Day 1:
Arrival to San Jose del Cabo, journey to Espiritu Santo
Island.
Groups arrive from the US at Los Cabo Airport (SJD)
between 11am-2pm. We’ll board the 15 passenger vans
and drive 1.5 hours north toward La Paz with a stop
for Lunch in San Bartolo. After lunch we’ll continue
north another 1.5 hours. In La Paz, we head toward the
marina and the Fun Baja Dive Shop. Here, dive gear is
issued and the boats are loaded for the journey to Espiritu
Santo Island, your home for the next 5 nights! We will
arrive at camp before dark, just in time for a fabulous
dinner! The tents will already be set up and ready for
you to move in.
Day 2: Snorkeling in Ensenada Grande
and Las Cuevas.
Morning: Participants will learn basic
snorkeling skills and then free-diving techniques in
the shallow bay of Ensenada Grande. The calm clear water
is a great place for students to acclimate to being
in the water and the snorkeling gear. Once the snorkeling
objectives have been demonstrated by all students, students
will spend some time exploring a shallow reef on the
south wall of the bay. There are large crown-o-thorn
sea stars, hard corals, and small schools of wrasse
and mullets. Large pufferfish can be found hiding under
rocks and pairs of butterflyfish hover close to the
rocky reef. Here we can also see chubs, damselfish,
stingrays, grunts, goatfish, snappers, and yellowtail
surgeonfish.
Afternoon: Participants will use their
snorkeling skills to explore the rocky shoreline at
Las Cuevas and their free-diving skills to see garden
eels in the sandy flats at 25ft. This is the perfect
second “dive” because it allows those who need more
time to get used to snorkeling a chance to float on
the surface and see a lot with very little effort, and
is deep enough to allow students to work on their free-diving
and breath-holding skills they learned in the morning.
Participants who dive just 10ft will see schools of
Mexican Goatfish and Yellowtail Surgeonfish. Free-dive
to 15ft, and you will be surrounded by their fluttering
fins!
Evening Presentation:
Survival of the Finnest: Fish are the most abundant
vertebrate animals which dominate nearly every habitat
in the hydrosphere. Why are they so successful? Answer:
because of their ability to adapt. This 50 minute presentation
will teach students how to “read” a fish to determine
what it eats, how it moves, and where it lives to gain
a better understanding of its niche.
Days 3: Cross Island Hike and Snorkeling at El Candelero
Island
Morning: The Cross Island Hike is
a 2.5 to 3 hour round trip hike which is relatively
flat with a few boulders to scramble up or slide down.
It terminates at the opposite side of Isla Partida and
reveals stunning views of the eastern side of the island.
The trail is lush green with desert vegetation and follows
a dry creek through a red canyon. Along the way your
guide will identify cacti such as jumping cholla, cardon,
and sweet pityhaya and describe some of their adaptations
and human uses.
Afternoon: Escape the heat and jump
into the cool water at Isla El Candelero. This tiny
island is a great spot to get up close to birds like
cormorants, gulls, and pelicans; as this island serves
as a small rookery. Below the waterline is an oasis
of life. Hard and soft corals, marine plants, and boulders
provide homes to a wide variety of marine life. No dive
here is ever the same. A highlight is definitely the
large schools of grunts, Yellowtail Surgeonfish, King
Angelfish, Triggerfish, Scissortails, and Cortez Wrasse.
Your dive leader will bring to you sea cucumbers, sea
urchins, and several types of sea stars including a
favorite Chocolatechip Sea Stars, for you to hold and
investigate up close.
Evening Presentation:
Gulf of California: Introduction to an ocean oasis:
40 minute slide show presentation that introduces students
to oceanography and the physical processes which formed
the Gulf of California and the biotic and abiotic factors
that make it one of the most biological diverse marine
systems on the planet.
Day 4: Hike to Archeological Site and Snorkel at El
Coralito
Morning: After breakfast we will depart
by boat and travel 30 minutes south to San Gabriel Bay.
The winds tend to be strong and from the south in the
morning so the waves make the trip a really fun ride.
Expect to laugh a lot and get really wet! Our destination
is the historic ruins of the world’s first commercial
pearl farm. Your guide will tell you the story of Gastón
Vivés' and point out interesting features of the pearl
farm. Next, just a short hike from there you’ll discover
the remnants of the dwellings left by the Seri Indians
who once inhabited the island.
Afternoon: Two bays north of San Gabriel
is El Coralito Bay. The clear, calm, sun-filled waters
provide prime conditions for a very large expanse of
continuous hard coral reef known as the carpet of corals.
We’ll spend a couple of hours here snorkeling in the
shallows, exploring this unique habitat filled with
marine life.
Evening: Introduction to the California
Sea Lion: Before sunset, we will journey by boat to
Los Islotes, the sea lion colony, Here participants
will learn about and identify the sea lion’s distinguishing
features and the role of commonly displayed behaviors.
Students will then observe wild sea lions behaviors
and record them on their on a data sheet.
Day 5: Snorkeling at Los Islotes Sea Lion Colony
Morning: You will hardly be able to
contain your enthusiasm. Participants ask about this
day all week and for good reason. Today you will get
in the water with a colony of over 300 wild sea lions.
It is a muliti-sensory experience. Juvenile sea lions
may nibble on your fins, dart past your face at high
speeds in a game of underwater “chicken,” and taunt
you to dive and play with them in their oceanic playground.
While the “kids” play, adult male sea lions guard their
harems by swimming slowly around their territory, barking
and chasing off brave male sea lions who attempt to
challenge them.
Afternoon: We will return to the colony
because no experience there is exactly the same. The
current and wind direction as well as the sea lions'
activities will dictate the site we choose. There are
several different dive locations on the tiny island
which include a magnificent arch filled with large snappers,
groupers, sea lions, orange cup corals, and sea fans.
