A terrific blog about recent pelagic birding tour
Many thanks to John Schwarz for his blog posting about the pelagic tour: http://www.birdspix.com/. He includes short video footage of the Baird’s beaked whales too.
Need a new search?
If you didn't find what you were looking for, try a new search!
2023 Baja Whalewatching Tour #4 Laguna San Ignacio (March 27)
March 27
Hello whalewatchers:
Greeted by curious and friendly gray whale mothers and calves…nothing more could make this visit special!
Passengers enjoyed three whalewatching excursions and even a beach walk late afternoon. Star gazing and listening to the whales was the perfect finale. We will enjoy one more day here.
Captain Art and Team Searcher
2023 Baja Whalewatching Tour #4 Offshore Ensenada (March 25)
March 25
Hello whalewatchers:
Our Immigrations and Customs check in Ensenada for our entry in Mexico went smoothly and we were on our way south. It turned out to be a fantastic dolphin day here on Searcher! At one point, we estimated 3000 common dolphins were around us.
Captain Art and Team Searcher
Experience Baja Wildlife with Searcher
Dreaming of the ultimate wildlife excursion? Look no further!
Join our 12-day tour to whalewatch for up to a dozen different species: gray, blue, fin, sperm, and humpback whales, and several kinds of dolphins along the Pacific side of Baja California, plus an extension into the rich 
waters of the Sea of Cortez where even more whales and wildlife are abundant.
Explore offshore islands for birding and photography, and snorkel with tropical reef fish.
There are currently still spots available on the tour departing March 24, 2018! To learn more about the trip’s itinerary and detail for booking, visit https://www.bajawhale.com/whale/baja-whalewatching-tour-5/.
Love birding? 
We’ve put together a Birds of Baja gallery to give you a taste of what you might see on your adventure with Searcher Natural History Tours. 
Curious Gray Whales in Laguna San Ignacio
Hello Whalewatchers!
Steven Swartz, Ph.D., co-director and founder of Laguna San Ignacio Ecosystem Science Program, has spent decades researching gray whales. A question he often gets from eco-tourists is “Why are gray whales in Laguna San Ignacio ‘curious’ about people in small boats?” In this short article, he offers his thoughts on why gray whales display this curious and friendly behavior…
Also, watch the video below to see this curious and friendly behavior in action! Thank you to Robyn Carmel for sharing your footage!
Video of encounter between Searcher and pilot whales, thanks to Paul Jones!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0uQa4pyWdU
Subscribe to “Baja Whales and Wildlife”
Enjoying Capt Art’s Blog? Subscribe to our e-newsletter which puts whale and wildlife news into your email box once a month or so. We love to stay in touch with other whalewatchers!
Go here: http://www.bajawhale.com/contact/
Meet Lindsay!
Travellers on Tour #2 (click for booking details) will be joined by Searcher naturalist, Lindsay Janes. A British Columbia native, Lindsay is a professional teacher, naturalist, marine biologist, and photographer. She has worked as a multi-day hiking guide, high school science teacher, professional interpreter for the Vancouver Aquarium, and as a fish monitor for the department of Fisheries and Oceans.
Lindsay has been working as a professional naturalist and wildlife guide in the Pacific Northwest for more than 15 years where she has assimilated a wealth of knowledge about the wildlife and cultural heritage of the region. She is an experienced bear guide, has a particular passion for marine wildlife and the ecology of temperate rain forests, and a boundless enthusiasm for sharing her extensive knowledge and experience of this subject too.
Lindsay and husband Lee Morgan operate a natural history tour company based in Canada, www.lutrawildlife.com
Join Searcher crew and Lindsay on this amazing adventure, migrating with the whales and wildlife of Baja California!
Here come the gray whales!
Volunteers at the LA county-based census project have counted over 60 gray whales so far and one southbound calf, so the migration to Baja California is well underway. You can follow their daily log here: http://www.acs-la.org/daily.htm
Pregnant females will sometimes give birth during the southern journey, or as they arrive to the shallow, warm-water lagoon in Baja, such as San Ignacio, Magdalena Bay and Scammon’s.
Gray whale surfaces to breathe next to Searcher while at anchor in Laguna San Ignacio.
We’re excited to meet them in Laguna San Ignacio, where our passengers will spend two days among the whales, incuding mothers with newborn calves! There are still some spots available for 2017 tours. Contact our office for details: searcher@bajawhale.com or 619-226-2403.
Want to brush up on gray whale details? Click here: Gray Whales. Thanks to Rob Nawojchik, Searcher naturalist, for the article and photos.
And sometimes, close enough to touch. photo by Rob Nawojchik
2015 WildWings Mexico Pelagic – Report from Chris Collins
(Great frigatebird photo by Tom Blackman)
Our inaugural pelagic birding expedition into Mexican waters, organized by WildWings, was a big success, with sightings of both target species (Ainley’s storm petrel and Townsend’s shearwaters) and much more. The itinerary included Guadalupe Island, Alijos Rocks, Socorro Island, and areas in between.
Chris Collins (at left) and Steve Howell were leaders aboard this voyage. Trip report and sightings list are attached below.
We are already looking forward to our 2017 repeat of this exciting and unique expedition! More info here: http://www.bajawhale.com/pelagic/mexico-pelagic-birding-tour/
Take a quick look through the Team Searcher trip reports below:
