Top Trips for Fall: NOLS -- Baja Sea Kayaking
Study wildlife and wilderness techniques with NOLS in the exhilarating open-air classroom of Baja, Mexico.
NOLS — Baja Sea Kayaking
The Baja California Peninsula and the Sea of Cortez are beautifully dramatic environments. The land is rugged, dry, and mountainous—one of the driest parts of the Sonoran Desert ecosystem—with its own highly specialized, and often unique, plants and animals. Next to this desert environment is the sea—a world of multi-colored fish, sea lions, birds, and whales that stands in stark contrast to the barren desert along its shore.
On this three-week expedition with NOLS, the National Outdoor Leadership School, you’ll explore these varied worlds in a sea kayak, with a snorkel, or by foot, carrying everything you need for your journey inside the hull of your sea kayak. Along the way, you will learn key technical skills, take in incredible scenery, learn and practice leadership skills, have opportunities to encounter unique marine life, and experience the warm rural Mexican culture. You will learn how to handle sea kayaks when waves and winds pick up, how to recover from capsizes, how to communicate on the water with other groups, and how to maneuver your craft onto remote beaches surrounded by limestone cliffs. You will learn how to interpret tides and currents, assess ocean hazards and the weather, and plan your travel accordingly.
On land, you’ll practice backcountry cooking and Leave No Trace camping while honing your Spanish as you interact with local subsistence-based fishing villagers. Free diving is a special part of this course, and you’ll often spend afternoons exploring coastal reefs and the vast array of multi-colored fish that inhabit them. You may even have the opportunity to enjoy the catch of the day from local fishermen. By the end of your expedition, you’ll walk away with the ability to lead your own sea kayaking adventure and an appreciation for this dramatic Mexican coastline and its culture.
Baja Sea Kayaking: October 18-November 8; $3,410.