MEXICO | TOURS & CRUISES
Small-ship cruising & whale watching in Baja California
How do we love Baja? Let us count the whales...
Can't speak to the aroma.
Maybe we were upwind.
The sound a whale makes when she blows right thar, on the other hand, is just like the one made by those high-pressure fire extinguishers: an assertive whoosh.
Then she eases herself back beneath the surface of the water and glides along while, no doubt, considering whether to put on a real show for the people by leaping like an insurance company ad or by merely flashing a little tail.
It's always an amazing thing to see a whale in person, which in part explains the appeal of what the marketing wizards at CruiseWest call its Baja Whales & Wildlife Cruise.
The other part is Baja, which, except in the ridiculous heat of midsummer, is an intriguing destination for a variety of reasons. But back to the cruise.
Whales, John Steinbeck's gripes of wrath aside, are irresistible, whether at Sea World or even where they're just a dot and a little steam-puff on the oceanic horizon. Viewing one of these things from a boat smaller than a New Bedford harpooneer's and so close she's almost petable — that's a privilege, and that's what we did on this little voyage.
Calling it "a cruise" is obligatory, because it has all the symptoms: You board the 217-foot Spirit of Endeavour, unpack only once, sleep in moderately snug quarters, dine on schedule with strangers and don't stay in any port longer than a few hours. There is some pampering, which, at these prices (expect to pay around $6,000 to $7,000 a couple for the week), there'd better be.
And there are differences. Anyone expecting bingo, conga lines, belly-flop contests, blackjack, baked-Alaska parades, Rockin' With the '60s revues or 4,000 fellow passengers (we were 72 on our run) will be disappointed.
But this isn't a National Geographic Channel climb-the-rigging bare-bones expedition either. It certainly isn't a seven-day science lecture. When not cozying up to seagoing mammals, cold beer is there to be consumed, sometimes on white sand beaches. People are offered kayaks and enough instruction to make them fun, even for novices. They snorkel. They laugh.
There is silliness, even during the obligatory science lectures. Allan Morgan, distinguished shipboard naturalist, on how to deal with scorpions in the desert:
"Don't find any scorpions."
So is this finally the cruise for people who have vowed never, ever, ever to take a cruise?
Well, here's what it was for sure:
For seven days in late January spilling into early February, the Spirit of Endeavour sailed from Cabo San Lucas partway up Mexico's Sea of Cortes (a.k.a. the Gulf of California) and back, communing with whatever swam or flew her way.
In those seven days, we saw (well, someone saw; years ago in Iowa, I was certain I saw an eagle — that turned out to be a vulture) and identified 39 species of bird, including two varieties of woodpecker, two shades of pelican and a pair of boobies — the blue-footed and the brown.
 Should we take offense, order a drink, or what? That depends, of course, on where you think these words turned up. |
 The National World War II Museum in New Orleans dedicates its latest building. |
Where Americans die abroad, and why: By the numbers
Of course you should beware of crime while planning and making your next international trip...
Read more »
Users' Favorites
Taking restless Southern California on vacation
Los Angeles Times e-mail newsletter, delivered every Thursday
wherever it appears.