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The new gold rush: Discover the California Coast
Mere miles from the shores of Los Angeles lies wildness that surpasses imagination and a gem of the National Park system: the Channel Islands. Exploring it is akin to entering a time machine. To enter a era when the coast of California was lined with the tallest, oldest trees—those that remain are among the rarest on Earth. Its isolation from the mainland has led to the evolution of wildlife found nowhere else. Few dive into the region’s surprising wildness and biodiversity as Lindblad Expeditions is able to by hiking inland over rivers of pinecones and kayaking along rugged coastlines.
The coast of California is proof that a far-reaching adventure is much closer than you think. Go aboard an expedition ship, equipped with tools for in-depth exploration, to sail to protected islands, hike over rivers of pinecones to stands of gnarly, windswept trees, and discover wildlife found nowhere else. Watch as the coast grows wilder and see where Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo and the Jesuit missionaries who followed in his wake explored, mapped, and catalogued new flora and fauna. Go deep—whether kayaking the rugged shores or hiking to one of the last remaining stands of Torrey pines in the world.
Dining aboard is delectable. Get nutritionally savvy snacks, juices, menu options, and more, as well as Lindblad Expeditions’ longstanding commitment to locally and sustainably caught seafood, locally sourced produce—and food that rewards.
The Amazing Natural Allure of the Channel Islands
One of the most biodiverse places on Earth, California’s seldom-visited Channel Islands National Park is home to vast wildlife breeding colonies, underwater realms bursting with life, and astonishing sea caves.
Capturing the Channel Islands: A Remote & Remarkable National Park
Staff Photographer/Art Director David Vargas joined our Wild California Escape aboard the National Geographic Venture and spent five days capturing the essence of this spirit-lifting place.
If you’re lucky enough to find your way to these remote islands, you’ll quickly be drawn in by the rugged, mountainous landscapes, bustling undersea realms, and astonishing amounts of wildlife.
We love to travel with Lindblad. The naturalists and photographers really make the experience exceptional.
Maureen B.
Explore with top expedition teams
See, do, and learn more by going with engaging experts who have been exploring this region for decades. Go with an expedition leader, naturalists, undersea specialist, and more.
Expedition Leader
Veteran expedition leaders are the orchestrators of your experience. Many have advanced degrees and have conducted research or taught for years. They have achieved expedition leader status because they possess the skills, the experience, and the depth of knowledge necessary to continually craft the best expedition possible for our guests.
Our naturalists, passionate about the geographies they explore (and return to regularly), illuminate each facet through their enthusiasm and knowledge. Our guests consistently cite the expertise and engaging company of our staff as key reasons to repeatedly travel with us.
Every expedition aboard a ship in our National Geographic-flagged fleet offers an exclusive service—a Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic certified photo instructor. This naturalist is specially trained to offer assistance with camera settings and the basics of composition and to help you become a better, more confident photographer.
Undersea specialists are your eyes on the world that lies beneath the waves. Using an array of tools, including a high-definition camera, our Cousteau-like undersea specialist dives frequently during the voyage to show you strikingly clear images of the seldom-seen world beneath the ship.
A quiet calm surrounds National Geographic Sea Bird as the sun crests the dunes to the west. Magdalena Bay begins to stir as guests enjoy breakfast and coffee onboard. Before long, local pangas arrive to take everyone out searching for grey whales and their young calves. The endeavor is fruitful, and guests see more than they set out to find with a pair of bald eagles nesting along the banks of the lagoon. After a short reposition in the afternoon, all disembark to explore Sand Dollar Beach, a staple of Lindblad’s Baja itinerary. A half mile wide strip of scrubby sand dunes awaits to be explored, hemmed in on the Pacific Ocean on one side and the calmer waters of Magdelena Bay on the other. Many remnants of echinoderms and seabirds can be found, bleached among shells that litter the shore.
