Love was in the air this Valentine’s Day, in more ways than one, as we explored the waters and shore of Bahía Almejas. Gray whales migrate to this bay to mate and give birth, and we were gifted with memorable views of these gray whales on the final day of our “Among the Great Whales” itinerary. In late afternoon we paddled the bay and went ashore on Isla Santa Margarita to explore the desert. Our evening concluded with captain’s dinner and photos, videos, and stories shared among laughter and love.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 14 Feb 2020
Bahía Almejas and Isla Santa Margarita, 2/14/2020, National Geographic Venture
- Aboard the National Geographic Venture
- Baja California
Chelsea Leven, Naturalist
The informal education of a childhood among frogs, hardwood forests, and intensely snowy winters of northeast Ohio established Chelsea’s passion for the natural world. Indulging her curiosity about the world through formal education, she added a geol...
Read MoreShare Report
Baja California: Among the Great Whales
VIEW ITINERARYRelated Reports
3/21/2025
Read
National Geographic Venture
Canal de Cerralvo / La Paz
We awoke navigating on the Cerralvo Canal, between Cerralvo Island and the peninsula, searching for wildlife. We were not disappointed, as two different pods of common dolphins came to visit and bow ride with us for a long time. After lunch, we anchored at Pichilingue Port and disembarked the vessel to visit the capital city of Baja California Sur, La Paz, where we had the chance to interact with the locals in some of the most popular places, like La Fuente, a traditional ice cream parlor, and the Jardin Velasco in downtown. Then guests enjoyed a fiesta, dinner, and returned on board National Geographic Venture .
3/20/2025
Read
National Geographic Venture
Magdalena Bay
Today we woke with the shining stars and took Zodiacs ashore to meet our coaches for a trip to Chale, a small town on the shores of Magdalena Bay. The goal was to find some wintering gray whales, magnificent leviathans which frequent this coast to give birth before the long migration back to their Arctic feeding grounds. These whales did not disappoint! Spyhopping, breaching, and even a bit of tail flukes. As a result, there were lots of smiles and laughter all around! We returned to the town for lunch and then headed back out on the local boats for a second round. As we returned to the ship, the sun set over La Paz, with glassy waters of gold in the harbor, and pink clouds above. The constellations of Orion, Taurus, and the Pleiades shone over our Zodiacs on our way back to dinner aboard National Geographic Venture .