10 Night In Steinbecks Wake An Epic Voyage Through the Sea of Cortez Cruise from San Jose del Cabo

Fly into San Jose del Cabo and transfer to La Paz. Board the Safari Voyager and get settled into your cozy cabin. La Paz is known for fantastic sunsets, so plan on being on deck with a glass of champagne as we get underway for the rarely visited islands of the Northern Gulf of California. Meals included: dinner

Early this morning, we anchor off Punta San Marcial. We will have a chance to go ashore and search the intertidal zone for critters of all kinds. This is also your chance to learn safe practices while kayaking, paddle boarding, snorkeling, and skiffing. Punta San Marcial is a historic Steinbeck site. During lunch we will get underway for the nearby Isla Catalina where we may see the largest barrel cactus on the planet, or if we are lucky see the endemic rattle-less rattle snake. Maybe you are up for a snorkel at Elephant Rock, or we may snorkel in the lee of Isla Santa Catalina, a protected island. As the sunsets we get underway for Santa Rosalia Town. Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner

This morning will be spent searching for blue and fin whales that frequent the navigational corridor between Isla Catalina and Santa Rosalia. This afternoon, we visit what was a bustling French mining town from the 1880s; you will find Santa Rosalia to possess a flavor of that early charm, even today. This town is like no other in all of Mexico...they even have a French bakery. Take the opportunity to view many of the historic structures and take an included walking tour to Gustave Eiffel's Church of Santa Barbara (Eiffel Tower's fame), the French Bakery, and the Mining Museum...how about El Boleo history? We will be in town until late. Your guides will have these and other activities available throughout the day. Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner

This is a very rarely visited area without easy access. Great snorkeling, beach walks, and hikes in the interior of the Baja Peninsula are available. Also, to the north is Roca El Racito, which is a great spot for bird life and for experienced snorkelers. Your guides will take you to areas that Steinbeck visited and logged the marine and terrestrial life he found. If conditions allow, you may choose our first longer kayak outing of the cruise. Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner

This bay and the little town are considered the "Marine Oasis of Baja California" due to the abundant aquatic life. This lovely area is also of the finest boating areas in the Baja area. Perfect for kayaking and small boat excursions and ventures ashore such as hikes to Punta La Gringa, visits to the nature museum, and even possible swims with whale sharks. This is also a great chance to take guided walks and hikes or be on your own. This area is also known as one of the few places in Baja where the famed, and huge, leatherback turtle can be spotted. For those who enjoyed reading the "Log from the Sea of Cortes" we will have the opportunity to visit a nearby Steinbeck site. Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner

This is the most northern extent of our journey and a treat Captain Dan has relished returning to. This tight and protected area is known to local fishermen and yachties as one of the most protected and scenic areas in the Northern Sea of Cortez. We will have all day to enjoy this yachter's paradise. All activities are on for today, and perhaps a chance for a campfire before dinner? Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner

Field notes from our research trip tell the story best. "We went up the main arroyo that splits the island in half. We found numerous pinto chuckwallas, which would slap their tails hard on the ground as the scurred off. The hike was rigorous but enjoyed by all. We found hundreds of sea lions hauled out along the south shore of the island. Pelicans, boobies, terns, cormorants, gulls, and osprey were numerous along this rugged coast. After landing on the gravel bar, bones of several marine mammals could be found". Early this afternoon we get underway for a marine mammal search. Keep an eye out for blue, fin, sperm, orca, and pilot whales that frequent this area. This area is known as the Canal de Salsipuedes, but due to its extreme depths it is also known to mariners as the Trench. The chart indicates a depth in this area of 4,860 feet! It is in this trench that large groups of sperm whales feed on Humboldt squid. "We came across several groups of these whales and spent the next several hours viewing the mightiest of the toothed whales. Blows could be seen for miles and a conservative estimate put the number at about eighty animals in an area of about six miles by six miles. A sight I will never forget. Mixed among these leviathans were several small pods of bottle nose dolphins". Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner

This morning, the Safari Voyager will drop the hook in the waters of Bahia Concepcion, deep in the inlet that opens to the north. We will spend the first half of the day playing in this waterborne desert, soaking up the sun and settling into the vibe. We may choose to stay onboard and enjoy the scenery, go ashore for varying levels of activities, or simply settle in at our beach camp. For those who have interest, enjoy exploring one of John Steinbeck's sites here. Be on the watch for dolphins and turtles that frequent this area. We will pull the anchor after lunch and work our way north in this long inlet before rounding the point and heading south. This is an excellent time to be on deck and watch marine mammals as we turn south for Bahia Amortajada, a lagoon on a desert island. Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner

We arrive at this epic location before noon. This area seems like an odd landscape given the nature of this desert sea. Behold this shallow, but large interior lagoon on Isla San Jose. Perfect for bird watching and perhaps a kayak trip. You will likely find this area to be as appealing to you as it was Steinbeck. Outside the lagoon are long beaches, superb for beachcombing or taking it easy. We will be here until late, so come on deck after dinner and star gaze, with no ambient light nearby, it is amazing. Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner

We will spend the entire day at one, or both, of these nearby locations. All activities will be available along with our final Steinbeck site at Punta Lobos. This is an amazing area and part of the Biosphere National Park. Tonight is our official Captain's Dinner with a wide selection of images that will be shared with all aboard the Safari Voyager. Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner

Enjoy a final breakfast with the new friends you made onboard. Disembark the vessel and transfer to San Jose del Cabo for your flight home. Meals included: breakfast