baja - i should log off

Flashback: Baja, Mexico

April 7, 2011 By Danny

It was about noon when we walked across the border into Mexico. Although we didn’t want a trip itinerary, we had planned ourselves a little bit of a route through Baja to help get us started. It was literally our first day of a two year journey and once we figured out where we had to go to get our passports processed (most people didn’t actually need to do even that) we began the trip south. We were filled with anxiety, excitement and fear and we didn’t know how to do a single thing.

After heading a few hours south from the border we arrived at the little town of San Quintin and realized two things. The first was that spending the night was silly because all the buses heading south only ran through the night. The second thing we learned was that Jill’s rule of ‘never sleeping on a bus’ was to be broken very quickly. We purchased tickets south, found some excellent Mexican food, ate dinner, and then boarded the 3^rd bus that came through. The ones prior to that would have gotten us to our destination too early, a 5am arrival was as early as we were willing to push it despite the desires of several drivers who wanted to take us onto their bus so they could keep our fare for themselves.

We arrived in Guerrero Negro while it was still dark and hung out with a couple of Mexican tourists who also wanted to visit the whales. Our only memories from the bus are a vague recollection of policemen walking up and down the aisle at a checkpoint; otherwise we slept the whole time. As dawn broke, we headed to book what was one of the most amazing activities of our entire trip.

We drifted in our boat for close to 20 minutes before the whales were spotted. Each time a white cap crested in the horizon I gasped thinking it was a whale. Just as I was about to call the trip a bust, a huge burst of water exploded from in front of us. As we drifted closer, the entire boat listed to one side as all eight of us clamored to get a better view of the passing animal. To say these animals are huge is an understatement. To say they are friendly is the understatement of the century. These whales were like puppies. They came up to our boat, nudged the boat, rolled onto their backs for a tummy scratch, waved their fins, and even seemed to mug for the camera. We actually got to touch the whales, several times, as they swam next to our boat. Click here to read more…

Our adventures in Baja didn’t stop there. After the ride we were approached by a Canadian couple who were heading the same way as us to celebrate their retirement. They didn’t have space for us in their car but invited us to stay with them once we all arrived in La Paz. We accepted and together we spent several days together. Some of that time was spent on the beach but we took another boat trip together where we were attacked by pilot whales, clearly not as enjoyable company as the gray whales, but swimming with the sea lions around the island of Espiritu Santu was awesome.

At the northern most tip of the island we stopped to snorkel… at a sea lion rookery…with sea lions. Yes, with sea lions. A surreal sea-world experience, snorkeling with the sea lions was as exhilarating as it was frightening. Click here to read more…

IF YOU GO: The Baja peninsula is a marine biologist’s dream. If traveling the length of the peninsula on public transport, as we did, you should plan to travel via bus at night. There are also tons of vacation packages available that will cover lodging, transportation and even food. We chose to visit the gray whales in Guerrero Negro rather than San Ignacio simply because San Ignacio is not easily accessible via public transport. Once in La Paz, Espirtu Santu trips can be booked from in town or the beach where the tours depart from one day in advance. In La Paz you can also book yourself on the ferry to take you to mainland Mexico.

Good Animal, Bad Animal & Ugly Animal

February 25, 2011 By Danny

There are a lot of animals in the world and we aimed to see all of them. Of course we didn’t but, we seem to have had a lot of animal experiences over our travels. Here are just a few:

The Good

Our first week on the road was an amazing one. Waking up the first morning in Guerro Negro, Mexico, jumping on a boat, and having what is probably the most amazing experience possible with a wild animal was fantastic. The boat tour that we took brought us out into the harbor where the gray whales literally just swam right up to our boat to play with us and allow us to pet them. The newborn calf led his mother and when a second boat stole his attention his mom swam right up so we could continue rubbing her skin. These were wild animals and we never gave them any food. The next few days, further south in La Paz, we took a boat ride around Espiritu Santo where we were visited by (not so nice) pilot whales, a humpback whale, jumping rays and for a finale we snorkeled with some very friendly and playful sea lions.

The Bad

Our trip to the Pantanal saw some practices that we find particularly upsetting. We went fishing for piranhas in the river, a perfectly OK activity and one we’d done just weeks earlier in the Bolivian Amazon, and then returned to the lodge with our catch. Upon our arrival we found the beach littered with caiman (the South American version of the alligator) who were just waiting to eat those fresh piranha…and they were fed, right there on that sandy beach. We consider it a bad practice whenever animals are given the opportunity to link humans with food, the reason we did not go diving with the great white sharks in South Africa. We were also annoyed when bait was tossed into the river for a hawk to come and catch…creating a nice, fake photo opportunity each time that hawk came down to eat.

