Home | Reservations | Destinations | Cruise Lines | Deals & Discounts | Corp & Group Charters | About Us

Reprint:  Sep/Oct 98 TravLtips

Our Special Expeditions trip was scheduled to leave from Phoenix, Arizona on the afternoon of Friday, December 19.  Never having been to Phoenix, we arrived on the 17th and spent two lovely days exploring the sights, sounds, museums and galleries of Phoenix and Scottsdale.

Friday, December 19-Morning walk in Scottsdale,  then to the airport where we had an easy, smooth operation of auto return and bag check-in at Aero Mexico.  Met some fellow "Special Expeditioners"-just the first of many warm, friendly people we encountered on this trip.  Our short flight to La Paz with one brief stop was followed by a  long bus ride from the airport to a commercial pier where the ship was docked.  (The regular pier was undergoing repairs.)  Passed through main part of town, nice beach and harbor with many sailboats.  Saw the municipal monument which consists of a large whale tail statue coming out of the ground-interesting and impressive.  We received a warm welcome by Captain Ron Short and staff followed by cocktails in the ship's lounge.  The captain introduced his officers; many were female, including the first and second officers.  We checked into our cabin, located conveniently between the lounge and the dining room-small, compact, but adequate and comfortable with a large window.  Dinner was at 8:00 p.m.  We dined with a couple from Bradenton, FL.  Coincidentally, the husband lived in Englewood, NJ-our town-and went to the same elementary school as our children.  The ship sailed in the evening and once more we enjoyed the gentle roll of a ship at sea as we slept.

Saturday, December 20-Up at 5:45 a.m., after a good night's sleep, as we want to be ready for sunrise at 6:30.  Coffee and fruit are available in the lounge.  Folks gathering, heading up to the forward deck to see the sunrise.  The mountainous terrain on the starboard side was the Mexican mainland.  It was cloudy, windy and cold.  Steve McLain, naturalist (a professor from University of Alaska at Fairbanks) was on deck at the bow, looking for wildlife.  Saw the first (of many) yellow footed gull.
Breakfast was at 7:30 a.m., our group all eager and ready for action!  At 8:30 a.m. everyone was back on deck.  Steve sighted a Brutus whale off the port bow, about 300 yards away.  Looks like a small black line on the water.  Binoculars help.  Everyone ran over to try and see the spout.  Some were successful, we just barely.  Saw a couple more gulls.  Still very windy.  Crew says this is unusual for this time.  Sun was rising through clouds and it was getting warmer.
9:15 a.m.  Crew fire drill.

9:30 a.m.  All hands life jacket drill, followed by a briefing on Zodiac use and snorkeling.
10:30 a.m.  Got snorkeling gear from top deck, aft.  Delightful sun overlooking the mountains and it was warming up nicely.  We were heading north to Isla San Ildefonso.
11:15 a.m.  Lecture by Steve on earth's climate, temperature variations, wind, etc. along with an explanation of El Niño phenomenon.  (Some were dozing, but the lecture was very interesting).
 12:30 p.m.  Lunch.  Saw pelicans through windows of dining room.
1:30 p.m.  Snorkelers head off in a Zodiac.  The ship carries a small fleet of Zodiacs, which are outboard powered rubber boats holding approximately 14 people.  They are used for close-up excursions to see wildlife and to reach beaches, etc.  The water was quite cold and most were wearing wet suits.  We elected to remain on board and go ashore later with hikers.
3:00 p.m.  Boarded Zodiac for hiking trip.  Went with the "medium" hikers, led by Gretchen, one of the naturalists.  Saw lots of plants, flowers, cacti and two turkey vultures who kept circling above us ominously.  Returned to ship at 5:30, the water now quite rough.
6:00 p.m.  A recap of day's activities was conducted by the naturalists.  This became the daily routine, followed by cocktail hour at 6:30 and dinner at 7:30.  Gretchen displayed a dead grebe that had flown into the radar-a beautiful little specimen with gray-blue feathers.  After dinner we watch pelicans dive after fish feeding from chum thrown off the fantail by the kitchen staff.  They swoop in like dive bombers and scoop the fish out of the water with their big net-like bills and then take off, only to return in a minute or two.
9:30 p.m.  Reading and writing in the lounge for a few minutes before hitting the sack.  Started doing some sketching, using the Smithsonian Bird Book as a guide.  Very tired after a busy first day aboard.
Sunday, December 21-Awakened at 5:00 a.m. by engines starting up.  Dozed until 6:30.  Ship had been anchored all night.  Heading now for Isla del Fonso.

