are here, too. (Meals: B/L/D daily)
DAY 5 & 6 ~ TURTLE MONITORING IN MAGDALENA BAY
After breakfast we will take a 60 minutes boat ride to change camp sites. Members of the Cooperativa Eco-Tortugueros -a local conservation group working to protect the turtles in the area- will welcome us in their Turtle Monitoring camp.
Turtle watching offers an alternative to fishing or poaching for local residents who want to see a future for turtles and themselves in the region. We will help to put out the nets and monitor turtles in the following 24 hours, where we will check the nets and bring the turtles ashore for study, other activities as kayaking, bird watching & traditional fishing are also possible. (Meals: B/L/D)
DAY 7 ~ SAN CARLOS AND MAGDALENA BAY TO LA PAZ
Explore the area and perhaps do some bird watching before we check the nets one more time for green turtles. After a final lunch in San Carlos, the group returns to La Paz in the late afternoon for a free afternoon shopping or exploring the town. Dinner is on your own tonight. Overnight at Hotel Los Arcos. (Meals: B/L)
DAY 8 ~ LA PAZ TO HOME CITY
Depart to your home city with incredible memories, reflecting on your incredible opportunity to work directly with the turtles. There are taxis available 24 hours a day in front of the hotel for service to the La Paz airport and the cost is approximately $20. (No meals)
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Price Includes:
- Hotel on nights 1, 4 and 7
- Comfortable, catered camping: walk-in tent on nights 2 and 3
- Small camping tent on nights 5 and 6
- B/L/D on Days 2, 3, 5 and 6 and B/L on Days 4 and 7
- Sleep kit (Therm-a-rest mattress, sleeping bag, liner and pillow), snorkel gear and single or double kayaks in the Espiritu Santo camp
- Taxi vouchers to hotel from La Paz airport on Day 1
- Ground transfer to San Carlos on day 5 and return on day 7, services of knowledgeable guides and caring crew members
- Detailed pre-departure information to help you plan your trip.
Also see tour packages in:
North America
Mexico
Volunteering
Wildlife Viewing
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