Our Crew
As an adventure travel company, we could not exist without our team of experienced guides. Their attitudes, expertise and love for their work ensures that you'll be well cared for, and that your safety and comfort are top priority.
 |
Cesareo "Charo" Castro Charo grew up fishing and whale watching in Magdalena Bay. He has been kayak guiding since 1997 and enjoys sharing his vast knowledge of whales, birds and flora of Baja. He guides our sea kayaking expeditions in the Sea of Cortez and is also our camp manager/naturalist in our Mag Bay Whale Watching Camp. Charo is a graduate of the RARE program which is an eco-tourism and guide training program for Mexicans. He also works for Grupo Tortuguero with sea turtle conservation. SKA guide since 2005. |
|
|
|
 |
Alex Magana Ruiz Alex, a native of Guadalajara, Mexico, now lives in Loreto where he has been a whale watching and sea kayak guide and logistics coordinator for SKA. He personifies guest service and adds panache to our tours. He also runs his own business selling day tours in Loreto and is a wonderful artist and photographer. His website will be up soon. SKA guide since 2002. |
|
|
|
 |
Gabriela Cortés The office manager for our Loreto operations, Gaby was born in Colima (near Guadalajara) and has lived in Loreto since 2009. She has a BA Degree in Tourism Management and would like to continue her studies to get her Masters degree in finance. Gaby recently welcomed her daughter, Elena, into the world, and spends most of her off time taking care of her baby. Gaby began working for Sea Kayak Adventures in 2011. |
|
|
|
 |
Vladimir de la Toba Valladolid Vlady is our most promising up-and-coming young Mexican guide, who already has his 3 Star British Canoe Union kayak rating. He grew up fishing, boating and body surfing on Baja's Pacific coast, and knows the ocean and the Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California) intimately. In summers, he works for Grupo Tortuguero, educating fishermen about not killing sea turtles and other important species in their fishing bycatch. He is eager to practice his English and show visitors the natural wildlife he loves. |
|
|
|
 |
Lorena Pedrin Lorena is our senior Mexican woman trip leader, capable and calm, she loves introducing visitors to the Baja California that she is passionate about. She did a summer for us in BC Canada as well in 2008, so ask her about any of our tours. She truly has a "can do" attitude. |
|
|
|
 |
Ramon Murillo Ramon can trace his roots to generations of fishermen in the Loreto area, and his knowledge of the Sea of Cortez and its weather is boundless. We are truly honored to have him provide motorboat support on some of our Sea of Cortez tours in Baja (called pangas in Baja California). He is a master panga captain, with many amazing stories of the high seas to relate. |
|
|
|
 |
Amber Crane A Minnesota native, Amber arrived in Coeur d'Alene, ID in the fall of 2009 to pursue her passion for horses. This lifelong love fosters a kinship with the natural world, a love for the outdoors, and a conviction for preserving the environment in which we are so privileged to live and play. Amber has been a member of the SKA office staff since 2011 and is in the process of completing her degree in writing. |
|
|
|
 |
Manuel Gonzalez is a marine biologist, guiding for us while planing to get a Master's degree. He is a holder of two of the Mexican records in free diving, with future plans to work as a free diver instructor and combine it with kayak guiding. He is very interested in ecologic developments and sustainable projects for the future of the Baja California peninsula. A true extrovert, he loves learning about others and teaching guests about Mexican culture and natural history. |
|
|
|
 |
Edgar Escobar is a marine biologist, NOLS graduate (USA-based National Outdoor Leadership School) and sea kayak guide who has many kayak tours under his belt. We love his enthusiasm, passion for teaching and deep love of music from around the world. |
|
|
|
 |
Sarah Hauser Sarah Hauser has been an integral part of Sea Kayak Adventures in Baja and BC for years. She is a trip leader extraordinaire, calm and competent, and always has a smile. She has seen it all and handled it all in her years guiding and paddling all over Vancouver Island and the BC coast. She is one of the best teachers we've ever had on staff, encouraging novice kayakers to grow in their comfort zone. |
|
|
|
 |
Dustin Chappell 2011 marks Dustin's 5th summer sea kayak guiding. He fell in love with the sport shortly after moving out to BC from Alberta and has been pursuing it ever since all around BC's Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island. He has paddled in several amazing places in the world including Patagonia and Costa Rica. On top of being a passionate paddler, skier and traveler, Dustin is a chef and enjoys sharing his passions with others. |
|
|
|
 |
Erick Gonzalez (Tuku) Erick Gonzalez, fondly known to guests and guides as "Tuku", is a graduate of University of Guadalajara in EcoTourism and Adventure Tourism, and a graduate of NOLS with a Mexican Educator's certificate. He is highly dedicated, hard working, and anticipates needs of others before they even realize it. Amazingly knowledgeable about a wide range of things, he can solve a Rubix cube in minutes flat. He loves to share his wealth of knowledge with guests. |
|
|
|
 |
Leah Blok Leah Blok has been guiding for Sea Kayak Adventures in BC and in Baja for years. She has more energy and passion for people, wildlife and life than anyone we have ever had the good fortune of knowing! She has paddled solo from Alaska to British Columbia and all over Europe. She adores sharing her passion for paddling and whales with paddlers of all skill levels. Paddlers of all ages enjoy her boundless energy and knowledge and are inspired by Leah. |
Tour Types
"This trip far exceeded my expectations. The location and wildlife were great, and the kayaking, which I had never done before, was a blast, but by far the most wonderful thing about the trip was the g..."