7:00 a.m.  Joined naturalists Pete, Steve and Paco on deck at bow.  Found all three leaning over bow looking down at the water.  Three large bottle-nosed dolphins were riding the pressure wave in front of the ship.  Several more were slightly ahead and to the sides.  Magnificent sight!  This was like the gulls who travel with the ship on the air pressure waves overhead.  It requires very little effort on the part of the animal once it gets in the right position.  Also saw pelicans and brown boobies flying about.  Still waiting to see the famous yellow-footed booby.
8:30 a.m.  After breakfast boarded Zodiacs for a 1-1/2 hour cruise around Isla del Fonso, nine passengers plus Steve.  There were rough seas on the windward side of the island, but it was a wonderful trip!  Soon saw schools of dolphins swimming and diving all around the boat.  Also, much birdlife: boobies, pelicans, frigate birds, gulls, cormorants, even a peregrine falcon, a raven and a great blue heron.  Steve says the falcon and raven are not usually seen in this area.  Traveled into coves on the island.  Saw marine plants growing out of crevices, cacti and crustaceans along the shore.  Steve is a wonderful guide and teacher; we are learning a lot of natural history.  Back to the ship at 10:00.  Morning snack and watched a fine video about the Sea of Cortez and the Baha.  Relaxed in the lounge before lunch.
12:30 p.m.  Lunch.  Dr. Pat Jewett, ship's doctor joined us.
1:30 p.m.  Lecture about geology of the region by Pete Pederson, also a good lecturer and teacher.
2:30 p.m.  We travel by Zodiacs to Coronado Island for a hike.  There is a sandy beach with low growth shrubs, some cacti and lots of birds.  The Zodiacs have what they call a wet landing-we step into shallow water at beach, so one must bring beach sandals and carry dry hiking shoes for use on land.  A crude shelter is built on beach for occasional bathers, but no sign of people.  We hike across the island to another beautiful bluff overlooking a beach.  Rocks just offshore with pelicans, gulls, boobies, even an egret.  Birdlife abounding!  Paco, a Mexican naturalist from the University of Mexico City and a reptile expert, was turning over rocks looking for reptiles.  He found a small scorpion under one stone and picked it up and held it in his hand for five or ten minutes for our inspection.  He must have known it was not poisonous, but insisted that the way to deal with a scorpion was to be faster than it was!  Returned to ship about 5:30.
The pre-dinner recap featured a riotous performance by two blue-footed boobies (Gretchen and Pete, who are married) in blue stockings, blue flippers and a beak and tail.  Their act was an introduction to an interesting talk about the mating habits of various species.
7:30 p.m.  Nice dinner.  Ate too much, as usual.  Not hard to do, as food is not overly fancy but very good.  Meals were American style with adequate choices and we didn't have one bad one the entire week, and enjoyed many excellent ones.  After dinner the on-board shop was open.  A walk around the deck, some reading in the lounge and we were in our bunks by 10:00 p.m.
Monday, December 22-Awakened again at 5:00 a.m. by start up of engines.  Dozed until 6:15 a.m.

