We have our own spotter airplane with 2-person crew, flying up to 2 missions a day / 6 days a week. Our new Citabria is the perfect plane for this mission, flying as low as an ultralight for enhanced observation, and with speed to scout north to Loreto national park and south to Cabo. This provides us the most coverage. Our pilot and naturalist/observer specialize in finding orcas and are the very best in the business. They have one goal in mind: to maximize your encounters with the animals.
Typical Days in the Sea of Cortez
MORNINGS:
Sunrise Drone Sessions
Early each morning, right before the sun rises, we’ll have a droning session right from the deck of our liveaboard. We’ll have plenty of coffee to wake us up and then we’ll search the area for sharks, whales, and mobulas. Morning light is the best light for viewing mobula rays. They are very active in the mornings and this is when I tend to find the most unique animal encounters. If you want to photograph sunrise, from either your drone or from your camera, it will be a great time to do so.
Photography Planning Meeting:
Each morning we’ll have a strategic “Photo Planning Meeting” with the Captain. Based on scouting reports, weather conditions, and water conditions, we’ll set course for our photography plan of the day. We truly want to make this a photography expedition. Even positioning the boat in optimal bays for sunrise will be an option for us. Want to photograph dolphins jumping sky high into the air? This is when we can plan this. Our pilots can point us to mega pods, known for loving our boats’ wake. After our planning meeting we’ll get our equipment ready to go! At around 11am the RHIB, or high-speed skiff, will set us off to find our photography opportunities. It carries 12 guests, so everyone is welcome onboard at the same time.
Carlos speciality is aerial and drone photography, so we will have ample time to plan our flights during any of our days. Everything from exposure, flying techniques and showing you how to hand launch your drone from the deck of a moving boat will be included. After a delicious lunch on deck, we’ll head back out on the water in the afternoon. The support boat will be kept running as late as anyone wants up until dusk. You will get plenty of time in the water.
EVENINGS:
In the evening, you’ll have the chance to see the mobula rays in a different light. Literally. There will be the opportunity to go snorkeling at night in a calm, protected bay, where we will suspend lights off the bottom of the boat to attract swarms of mobulas. The mobulas come in to feed on the plankton exposed by the lights, providing a spectacular show against the inky ocean. If you’re a certified diver with your own gear, we can also arrange for you to go night diving.
During a couple nights during the trip we’ll share our images, and Carlos will be there to assist and edit tips throughout, so bring your laptop and a copy of Adobe Lightroom if you can! Editing is a big part of any photographer’s skill set.
*If conditions allow, we may have an onshore activity at night to photograph the night sky. You’ll get a crash course in night photography on the shores of a sandy beach in the Sea of Cortez. Stars are plentiful and the Milky Way this time of year photographs beautifully in the night sky.
