tours — Page 10

Kayak 360

April 4, 2009 By Jillian

We were introduced to Kayak 360 through the good people at Kayak Huasteca who had showed us the way down the waterfalls at the Rio Micos only a few short days earlier. Working out the logistics of where to be and when proved to be a bit of a challenge [ad#final-review-ad]was Kayak 360 is located off the beaten track, down by the river, far away from the city of Xalapa where we were staying. Had we had a car, this wouldn’t have been so difficult as Kayaking is just not a public transportation friendly sport.

Once there we had our choice of boats, mostly wavesports which suited us well, and were able to try on PDFs and skirts as well. All gear was in great shape and, even better, dry! Within a matter of minutes we were loading up the truck and hitting the river. As it was only two of us on the trip, one guide was plenty and the other members of the lodge who joined us in a raft were a welcome addition. Our guide, Tio Memo,has been paddling the area for 18 years and knew every nook and cranny of the river. He was a great guide, telling us everything we needed to know in advance. As the river is in Mexico, it was doubly appreciated that Memo spoke fluent English and we never had to be concerned with a language barrier.

For a full trip report click here but suffice to say we had a great day on the river. The folks at Kayak 360 were a pleasure to kayak with and, despite the fact that our group numbered only 2, were willing to handle all logistics and give us a very private day on the river. Thank you Kayak 360!

Kayak Huasteca

April 1, 2009 By Jillian

We used Kayak Huasteca for our trip down the waterfalls of the Rio Micos. I think the best part about kayaking with Kayak Huasteca was simply how flexible they were. With only a day or two of notice we were not only able to join them on the river but were also supplied with all gear and three guides for our group of four. I had heard a great deal about kayaking the waterfalls of Mexico long before I entered the country and could not allow myself to miss it. Aaron, Marjie, and Tomato (Alex) showed our group a fantastic time.

For starters, my wife and I consider ourselves to be intermediate kayakers. [ad#final-review-ad]I shared this with Aaron when working out some details in advance and he told me that the water was low enough that even non-kayakers would be able to handle the water with some minor instruction. I was shocked that he would be willing to take a couple of newbies over waterfalls but after seeing the falls and having such a wonderful time I would have been disappointed if he hadn´t included our inexperienced friends. Instead of it being just my wife and I, two of our backpacker friends were able to join and had the time of their lives.
On the river, the guides took the time to show the newbies how to perform a wet exit (eject from the boat when submerged) and call for help while submerged. The whole time I felt that they really respected the ability of individual group members, never did they push or cajole our inexperienced friends to do anything they did not want to do or were uncomfortable doing.

Once that was taken care of we hit our first fall and were able to run it as many times as we wanted. Where possible the trio of guides took movies (on our own camera) as we went over the falls, gave us a push when we needed it, and told us the easiest way to climb back up to do it over and over again. They also had their own camera to take pictures for us.
In the end we had an absolutely great time while I can say this had more to do with the fact we were running waterfalls than anything else, it was the attitudes of our guides that really made the day. Had they been indifferent or inflexible our group would have been cut in half, the run much much faster, and without all the extra fluff (paddling behind the curtain into caves, jumping over falls, repeating falls backwards, etc) that can really make things memorable. Thank you Kayak Huasteca!

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Espirtu Santo – Azul Tours

March 20, 2009 By Jillian

We began our journey to Espiritu Santo with plans to kayak around the island. Once we discovered this would be a two day trip requiring good equipment and some planning, we instead opted for a boat tour of the Island. Several other beach-goers highly recommended Azul Tours having themselves spotted several varieties of whales, including blue whales.

When we pulled up the morning of our tour we had no reservation. At 600 pesos Azul was slightly more expensive than competing Marlin Adventures, but there is no question that our tour was longer and more fruitful than the Marlin Adventures boat. Additionally, we were promised a lunch, including beer, on one of the world’s most beautiful beaches…but only after we’d had our fill of snorkeling with the ‘Lobos Marinas’ (Sea Lions).[ad#ad-3]

The boat itself was comfortable and apt to the job of showing up to 12 passengers around the island. It was small and open yet we did not get wet while riding and my camera was safe the entire time. As we approached the island we slowed down to circle a small colony of sea lions floating in the middle of the water. Our captain showed a great deal of patience ensuring we all had an opportunity to take pictures.

Next we received a radio call from another Azul Tours boat alerting us to pilot whales in the area. The captain, Saul, informed us that this is not common as pilot whales are usually here in August, not March. Regardless, he was just as excited as the rest of us and got the boat as close as he could for some pictures. This was particularly challenging as the pod would descend without warning and then reappear elsewhere, creating a challenge for Saul to keep up.

