Loreto, Mexico: Cozy up to whales, and sunset margaritas, on Sea Kayak Adventures trip

For an up-close look at gray whales along their Pacific migratory route, you may have trouble beating a trip to Magdalena Bay, a two-hour drive from Loreto, Mexico. The protected inner coastal waterway, along the western coast of Baja California Sur, is a popular spot for whales giving birth and rearing their young.

According to Nancy Mertz, co-owner of Sea Kayak Adventures, the great creatures here readily approach skiffs, seemingly forgetting the days of whaling, when the very existence of the species was threatened.

One of the many companies offering whale-watching excursions in Baja California, Sea Kayak Adventures runs various types of tours — whale-watching and otherwise — in Mexico (and elsewhere internationally). One of its early-2010 trip types, in particular, might be of interest to those of you who don’t want to miss whale-watching season but have limited time for such an adventure.

Trip: The five-day “Gray Whales of Magdalena Bay” trip by Sea Kayak Adventures involves whale-watching on three days, as well as hiking. Accommodations include two nights at a hotel in Loreto at the trip’s beginning and end, and two nights of “safari-style” camping on one of the bay’s sand dune barrier islands.

The day after your arrival in Loreto, the group drives the two hours to Magdalena Bay, setting up camp and then taking a skiff out into the bay for several hours. Day Three consists of more whale-watching, as well as hiking along sand dunes. After two hours of whale-watching on Day Four, you head back to Loreto, where you stay another night and depart the next day (unless you add one of the trip extensions available; see website for pricing and details).

Whale sightings are guaranteed by the company, as no whales during trip times would mean a major ecosystem crash, Mertz said. At any given time in the season, there are hundreds of whales in Magdalena Bay, she said.

The experiences with wildlife sound extraordinary, but so does the food to be provided. “Our specialty is Dutch oven cookery with savory main dishes like chicken mole, fresh fish vera cruz style, and chili rellenos; and delicious desserts from brownies to pineapple upside-down cake,” according to the Sea Kayak Adventures website. Fresh coffee in the morning and margaritas at sunset are also on the agenda.

Cost: The price tag on this tour is $995 per person (pre-tax; single supplement $85), which includes the two nights in Loreto, the two nights of camping, all meals, all camping equipment, guides and airport transfers.

When: Numerous trips are available between Jan. 22 and March 11, 2010.

Contact: Sea Kayak Adventures, (800) 616-1943

- Susan Derby, Special to the Los Angeles Times

Photos: Pacific gray whales interact with Sea Kayak Adventures tour participants in Magdalena Bay, Baja California Sur. Credit: Sea Kayak Adventures

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This entry was posted on Friday, September 18, 2009 at 9:06 am by Susan Derby and is filed under Baja California, Eco-Travel, Family & Kids, Mexico, Outdoors & Adventure. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.