7:00 a.m.  On deck.  Very cloudy, misty and dark.  Steve says he has never seen this much cloud cover in the Gulf.  We were heading south with some slight clearing ahead, but experienced intermittent rain.
 8:15 a.m.  After breakfast we were on deck again.  Skies somewhat clearer.  Saw a lone sea lion bobbing in the water ahead.  Others saw a couple of bottle-nosed dolphins.  Suddenly there is a rainbow in the northwest sky.  Hope that means something for the future!
9:00 a.m.  Lecture in the lounge by Paco on reptiles.  Described how he was once bitten in the face by a whip snake.  He is such a droll type that you never know when he is kidding.  Sea a bit heavier than usual.  Sky clearing but not yet fair.
10:00 a.m.  Coffee and cider in dining room.  Self service drinks and snacks were always available in the dining room.  Great trail mix, with M&Ms!  Visited bridge.  Captain and OOD were very hospitable.  They said the bridge was always open for visits during daylight hours.  No need for an appointment or invitation.  They were very accommodating and showed us all the instruments, radar, etc.
11:00 a.m.  Reading in the lounge followed by lunch at noon.  There is a small library in the lounge with nature books and some general reading material.  Also, and most interesting, there were loose leaf volumes of the logs of all the ship's journeys.  These logs were prepared by one of the naturalists and sent to every passenger after the trip.  Can't wait to see ours, which is to be prepared by Steve.
1:15 p.m.  Zodiac cruise around Isla Partida and Isla Espiritu Santo featured a lot of wildlife. We saw many birds:  American oyster catcher, frigate birds, cormorant, osprey, several turkey vultures feeding on a dead sea lion on the beach, yellow footed gulls, brown boobies and a great blue heron.
2:45 p.m.  A hike to Cat Bay and around the island was led by Pete.  We walk along a beautiful beach and then head into much dense cactus and other shrubs with burrs, sharp spines and thorns.  Had to be very careful.  Long walk across a hill saddleback to the ridge where there were great views of both sides of the island.  Pete decided to let those who wished to rest remain there while he and the others traversed the ridge to see if there was an easier way down and back to the beach.  As we progressed along the ridge the views became even more magnificent.  We could clearly see both sides of the island, including all of Cat Bay and our ship lying offshore.  This way down looked easier and shorter, but we had left part of the group on the ridge so Pete and some of us returned to them while Paco led the rest down to the beach.  We then proceeded to retrace our steps back to the beach, through the thorns and cacti.  The way down was difficult but manageable.  When we finally reached the beach we found Paco's party playing Frisbee and having a great time.  Their trip back was fast and easy, beating us by over half an hour!  All in all, it was a good adventure.
5:30 p.m.  Return to ship.  Shower, dress, drinks and evening lecture followed by dinner.  Everyone exhilarated by the day's activities.  Much exchange of stories over dinner.
9:00 p.m.  Evening film from Mystic Seaport Museum about a 1929 sail around Cape Horn in a Norwegian training vessel.  It was fascinating, made by a midshipman on the voyage, now a merchant captain.  The hardships and dangers were unbelievable.  Everyone was exhausted and the ship quiet as all were in the sack by 10:00 p.m.
Tuesday, December 23-We are awakened by anchor haulage and the ship getting underway.  Dozed and then committed the cardinal sin for a sailor, oversleeping.  Made it on deck at 7:15.  Beautiful morning, clear with little wind and the sun already up.  Others said it was a beautiful sunrise.  Oh well, there will be a few more sunrises before we disembark.  As usual, Steve was at his station scanning the water for wildlife.  Saw a Wilson's pharalope, yellow-footed gulls, pelicans, an immature heron and frigate birds.

8:30 a.m.  Right after breakfast the Zodiacs were loaded for a trip to the beach for hikes.  We joined the long hikers led by Steve and Gretchen for a walk up to a high ridge of the mountain spanning the island.  Saw more gulls and pelicans plus black throated sparrows in the bushes, a semi-palmated plover, osprey and sandpipers.  Walked up a narrow ridge trail to the very top.  Great views.  Saw evidence of goats: droppings, footprints and eaten shrubs.  Strange, as the island appeared uninhabited.  Some people must be letting them in.
12:00 Return to ship and lunch.
1:15 p.m.  The snorkelers are off to a reef.  We decide to wait another day or so until we are in warmer water.  They are still using wet suits.
2:00 p.m.  Relaxing in lounge.  The ship will head for La Paz about 3:00 p.m., due there about 7:00 p.m. to take on food, water and supplies.  This is a change of plans.  The passengers will be going to a Ballet Folklore of Mexico performance arranged for us by Special Expeditions.
6:00 p.m.  Recap and reptile lecture by Paco dressed as a lizard, complete with tail.
6:30 p.m.  Dinner.  Pete Pederson, naturalist joined us at our table.  Pete is a very fine individual with an interesting background.  He has a master's in zoology and was a U.S. Park Ranger in Yosemite.  He and Gretchen live a different, exciting kind of life, working as naturalists  with Special Expeditions.
8:00 p.m.  Ship docked at La Paz and we are off to the folk dance program.  Magnificent dancers, as good as any we have seen.  Returned to ship and our bunks by 10:30 as we must be up early for a dawn Zodiac cruise to Isla Partida to view sea lions.  Ship will sail at night this time.

