Snorkeling & Wildlife Photography with the biggest of the Big Animals
ON THIS EXPEDITION, we will be swimming with the largest animal on earth, which also happens to be remarkably shy, given its size. And being so shy, the blue whale is not easy to find.
That’s why, after 13 years of successfully diving with blue whales, Amos has created an elaborate tracking system for locating blue whales during their annual migration along the coast of California: three fishermen spotters in Baja California who alert us to blue whale activity; a spotter plane which pinpoints each whale’s route and progress; an expert captain who can place us along the projected path of the whale; three professional kayakers who will shuttle us as close as possible without disturbing the peaceful journey of our gentle leviathan.
With so much experience with whales in general, and blues in particular, our highly-organized team approach has proven to be a reliable system for repeated success in finding and encountering the blue whale. Only four guests are allowed on this trip to provide each guest with sufficient time in the water in the most environmentally-friendly manner possible. Exactly what you’d expect from the only company willing to go to such (whale-size) lengths on behalf of its guests.
General Itinerary
Day 1: ARRIVE San Diego.
Check in to the hotel of your choice. The rest of the day will be spent preparing cameras, discussing logistics and strategy. We meet in the evening for a briefing and dinner.
Day 2 – 6: We operate out of Mission Bay. For the next five days, a spotter plane will leave early in the morning, weather permitting. (The marine layer is sometimes too low to fly and scout for whales. In this case, the pilot will wait until the layer rises high enough to fly safely.) The pilot searches for Blue Whales for 3 to 4 hours in an area 15 to 25 miles offshore between San Diego and Mexico.
We leave by boat each morning towards the area being scouted. While waiting for the scouting report, if we come across an encounter with other marine life along the way, we will free dive in the lovely blue Pacific. (There are many different marine animals arriving in Southern California waters at this time of year to feed and breed. We will have a ball, even if not a bait ball.)
What makes this expedition so unique is that, in addition to having a scout plane with us everyday, we also employ three master kayakers to paddle us as quietly as possible to the shy blue whales.
Each sea kayak has two seats. The guest seat is at the front of the kayak, where you’ll have mask, fins and camera ready to go at any time. The kayaker sits in the back to paddle you as fast as humanly possible to the approximate location of the incoming Blues. Since we are in constant communication with the pilot, and the skipper can observe from the dive boat, Amos and the kayakers are kept apprised of all whale movements at all times so that your kayak will be able to reach your whale quickly and silently.
All five kayaks go out at one time – all guests plus Amos go out on the kayaks to the open sea and remain at sea for as long as the blue whales are around us.
In the event we have good contact with the whales we will stay out until evening. This is in order to be close to the action, to increase our knowledge of whale behavior, and to maximize opportunities for quality photography encounters above and below water with the shy Blue Whales. At the end of the day, we return to shore.
Day 7: Depart San Diego for home, having had a whale of a good time! (Sorry…whale puns are unavoidable and are included at no extra charge.)
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About our dive boat
Our Waterhorse Charters vessel, the Humboldt, has been designed specially for diving with an overall length of 45′ and a 16′ beam, and able to carry 22 passengers on board. (We will have a total of 10-12 people aboard on our trip, including four guests plus three kayakers.)
The Humboldt has a top speed of 30 mph and a cruising speed of 26 mph. There is a fresh hot water shower onboard and a comfortable head. The vessel provides lunch and hot soup between dives, and the crew is focused on making your day as enjoyable as possible.
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Tour price includes:
- Five days on board the Humboldt
- Spotter plane assistance for 5 days, 3 to 4 hours per day
- Five two persons Kayaks
- Five expert Kayakers to take us quickly and quietly out to the whales
- Lunch and snacks on board
- Underwater and topside photography instruction
- Only four guests. Minimum operating number of guests is two.
Not included in tour price:
- Airfare to and from San Diego
- 6 nights hotel
- Meals which aren’t specified above, soft drinks or alcohol
- Airport taxes, cabfare, car rental
- Activities outside of the itinerary
- Items of a personal nature (phone calls, tips, drinks)
- Scuba gear (this is a snorkeling expedition only)
- Overweight luggage
- Items not specifically mentioned above under “Tour Price Includes”
- Insurance – we strongly recommend you buy your own travel, health, and diving insurance
- Additional costs incurred due to independent travel arrangements
- Gratuities
Payment Policy & Deposit:
When we receive your deposit, we will send you a comprehensive and detailed Trip Preparation Bulletin about the experience and the destination. All trip costs are subject to change without prior notice until your reservation is confirmed.
- A non-refundable deposit of $3,000 is required to secure space on the trip.
- Full payment is due no later than 90 days before departure.
- We reserve the right to sell any space that is not paid in full by 60 days before departure.
- Refund is made if replacement was found less unrecoverable costs of sales, administration special promotion.
- Cancellation must be made in writing, 90 days before departure.
- No refund is made for unused part of the itinerary.
The following are subject to change:
- Cost of services which are not included in the expedition price
- Flight time and schedule
- Weather, water temperature, and blue whale behavior
A general note
I will confirm and update all pertinent information 30 days prior to departure. Although we have reported honestly and accurately about our sightings and experiences, we would like to point out that we are working in the wilderness and despite all our good intentions and utmost preparation, Mother Nature and her blue whales are not under contract with Big Animals Expeditions. When we are at sea, we are not at Sea World. We trust our previous experiences, and so far our record is excellent. We believe that with good planning and realistic expectations, you will have a wonderful time with us in the beautiful waters off San Diego getting to know this magnificent mammal—the blue whale.
Information current as of August 2011. Dates and prices may be subject to change without prior notice.
For Booking and/or further questions, please contact Amos:
Phone: (415) 923-9865
Toll free: 877-229-4253
Email: phototrips@biganimals.com
We look forward to your joining us on this adventure of a lifetime!
To join us, please complete the Registration Form.
