SKA Blog

Sea Kayak Adventures office staff member and first time kayaker Amber Crane recently returned from a tour in Baja (Oct 30-Nov 4, 2011).  She will chronicle her adventures in a new blog series:

Voyage of a Novice Kayaker

Part 4: Baja Bliss

The first few minutes of kayaking started, as with all new ventures, with adjustments.  It took time to figure out where to brace my knees, make the most of every stroke, and keep paddling while taking in the sights. However, even as we acclimated to kayaking, fortune smiled upon our group.  Within a few minutes and just a few hundred feet of our launch site, I spotted a sea turtle bobbing at the surface of the water, surveying us.  She lingered for a short time as we gasped, pointed, and fumbled for cameras, before deciding we were of little interest to turtles and diving out of sight.  “This group has good karma,” Alex remarked.

Just 15 minutes later, I stuttered and pointed again, trying to expel words faster than my brain could provide them.  A huge splash announced the leap of a flying mobula ray.  I was downright giddy with excitement at this point, as these strange creatures were at the top of my wildlife bucket list.  These rays often travel in large groups during the spring which are more easily spotted than single jumpers, so I feel quite privileged to have seen one leap in front of my eyes.

Vladimir "Vlady" de la Toba has been a cheerful, enthusiastic member of the Loreto Sea Kayak Adventures team for over 6 years.  A 3* British Canoe Union kayaker, Vlady also brings a wealth of local knowledge about the wildlife and wilderness of Baja to all of his tours.

Did you know that Vlady comes from a long line of lighthouse keepers at San Lazaro located at the southern end of Magdalena Bay?  Both Vlady and his father, Victor, contribute work towards sea turtle protection with Grupo Tortuguero.  Vlady spends his summers educating fisherman about preserving sea turtles and other important species and the dangers of bycatch.  Vlady perfected the art of safely catching sea turtles for biologists: he jumps into the water from a boat, swims after the turtle, and grabs the turtle by the shell just behind the head with one hand and just above the tail with his other hand.  He calls it "sea turtle rodeo."  After measurements are taken, the turtle is returned unharmed to the sea. You can read more about the sea turtle preservation efforts in Baja here.

Meet Vlady and our other wonderful Loreto guides on your next trip to Baja to hear more about his work and the beautiful animals about which he has so much passion to protect. If you would like to get involved in sea turtle recovery in a more "hands-on" way, consider joining our Sea Turtle Monitoring and Kayaking Expedition this March!

Article by Brad Nahill, Director of SEE Turtles

It seems that every day another news article comes out about animals facing extinction. The list of reasons is seemingly endless including loss of habitat, the wildlife trade, and climate change. What the media rarely covers is the stories of hope, where communities come together to protect the animals that live around them.  There are many of these stories around the world, where dedicated conservationists are coming up with innovative ways to help these endangered species recover while improving the lives of local residents. Many of these programs include volunteer activities for travelers to participate in research and conservation programs.

Here are just a few of the opportunities for travelers to help wildlife:

Green Sea Turtles in Baja: Years ago, many turtle researchers wrote off Baja’s turtles as beyond saving. However, an award-winning network of fishermen, scientists, and local residents called the Grupo Tortuguero formed to study and protect the region’s five species of sea turtles and numbers are rebounding. A new locally run business called RED Sustainable Tourism is helping these conservationists recruit volunteer help for their turtle research. Participants camp on a small island in Magdalena Bay and help to set nets to catch green turtles at sea and collect information on them before returning them to the water. Sea Kayak Adventures is partnering with RED Sustainable Tourism to offer an exciting Conservation Adventure package along the Baja Peninsula, Mexico in March 2012. Join us for the trip of a lifetime while directly supporting community-based conservation of endangered green sea turtles.

Read more about the other four wild animals.

Baja Sea Turtle photo by Elizabeth Moreno.