Wednesday, December 24-Awake early for the Zodiac-sea lion-watching-cruise.  Buffet breakfast in lounge and loading at 7:00 a.m.  Large swells had the Zodiac rocking and pitching, Pete in command.  The great rock formations in this area are resting places for hundreds of seals and sea lions.  All sizes were present from giant black males to little pups.  Family scenes of nursing mothers and pups and the old man snoozing in the sun.  On one rock there was a large congregation of black males off by themselves.  There were dozens of animals swimming around the boats, almost as if acting on cue.  They seem to be perfectly at ease in the presence of humans and the Zodiacs.  Birds abound: boobies, cormorants, frigate birds, pelicans and many, many more.  Saw a pair of blue-footed boobies doing a mating dance on a high rocky area, culminating in the actual mating.  Incredible!  This morning's excursion will be a hard act to follow!
8:15 a.m.  Return to ship and a buffet brunch at 10:00, after the second round of Zodiacs return from seal watching.  Great buffet:  waffles, chicken crepes, fruit, scrambled eggs, juice and coffee.
11:30 a.m.  Snorkeling!  This time we are going.  Weather clear, warm and the water not so cold.  The advanced group went on a boat to a reef while the less experienced ones waded in from the beach.  We started out at the beach, swimming to a reef.  Saw many varieties of fish and coral, after which we joined the others on the snorkel boat and saw lots more fish, including a long thin needle type that changed colors before my eyes.  Back to the beach to dry off and enjoy Mexican Tea (ice cream, sherbet, pastry and cold drinks) before returning to ship.  On board, we freshened up before returning to the beach for an evening picnic and barbecue.
5:00 p.m.  Zodiacs transport us to a beach for a barbecue dinner.  Like everything else Special Expeditions did, this was a perfect barbecue.  Good food, drinks, a bonfire, gorgeous sunset and a million stars.  Songs led by Mary Lou playing the guitar.  A very tasteful and enjoyable Christmas eve celebration.
8:00 p.m.  Return to ship, relax in lounge with fellow passengers and to bed at 10.00.  A perfect day.

Thursday, December 25-Happy Yuletide!
6:30 a.m.  On deck.  Only one brown gull to be seen.
8:30 a.m.  After breakfast, we were on deck looking for whales.  It's a little too early in the season according to Steve, but we might be lucky.  Same gull seems to be following the ship.  Also saw a frigate bird, plus some small birds skimming the ocean surface.  As the morning progressed more people gathered on the deck.  Fair weather, slight breeze and increasingly large swells as we head south towards Land's End and the Pacific Ocean.  Even without the whales, it is a delightful way to spend Christmas morning.
10:30 a.m. Everyone is gathering for the breaking of the Christmas piñata on the aft deck..  Alexandra, the one young girl on board, is about to smash open the piñata and have all the candy spill out when Pete announces over the PA that bottle-nosed dolphins are now riding the bow.  This resulted in the fastest piñata breaking ceremony in Mexican history as all hands ran forward to see the action.  Sure enough, dolphins abounding, forward and to the sides!  Much excitement!
11:00 a.m.  Christmas punch in the lounge.
12:10 p.m.  Leatherneck turtle sighted off the starboard bow.  Saw a glimpse from our cabin window.
12:30 p.m.  Buffet lunch on sun deck.  Excellent as usual.
1:00 p.m.  Ship docks at Cabo San Lucas, our last stop.  One more evening cruise tonight before leaving tomorrow.
1:45 p.m.  Birding walk near an old cemetery with Gretchen and Paco.  Saw a cardinal, grey flycatcher, red tailed hawk, California towhee, green necked swallow and half a dozen more whose names I didn't catch from Gretchen.  The Mexican cemetery was pretty with flowers adorning all the graves.
4:00 p.m.  Back to the ship.  Cabo is a typical garish resort town.  Looks like a combination of Miami Beach and the seedy part of the Jersey shore.  We have been spoiled by all of the secluded natural areas we have visited.
5:00 p.m.  Sunset cruise on the Sea Bird-our last sailing.  Beautiful evening.  Almost on cue, at the last hour, humpbacked whales were sighted off the port bow.  (These really were whales, not turtles.)  What is great about the Sea Bird is that the captain will change course as he wishes, and so he did, in an attempt to get us closer to the whales.  What a thrilling sight!  A blow of air and water from the surface of the sea and then this large black-brown mass rising from below.  There were two animals, swimming together.  At one point you could see the dorsal fin and then the tail as the whales rose and then dove.  This was surely the final thrill of the trip.  We now head back to port, happy and satisfied.
6:30 p.m.  Captain's cocktail party with farewell comments by Captain Short and the naturalists followed by a sumptuous Christmas turkey dinner.  We were fortunate to have Pete join us again for dinner.
8:30 p.m.  We stroll around Cabo with several others.
10:30 p.m.  Packing and to bed.  No rocking motion as the ship is docked.  Still slept well.