National Geographic Sea Lion ’s first Baja trip of the season is off to a great start! We began in Bahia Almejas, where we were picked up from the ship after breakfast by the local pangueros, who hold the permits required to watch whales in Magdalena Bay. Their small fiberglass boats are a great platform for viewing the stars of this itinerary, the gray whales. We zoomed out toward the mouth of Bahia Almejas in the speedy pangas, getting great sightings of hundreds of birds congregating on the sand bars. And then, a spout! And another, and another! A dozen or more whales dotted the horizon in every direction. The whales were unusually active. While full body breaches are usually a rare occurrence in this species, we saw multiple breaches from multiple animals throughout the morning. All in all, it was a beautiful introduction to these animals that we hope to know better as the trip continues. The pangueros delivered us back to National Geographic Sea Lion and we lifted our anchor to relocate to Puerto Magdalena, a small fishing village. Photo instructor Chelsea gave a presentation about smartphone photography as we completed our repositioning, and then we disembarked once more for the afternoon. Some of us opted to go for hikes, which provided beautiful looks at native and endemic plant species. Others chose a fat tire bike ride, or a leisurely afternoon at the restaurant on the beach. Those who chose the Zodiac tour had a nice surprise when they encountered a large pod of bottlenose dolphins. After a long day of play in the sun, it was time to return to the ship and have a well-deserved dinner. Following a beautiful meal, naturalist Sofia gave a talk in the lounge about gray whales. Tomorrow, we journey north for new adventures!
It was the last day of our twelve-day trip and we plan to make the excursions memorable. Many guests were up by dawn in stretch class or on the bow looking for wildlife. After breakfast, we visited Punta Colorada on the island of San Jose to walk up the canyon or along a sandstone bluff. The striped bluff has layers of pink sediment between layers of marine sediment laden with shells in the process of fossilization. Out on the layered promontory surrounded by water, we found a turtle fossil as well as two whale vertebras embedded in the stone. After lunch, we set up our chairs and shade canopy on a lovely beach called Puerto Gato. Surrounding us was an even deeper red striped sandstone. Guests snorkeled over a rocky reef with healthy looking corals and colorful fish. Some chose to kayak or standup paddleboard and others took their second hike of the day up the arroyo. Dinner was delicious with a spongy chocolate cake for dessert in the lounge as we viewed our collaborative slideshow. Oh, the places we’ve been! We leave tomorrow with new friends.
Today we awoke before sunrise for an incredible start to our day. Anchored north of Los Islotes, two small, exposed islets, we watched the sun come up as we made our way in wetsuits to go for a snorkel. The sounds of California sea lions were carried across the sea as we got closer. In the water, the current moved us along, and we ended up in a large bait ball with pelicans diving for fish and young sea lions doing their acrobatics all around us. After snorkeling, Zodiac riders got to see the world from above, and we all had an amazing, tasty brunch waiting for us back on the ship. After a short reposition to Isla Partida, we explored the amazing beach of Ensenada Grande and the arroyo above it. We found lots of amazing bird and plant life and had some fun times scrambling up the rocks! Cocktail hour on the beach was waiting for us when we returned, and we soaked up the amazing views before heading back for dinner on the ship.
The green flash has become a “thing” on board. Last night, we had green flash cocktails on the sundeck to celebrate the phenomena, and it acknowledged us with a great display. This morning, folks lined up in the minutes before dawn to see it again. Some caught it. You can always tell if the conditions are right by the yells and hoots. Oddly, a few viewers who are there, ready and looking in the right direction at the right time, just do not see it. And there are quality cameras that can record it, but the final video lacks the flash. The flash retains its mystery. Morning operations offered opportunities for snorkeling or staying relatively drier on a boat tour. After stretch class and breakfast, guests dispersed on Mexican pangas to different parts of Cabo Pulmo National Park. Snorkelers returned with fish stories to share. After lunch, we spent the afternoon at the beach. Nine explorers took a long hike up the high peak for the view. Others hiked the arroyo to a freshwater lagoon where frigatebirds skimmed the surface for a drink and crested caracaras congregated. Cold beers and chairs in the sand welcomed everyone to relax. Tonight’s recap included a fun game where human “Flashlight Fish” found their schools using Morse code-style communication, similar to the method of communication that has been researched for these fish. The human fish were successful and swam off to a delicious dinner.
This is a great capital of wildness, extravagant beyond description and—incredibly—existing so close to population-dense L.A.