The Ugly

The whales of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula were wonderful, many of the mammals we encountered in Africa were not quite so accommodating. After spending gobs of money to see the rare mountain gorillas of Uganda, we were more than a bit surprised when our welcoming by these animals was one of dominance by one of the group’s males. The gorilla charged us, actually knocking one of the guides to the ground; it was an authentic experience but more than a touch scary. Runner Up: Also in Africa, one elephant in Kruger National Park just didn’t want us get past him. This elephant just stood in the road, blocking our passing, and when we finally were able to make a run for it, he turned and reared his head….VERY unhappy at our having passed by. Jill wasn’t able to enjoy elephants again, which was problematic because we saw lots more.

This column of ishouldlogoff.com aims to answer those questions that we always get asked. What was your favorite this, or your worst that. Every week we aim to highlight a new topic and will do so until we run out of ideas. If you have an idea for a Good-Bad-Ugly post, feel free to tell us in the comment section below or send us an email. To read all of them, click here.

Baja Ferries La Paz- Topolombampo

March 24, 2009 By Jillian

The trip across the Sea of Cortez from La Paz with Baja Ferries was simple and pleasant. We had been warned to arrive at the ferry early and to be prepared for extensive security searches (Baja is an entry point for a large quantity of drugs headed into Mexico and the USA) however this did not materialize for us no the other passengers without cars. We were ushered onto the ferry quickly and found a comfortable place to sit for the 6 hour journey.[ad#final-review-ad]

The ferry itself was much larger than I expected as it was once a cruise ship. While the ship had been renovated for use as a ferry, the passenger area still reflected its past with a disco, theater, restaurants, gift shops, and lobby area. For our comfort several movies were played and we were able to roam around freely as though it was a cruise. For an additional fee, a private cabin could be rented although this was hardly necessary for our afternoon trip; had we been traveling in the reverse direction we may have considered this but given the amount of space on the boat it still would not have been necessary.

The biggest negative point I have to make is that the ferry is extremely expensive. At three times the rate of a comparable first class bus ride (without driving a car aboard) the ferry should have a variety of amenities beyond the bus but at its base it is merely another form of transportation. Still, it is the cheapest and most direct way from Baja to mainland Mexico.

In total the trip lasted just over 6 hours and save for watching a group of Mexican truck drivers giggle while watching Shrek, was uneventful. Upon arrival in Topolobambo the bus was easy enough to locate and charged 30 pesos for the trip to Los Mochis. Arriving in Los Mochis at 11pm was not problematic at all.

La Paz Part II

March 22, 2009 By Jillian

Still under the wing of Margaret and David, Wednesday we slept in a little bit and rode out to Playa Tecolate where we had booked a tour of Espiritu Santo, a large island off the coast of La Paz. Also a protected marine park, Espiritu Santo is known as one of the best places for sea kayaking and snorkeling in the area. You can read Danny’s review of our tour operator here. It was an amazing island and although the tour was a bit pricey for backpackers, it was well worth it. On our way around the island, our captain spotted a pod of pilot whales. We drifted closer to them and found ourselves in the midst of their movements. Although not as big as the gray whales we saw a few days earlier, seeing an entire pod of pilot whales was incredible. As they are not usually in the area until August, our captain was as pleased as we were to see them. We drifted among them and saw them not only swim, but breach and dive as well. The third pod of whales we saw, although semi-accustomed to boat traffic, seemed agitated at our presence. One swam up to the surface and flapped his tale at the boat several times, making a large splash and a loud noise. Several others stopped swimming and instead formed what looked like a defensive position over the pod. One swam so close to the boat that he actually bumped into it. We were under attack and continued on, seeing a humpback whale just a few minutes later.

At the northern most tip of the island we stopped to snorkel… at a sea lion rookery…with sea lions. Yes, with sea lions. A surreal sea-world experience, snorkeling with the sea lions was as exhilarating as it was frightening. The shrieking you here in the video is me freaking out as the sea lions swim right up to us to play. (We have a lot more video but just haven’t uploaded it yet).

Enthralled with the sea lions and snorkels in the water, Danny and I were separated from the group. One very playful sea lion joined us for the swim back to the group making circles around us and passes closer and closer to us. I flopped into the boat brimming with excitement at having swam with sea lions! (We also saw some very colorful fish and I got to hold a star fish.)

Admittedly, neither of us ever took a marine biology class, but this is a trip that I think anyone would enjoy! On the way back we stopped for a beach picnic and had trigger fish ceviche and marlin escaviche, both of which were delicious. One of the best rules of traveling is to try every meal that is put before you. So far Mexico has not disappointed at all with food, its a virtual paradise of tastes and textures and we’ve yet to even have a fajita. On our way back to shore our Danny spotted some manta rays jumping through the air, which was of course the perfect ending to an incredible day.

Needless to say our short stop in La Paz was extended for good reason. Although we’re on the ferry now to the mainland I definitely want to return to Baja California again, hopefully this time with a car!

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.