Friday, December 26-Awake early, then dozed until 6:00.  Finish packing, and had bags outside at 7:00.
7:00 a.m.  Coffee in the lounge.
7:30 a.m.  Breakfast-our last meal on board.
9:00 a.m.  Bus to airport.  There will be a stop for lunch at San Jose del Cabo, a small village not far from the airport.  The restaurant was mentioned in Steinbeck's book, and is known for its punch that is said to have powerful aphrodisiac properties.  Everyone warned not to drink too much!  Farewells to those not going to airport followed by exchange of addresses, including e-mail, standard procedure these days.
10:00 a.m.  Stop at Art & Crafts center outside of Cabo.  Succumbed to purchase a pottery planter.
11:15 a.m.  Lunch at Damian restaurant.  We enjoy an excellent Mexican dish plus ice cold melon water-cut up cantaloupe pieces in a mixture of blended melons, water and sugar.  Very refreshing.  It did not appear to be the famous punch.
12:30 p.m.  We stroll around the square and through some shops.  Peeked into interior courtyard of the local municipal building.  It exhibited a real old-world Spanish feeling.
12:30 p.m.  We are off to the airport.
1:00 p.m.  Airport is crowded with lots of vacationers returning home.  Got a slight scare as our bags, plus many others were not on the bus.  Couldn't believe it.  However, once again Special Expeditions was way ahead of us.  All Phoenix bound bags had been brought to the airport earlier and checked through.  Two very efficient young women from Special Expeditions met us and handled everything.  As one said, "Don't worry.  You have nothing to worry."  After a smooth flight to Phoenix, sure enough, our bags were waiting.
5:30 p.m.  Take the hotel shuttle to the Hilton.  Spent the night in Phoenix before returning home.  This was a magnificent trip.  Special Expeditions planned and executed everything perfectly. We feel that we have a real understanding of the Baha and the Sea of Cortez.  The naturalists were excellent guides and teachers and the entire staff could not have been more accommodating.

Current Data:  Lindblad Special Expeditions pioneered voyages to the Sea of Cortez 17 years ago making this remote and beautiful region accessible to adventurous travelers.  Since then, they have continued to fine tune their program and seek out additional areas for passengers to discover.  From December to April, they offer a spectacular journey that will combine the exciting wildlife and beauty of the Sea of Cortez with the unspoiled grandeur of the Copper Canyon of the Sierra Madres.
Passengers will board the 70-passenger Sea Bird or Sea Lion in La Paz, Mexico for four nights of cruising the Sea of Cortez.  Expected stops include Isla Santa Catalina, Islas Partida and Espiritu Santo.  One day is intentionally left "unscheduled" for exploring other diverse islands and spending time following any whales or dolphins which may be in the area.  After returning to La Paz, passengers will be flown to Los Mochis for a motorcoach transfer to El Fuerte in the foothills of the Sierra Madre.  After an overnight stay, passengers will travel by train through the mountains to Divisadero and overnight on the rim of the Copper Canyon.  The next day, after time to explore the surroundings-including dwellings of the pre-Columbian Tarahumara Indians-passengers will travel by motorcoach to Chihuahua where they will overnight before morning flights home.  Fares for the 7-night program start at $2,390 per person. Nine-day Sea of Cortez: Among the Great Whales itineraries operate January through March.  Contact the TravLtips Specialty Cruise Office for full details and color brochures:  800-872-8584. Be sure to let them know that you read about it at Small Ship Cruises.