After following three different pods of pilot whales we received a radio call about a nearby humpback whale. While we were not able to get as near to the humpback, there was only one and it was able to stay under the water for a large amount of time making it difficult to track, Saul was the last boat to leave the area as we kept trying to get that perfect picture. I’m not sure I ever got it, but I certainly gained an appreciation for the huge size of the animal.

Next we sped off to Los Islotes where the there were so many sea lions the air stank of their breath and we had trouble telling whether the load burps were from them or from members of our boat. We donned tour provided snorkeling gear, including fins, and followed our guide as he showed us to the sea lions who were only too happy to check us out. Saul was not only the only guide in the water but he swam us around to different points to show us different fish, crustaceans, and still more sea lions. He brought a starfish up from the bottom for us to hold. You could tell the man loved his job.

Once we’d had our fill we climbed back aboard the boat and to Ensenada Grande where we ate delicious ceviche and Marlin, enjoyed a few beers, and swam in the crystalline waters. Once we were on the way back the show did not end however; I spotted a school of manta rays floating near the surface, a couple even threw themselves out of the water. We circled for a few minutes which was more than sufficient to take plenty of pictures.

We were told our tour would be 4-6 hours and we pulled in at the 6 hour mark. While we went to the same places as the other tours there was no question that we stayed longer as our captain put in the extra effort. We also learned it was extremely important that we drove to Playa Tecolote to begin our trip rather than starting way back in La Paz. The La Paz based trips spend the same amount of time on the water but much of this is speeding to and from the island. Additionally, these tours only see one half of the island; meaning no whales.

If you chill easily you would be well served to rent a wet suit for the snorkeling portion as the waters can be a bit chilly, but this is not necessary.

Guerro Negro Whale Watching: Malarrimo Eco Tours

March 20, 2009 By Jillian

With several options for whale watching in Baja California, we chose Malarrimo and had a wonderful time. Initially we had planned to go whale watching at the San Ignacio Lagoon only to discover that the lagoon was 2 hours from the town via a dirt road, unaccessible via public transportation. We had chosen San Ignacio over Laguna Ojo de Liebre as the San Ignacio whales are known to be more friendly than the whales found in the waters off Guerro Negro, no matter…the gray whales we saw were plenty friendly.

We arrived in Guerro Negro while it was still dark and found the still sleeping town easy to manage despite the hour of the day. Malarrimo was a mere block away from the bus station and they allowed us to stay in the hotel lobby with our things until the tour began. Despite not having any reservations we were able to join the group without a problem. Right on schedule – the morning tours have been known to spot more whales than those in the evening – we boarded the bus and headed out to the Lagoon.[ad#ad-3]

Guerro Negro is an unassuming blue collar town. While the gray whales in the Laguna Ojo de Libre put this town on the tourism circuit but first and foremost the town is here on account of the large salt mines. This means that rather than English speaking restaurateurs seeking to overcharge and under-serve, you can have a real Mexican experience. In addition to the whales there are also excellent birding opportunities along the marsh shores of the salt mines.

As we drove through town and then through the salt mines our guides addressed the group in both English and Spanish. The guides used this time to share some of the history of Guerro Negro and the lagoon as well as provide all necessary safety information for our boat trip. Upon arrival at the dock we had a final opportunity to use the ‘bano’ before donning the tour provided windbreakers and personal flotation devices.

Every year gray whales migrate from their northern homes to the waters off the coast of Baja California to calve during the winter months. The combination of the safety of the lagoon as well as the high salinity of the water make this area ideal for the whales. In fact, half the worlds population of grey whales participates in this Baja migration annually. Once the calves have doubled their birth weight they will embark on the 3 month trek back to their northern feeding grounds.

After a blistery trip out into the lagoon we slowed down and began to scan for the whales. In no time at all our captain had spotted a mother and baby and sped off for us to see them. For a more thorough account of our time petting and playing with the whales click here. I was impressed the entire time with the captain’s professionalism in balancing our interaction with the whales with the whales safety.

The captain only used the boat’s engine, as guaranteed by Malarimmo, to get us within 20 meters or so of the whale, allowing the whale to choose to come the rest of the way.

Before heading back to shore we were provided with a lunch consisting of a fruit soda which I will not try again, a very tasty chocolate bar, and a moderately sized fish sandwich. After a few more encounters with the whales, with dolphins playing nearby, we bid adieu and headed back. En route the captain stopped several times for us to view various birds atop buoys as well as large colony of resting sea lions.

The tour was a complete success and at $49USD each was a much better deal than any whale watching we could have done in the USA. Despite the boat being small and exposed to the elements and therefore uncomfortable, I found it much preferable to be able to get so close to the animals. I fully recommend this as a great trip but advise it is best to dress for the weather and to be prepared to get a bit wet as the whales have a tendency to blow some water in your face.

Kayak 360

Kayak Huasteca

Espirtu Santo – Azul Tours

Guerro Negro Whale Watching: Malarrimo Eco Tours

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