2016 was full of surprises for our Baja Whalewatching adventurers, including one that most of our tour guests shared in common! (Many thanks to Lee Morgan for use of his beautiful cover photo.)
Following a day of birding, snorkeling, and beachcombing at Los Frailes, passengers received a delightful announcement: they would be experiencing a Whale Shark Encounter in Bahía La Paz the following day as part of Searcher‘s pilot program to include this new opportunity on our 12-day itinerary.
Searcher Natural History Tours contracted with local, licensed tour operators and guides to provide this unique experience to our passengers. A comfortable, shaded panga boat would arrive the following morning to collect groups of snorkelers and observers for an expertly piloted tour of the emerald waters near the entrance of La Paz bay in search of the biggest fish on the planet! Snorkelers would be permitted to actually swim alongside these massive, awe-inspiring creatures within the Whale Shark Reserve’s guidelines (six swimmers at a time, maintaining a distance away from the shark, and no touching). Those who chose to remain on the boat were treated to multiple up-close opportunities to observe and photograph the whale sharks as they swam and fed in the clear, warm, and plankton-rich waters.
Having a close encounter with a whale shark was an unexpected and unique event, which was added to passengers’ many highlights of their Searcher Natural History Tours’ Baja Whalewatching adventure. Our plan is to make this resoundingly popular experience available as an option for 2017 tours, weather permitting. We will keep you informed as details become available! In the meantime, please enjoy the photos and imagine what it would be like to swim alongside a 25-foot long fish….