On the east side of the island a shallow coral reef
is home to Barberfish, butterflyfish, triggerfish, and
Mornish Idols. In breading zones A (south) and B (north)
there is a shallow rocky reef where parrotfish crunch
on corals, Pacific Creolfish school in the current,
hogfish hunt, and Green Moray Eels take shelter into
rocky caves.
Evening Presentation:
Empty Ocean: Human caused environmental issues threatening
biodiversity of the global ocean. This is a 40-90 minute
presentation that will reflect back on the week’s educational
objectives and tie all of the concepts into a single
theme which is the ocean is a system of interconnected
systems and without a healthy ocean, there can be no
life on earth. The slide show presentation teaches students
about tangible ways they can protect the ocean. A discussion
following the presentation allows students to talk with
their peers about their environmental goals and the
challenges of being an environmentally conscious consumer.
Day 6: Climb Cactus Hill and Snorkeling or SCUBA
Morning: Cactus Hill is sparser than
the Cross Island Hike and requires a bit more exertion
as we climb up to approximately 1200ft in elevation. The
view at the top offers a panoramic island scene and amazing
photo opportunities. You will follow your guide along
a rocky trail which conforms to the contours of the mountain.
There will be plenty of water breaks and rest stops. At
these points your guide will point out plants and animals
found along the way.
Afternoon: We will choose one of many
other snorkeling sites to explore for your last water
experience on Espiritu Santo. This will also be the
time those who are going SCUBA diving or trying Discover
SCUBA will be led by Fun Baja Dive Masters on a separate
activity. SCUBA is an optional activity that can be
arranged through Fun Baja by Green Edventures and requires
an additional fee. For 2011, the costs were $130 for
Discover SCUBA and $100 for certified divers which include
equipment and 2-dives.
Evening: This time will be spent packing,
finishing journals and dive logs, and socializing with
the camp staff. This is usually a fun night of games
and lots of laughter.
Day 7: La Paz: Shopping and Cultural Day
Breakfast is at 7am! If the wind conditions are right,
we will board the boats by 8:30am and head to the Bay
of La Paz to search for whale sharks and hopefully the
opportunity will arise for us to swim with them.
Afternoon: Check in to the hotel and
drop off luggage. If time allows, you can take a quick
shower and then head out to the Malécon for a delicious
lunch of fish and shrimp tacos at the Bismark-cito.
(Vegetarian options are available). If we are tight
on time, we’ll drop off luggage and head into town right
away. After lunch your guide will give you a tour of
town and take you to local artists and souvenir shops.
The final stop of the tour of town is the Anthropology
Museum. This museum will enhance your understanding
of the cultural and natural history of the peninsula.
Evening: We’ll gather once last time
at Rancho Viejo Restaurant for a mouth watering dinner
of their famous arrecherra style meat with fresh salsas
and tortillas. We’ll watch the sunset on the beach and
head back to the hotel to play in the pool and make
hemp bracelets.
Day 8: Departure Day
Morning: We will meet in the hotel
restaurant for a hearty breakfast for your big travel
day. Depending of departure times and arrival times
of the next group, your group may depart La Paz as early
as 9am. You will journey by 15-passenger van to Los
Cabos Airport. Flights depart after 4pm.
Other Exciting Activities
The following activities are scheduled for the week,
but do not have specific days or can't be guaranteed
on every adventure because it involves wildlife encounters.
Here are some other possible exciting experiences during
your stay at Sea Quest Camp.
Kayaking:
 Kayaks
allow you to get up close to birds and the rocky inter
tidal zone, under magnificant natural arches, and into
cool sea caves. Lucky paddlers will see jumping rays,
sea lions and possibly dolphins or whales. Kayaks are
available for participants to take out on their own
for sunset paddle in the bay and if time allows a longer
guided trip is led by one of the staff.
Swimming with Whale Sharks:
 Whale
sharks are the largest fish in the world. They can reach
up to 45ft in length. These gentle giants eat plankton,
the smallest members of the marine food chain. We'll
spend half of one day searching for whale sharks in
the Bay of La Paz where they are typically found in
the plankton-rich waters. Since these are wild animals
we can't guarantee that participants will get to swim
with a whale shark but we will definitely try. In 2010,
we saw and swam with a whale shark or multiple whale
sharks 5 out of 5 weeks for a 100% season for whale
shark encounters. Watch a video of some of our students
swimming with a whale shark on YouTube.
Whales and Dolphin Encounters:!
 The
Sea of Cortez is abundant with food and the perfect
temperature for whales and dolphins. Some evenings,
before sunset we go out looking for action, marine mamals
that is! Each season we encounter a mega pod (100's)
of dolphins such as common dolphins, bottlenose, and
even white-sided dolphins. They are typically feeding
or playing in the bow wake of the boat. Their acrobatics
are fun to watch and we are usually the only boat in
the area which makes the interaction that much more
special. Each time they jump, spin, flip, or get close
enough to touch we roar with enthusiasm and shrill with
delight. Dolphins are so much fun, but their larger
cousins are also exciting to watch. We have seen humpback
whales breaching (jumps that land in a huge splash),
tail slapping and sounding (deep dives that reveal the
tail just before the whale completely submerges). There
have been awesome encounters with Blue Whales, Fin Whales
and Bryde's Whales, too.
Beach Volleyball:
In between activities participants usually challenge
staff and chaperones to a game of beach volleyball.
Keep in mind, your guide Chabelo was conference champ.
All activities are subject to change without notice.
Green Edventures reserves the right to modify this schedule
and its activities at any time without prior notice.
Contact us for details 1-888-622-4911 or email info@greenedventures.com
More Information:
Click here for answers to common
questions.
Program Dates
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