Baja
and the Sea of Cortez
Mothership Cruising in the ‘Galapagos of Mexico’
Special
25th Anniversary Adventure
This
trip was a special 25th Anniversary trip in 2007 and at the present
time we do not have plans to run one in 2008.
In deciding
on our 25th Season’s trip offerings, we are inspired to return
to our origins in a number of ways. We
successfully completed two spring seasons of kayaking in Baja in
1984 & 85, then again in 1997, when nearly 200 of you joined
us to fill up a single season’s schedule of warm weather,
southern adventuring.
 Once
again, we will return to the Baja peninsula and the rich waters
of the Sea of Cortez (or Gulf of California) this season. As our
company has matured, so have many of our guests. So rather than
a camping and kayaking adventure, we will reenter the Baja adventure
travel landscape aboard a beautiful yacht.
Each day you
will choose between kayaking, snorkeling, hiking, beach combing
and just relaxing on board. Anticipate encounters with whales, dolphins,
sea lions, manta rays, seabirds, and an amazing diversity of undersea
life. Explore rocky shorelines, white sandy beaches, fossil beds,
volcanic outcrops, coral reefs and cactus forests, just to name
a few of the environments.
 We
will travel the sea from island to island, discovering turquoise
water coves, passing desert shorelines and, if you wish, exploring
the underwater realm via snorkel and fins. The 90-foot ‘Fiesta’
is a Mexican family-owned and operated yacht that has been a floating
base for non-profit, educational adventures for many years.
We want you
to travel with us to Baja with the same confidence you have when
you travel with us in Canada. The Panterra Educational and Cultural
Training Society has been operating educational journeys afloat
in Baja for over 20 years. We will be accompanied by their expert
naturalists on each Northern Lights Expeditions Baja voyage and
they will be an integral part of Northern Lights’ voyages
there in each phase.
We will of course
have our Northern Lights guides, but you’ll enjoy the knowledge
and security of Panterra’s unequalled experience in Baja to
help make sure everything runs the way you expect, from start to
finish. In fact, these trips are the most all-inclusive on any Northern
Lights adventure. We’ll meet you at the airport in La Paz
and we’ll be there again until your plane leaves the terminal
on your way home.
 Baja
Mothership Kayaking- Typical Itinerary
Day
1(Monday):
Arrive in La Paz, Mexico. Board beginning at 5:00 pm. Introductory
dinner and evening meeting with your guides and fellow travelers
after settling into your cabin.
Days 2-6: Cruise northward
out of La Paz, to Isla Espiritu Santo, Isla Partida, Los Islotes
(snorkeling with sea lions!), and continuing the voyage northward
as far as Islas San Francisco and San Jose or possibly even farther
before beginning the southward leg of our journey by a different
route. In five full days of cruising, we will visit the most spectacular
areas of this region, stopping to snorkel, kayak, hike and learn
about this part of the planet.
Day 6 (Saturday):
Arrive back in La Paz by 5:00 pm. Dinner and overnight in town with
time to explore before flying out the next day.
The Fiesta
 The
MV Fiesta is a Mexican registered commercial passenger vessel and
is certified under the "Nacional de Seguridad Maritima".
The equivalent to the Canadian Department of Transport. It has the
legally required inspection certificate, permits to access the area
we explore and is registered with the Ministry of Tourism.
It is 4 levels
- 90' in length - 28' beam (width)
All staterooms have a sink, mirror and two bunks. Most bunks are
singles, there are two staterooms with double bunks. Each deck has
a common shower and head.
2 Transport
Skiffs (Pangas)
The pangas are
not only used for ship to shore transport, they are on site during
the snorkeling activities. They are a sturdy aluminum fish boat
used by the commercial fishermen.
The Crew
The owner and Captain
of the Fiesta is one of your six crew members aboard. The crew’s
concern for their passengers’ care and safety is exemplary:
they have a ‘panga’ (safety boat) standing close by
snorkelers; they encourage guests to visit the wheelhouse to learn
more about navigation and vessel operations; they help their guest
with snorkel and beach gear; they are constantly on the lookout
for wildlife; and from their galley they turn out delicious and
nourishing, home-made meals.
Along with the
crew there will be 3 guides/naturalists. Most trips will have 14
guests.
A Note on Kayaking
There is so much to do
that does not involve kayaking that we have designed these trips
to feature kayaking as just one of our possible activities. For
our inaugural 2007 season, we’ll use sit-on-top kayaks and
we’ll pick just the best spots and times of day to kayak.
Mothership kayaking at its best!
During our previous seasons
in Baja and the Sea of Cortez, we learned one thing well: it’s
usually too windy for kayaking in the afternoon! That leaves most
Baja kayaking/camping trips with a morning of kayaking and the rest
of the time looking for a spot out of the sun and wind on the shore.
Our yacht is the perfect answer to that, allowing us to continue
comfortably traveling, finding perfect coves that are out of the
wind, and going ashore for hikes in places with just enough breeze
to keep the spring sun at bay.
What's
Included
Meeting you
on arrival in La Paz and transfer to the Fiesta for your first night
aboard
5 days/5 nights cruising the Sea of Cortez
All meals (dinner on day 1 to lunch on day 6) and 2 cervezas or
2 Margaritas per day
Final night in La Paz at a waterfront hotel
Transfer to airport on final morning
Getting
to our Departure Point (La Paz, Mexico)
Click here for our Baja Travel Page.
| 2008
Dates (trips run Monday - Sunday) |
2008
Trip Cost |
no trip planned for 2008 |
--
|
*Canadian Rates
are approximate based on recent exchange rates. See www.oanda.com
for current exchange rates.
Baja
Mothership Based Kayak Vacations
|
)
)
)
)
)
)
