Let nature delight and surprise you!
Baja for the Curious is a special trip combining the enjoyment of paddling with a curiosity for nature. This year we explore one of the most remote islands in the Loreto National Marine Park, Isla Monserrate.
Nine nautical miles from the nearest coast or significant island, Isla Monserrate is 11nm around, with a pair of islands 2nm offshore. Parts of Monserrate are made of a colorful solidified stew (breccia) of volcanically originated rocks, while fossil-laden marine terraces cap its highest plateaus and reach its western shore.
In the springtime, the warmth inspires the footlong chuckwallas, the endemic Monserrate whiptail and other lizards to be more active. A surprising variety of birds lives here as well, from nesting pelicans to land-based birds that can go long periods without a source of water, such as the black-throated sparrow. Sea turtles also nest on the island!
Being curious is personally satisfying, but it also does something bigger. By uploading our photos of the plants and animals we see on naturalista.mx we will be contributing to the body of scientific knowledge about this unique place, the National Marine Park of the Bay of Loreto, which is included in UNESCOs World Heritage Gulf Islands listing. UNESCO calls this the richest and most varied of any island-sea property on the World Heritage list.
We will ride a motorboat to the island, then be self-sufficient.
We offer this trip only occasionally, so jump on if you can!
About Expedition Primers