Day 1 - La Paz to Magdalena Bay.
Depart by van early morning from your hotel in La Paz with your guide. Stop off at local rancho for a snack and a look at traditional ranchero lifestyle. Arrive at Puerto San Carlos, entry point to majestic Magdalena Bay, and head out in small craft to Conchalito Island - your campsite and sea turtle monitoring base for the next 4 days, where you will meet the rest of your hosts, enjoy a delicious lunch, and settle into camp. A local expert will lead an orientation to the in-water sea turtle conservation project, followed by happy hour and more Q&A. Dinner is served after sunset.

Day 2 - Magdalena Bay sea turtle monitoring begins...
Monitoring begins… Rise shortly after the sun comes up, grab a cup of coffee, and climb aboard the panga to help the fishermen to set the nets in the channel, initiating the sea turtle monitoring. The not-so-early risers can enjoy a relaxed breakfast, and watch the birds, marine mammals and other natural wonders that surround the island before kayaking out to observe the turtle nets. Monitoring goes on throughout the day. Head out in the pangas (pangas leave every two hours) to check the nets for turtles. When not eating, participating in the monitoring or relaxing, grab a kayak and head out on a short excursion. After dinner tonight your guide will lead a session of constellation and star identification.  

Day 3 - Magdalena Bay Mangrove Exploration
After breakfast, grab a clipboard and head down to the beach to finish measuring and weighing sea turtles before releasing them back to the wild, concluding the sea turtle monitoring. Enjoy lunch and a siesta – you’ve earned it! In the afternoon you’ll have the chance to paddle through lush mangrove canals teeming with birds and marine life. Your guide will serve as your naturalist, combining ecology with local knowledge to show you the best Magdalena Bay has to offer.

Day 4 - Magdalena Bay Mangrove Exploration
Head out in the pangas to visit with local fishermen to see what they are catching and learn about local fishing techniques. Stay on the boat, or hop in a kayak and paddle to Magdalena Island, a natural wonderland. Enjoy a picnic lunch at the foot of pristine sand dunes that roll down to the Pacific Ocean (you’ve never seen sand dollars so large and beautiful). Return to camp, and spend the time reading, napping, or head out bird watching with your guide before sunset. Engage in conversation with your hosts about local conservation efforts before dining together. Gather around the campfire for stories and more star gazing.

Day 5 - Magdalena Bay to La Paz
After breakfast you’ll head out in the pangas for more island exploration before meeting your hosts at a secluded picnic spot. Bid them farewell before heading back to Puerto San Carlos for the ride back to La Paz.

Trip length: 5 days - 4 nights Departs from: La Paz
Activities: Sea turtle monitoring, sea kayak, mangrove exploration, dune hikes, cultural interaction, bird watching, star gazing.
Price: $1100 US per person | Kids under 11 are entitled to 30% discount with paid adult

More details below the departure dates

Accommodations: Field camping with comfortable amenities. Tents are equipped with either two singles or one double mattress with linens and pillows. Toilet and shower facilities are environmentally friendly and integrated into the landscape.

Includes: Ground transportation from La Paz to San Carlos and back (about 3 hours each way), boat transportation to camp and back, all meals starting on lunch of day one and ending on lunch of day 5, drinks including wine and beer, taxes, a 3% donation to RED´s community conservation fund, comfortable camping accommodations.

Excludes: Breakfast on day 1 and dinner on day 5, hotels or transportation prior or after the trip, tips (usually 10-15% of the trip fee)

This trip is ideal for: Ages 5 to 70. Ability to travel in small craft over open water as well as overland by van (3hrs) is required. Allergies and special dietary needs are to be presented in pre-trip forms.  This trip is appropriate for travelers of all activity levels. Sea turtle monitoring takes place both during the day and throughout the night. While night monitoring can be an exhilarating experience, travelers are free to pass the time stargazing or sleeping; the local conservation team will make sure the monitoring happens. So whether you're looking to roll up your sleeves and jump right into conservation, or are content lying on the shell beach daydreaming, this trip will accommodate you. It's your vacation.

This trip supports research on black sea turtles as part of the Grupo Tortuguero program. This information provides vital data on health, migration patterns and habitat use of sea turtles in Magdalena Bay, ultimately providing policymakers and authorities with the tools they need to make strategic decisions towards the species' conservation.

Travelers also play an important role in conserving Magdalena Bay's natural resources, providing a complementary, sustainable source of employment in a zone plagued by overfishing and poaching. Your hosts on this trip are part of RED's rigorous training and business incubation program which instills community members with principles of social equity and environmental and community stewardship. This is complemented and strengthened by the genuine personal interaction between clients and staff.

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