UnCruise: Baja California’s Whales & Sealife

In February of 2025, I went on my third UnCruise Adventure with my family to Baja California in the Sea of Cortez. We started off with a pre-cruise day in La Paz, Mexico. I loved it; it didn’t really feel like an international tourist destination because, from what I could tell, the tourists were mainly from other parts of Mexico. If you plan to go to La Paz, it would be useful to speak some Spanish as very little English was spoken in the shops and restaurants. We stayed in the downtown area; the town was really nice and very walkable with pleasant temperatures in early February. As we walked along the Malecón next to the Gulf of California, we passed quite a few cute La Paz signs and sea life statues, great for group shots and selfies! 

For those unfamiliar with UnCruise, it’s an adventure travel cruise company that prides itself on sustainability, super immersive experiences, positive local impact, and a spirit of discovery. Our ship was the Safari Voyager, which only holds 66 guests. There are seven different cabin types, and I was in a Trailblazer cabin. While it is small, mostly due to the small size of the ship, there is plenty of storage, outlets, and the bed was very comfortable. Even though the room was small, the shower was bigger than I expected, which was great at the end of the day after snorkeling, hiking, swimming, and general adventuring.  

“For those unfamiliar with UnCruise, it’s an adventure travel cruise company that prides itself on sustainability, super immersive experiences, positive local impact, and a spirit of discovery.”

The best part about UnCruise is that they are very flexible in their itinerary. If weather conditions are ideal, they will take advantage of their good fortune and go somewhere off schedule. For example, on Day 5 we were able to go to a mangrove estuary that UnCruise hadn’t been able to reach for two years due to poor sailing conditions.  

There are at least two stops every day where you can get off the ship. There are two hike options: a Hard Charger/Bushwhack or a meander. I always went with the meander hike, and it was a great choice! We got to see salt flats, incredible rock formations, fossils jutting out of cave walls, and lots of cacti that were over hundreds of years old. There were also plenty of land animals to see: birds, goats, lizards, and more. We found some amazing things on the hike as well, like shells, unique rocks, and fossils; my brother even found a fossilized shark tooth on one of our hikes! We were in a protected national park, but since the shark tooth was a once-in-a-lifetime find, the expedition staff actually permitted him to take it home, and now he has a unique souvenir that no one else has. 

For water activities, UnCruise offers kayaking, snorkeling, SUPing, and daily zodiac rides. One of my favorite experiences was when we got stuck in what the guides called “dolphin soup”, which was a pod of thousands of dolphins. It was incredible – I had never seen so many dolphins in my life, and they completely surrounded us. 

Another highlight was the Sea Lion Snorkel on Los Islotes. UnCruise was the first to arrive at the snorkel spot at about 6:45am, so we had the whole place to ourselves for about an hour before other tour boats from La Paz started showing up. It was so much fun to have the full uninterrupted hour just swimming and playing with the sea lions. They are very curious and playful – one of them actually chomped on my flipper and tried to pull it off of my foot! 

“One of my favorite experiences was when we got stuck in what the guides called “dolphin soup”, which was a pod of thousands of dolphins. It was incredible”

We had so many great excursions, some scheduled and some unscheduled. We did a two-mile donkey ride in Lorreto (scheduled) and kayaked in the mangroves (unscheduled) where we listened to the sounds of hundreds of birds calling around us. The expedition guides were very excited to hear and spot several rare species of hummingbirds and finches while we were out in the mangroves. It was a kind reminder that even though it’s their job to guide us and keep us safe, they are also experiencing this incredible nature for the first time too. 

Fun fact: On every UnCruise ship there is a Wildlife Board where guests are encouraged to add their wildlife sightings of the week. We had some interesting sightings that, while they may not mean much to the passengers, had our expedition guides absolutely thrilled. My favorite animal I learned about on this trip was the nudibranch (pronounced new-dee-brank). They’re a little sea slug, but come in the most vibrant and beautiful colors you’ve ever seen. Next time you’re at the ocean, take a closer look at the tide pools and shallow rocky water for little pops of color, and you might find yourself a nudibranch!

Who is UnCruise for? Anyone who is active, adventurous, open to changes in the itinerary and ready to go with the flow. UnCruise is not a luxury cruise company, so expect good basics without bells and whistles. I should note that the food and drink is incredible – they hire culinary-trained chefs and pastry chefs with great backgrounds to prepare all the meals aboard ship. After a delicious dinner and dessert, evenings are for short, 30-min presentations, usually about a scientific topic, followed by an open bar late into the night to get to know your fellow cruisers. People who love to camp, backpack, swim, and disconnect from their devices are people who would love UnCruise. People of all ages and families with children are welcome onboard, just make sure you have that sense of adventure! 

“People who love to camp, backpack, swim, and disconnect from their devices are people who would love UnCruise.”

If disconnecting from the grid for a week, going off itinerary in search of rare experiences, swimming with sea lions and other creatures of the ocean, and diving into a destination sounds like an ideal vacation to you, then you will love UnCruise. I would love to share more of my UnCruise experiences with you, and to get you booked on your first UnCruise!