Panterra Eco Cruises on Mexico's Sea of Cortez

COVID19 update - Feb. 2021 Panterra has been offering expeditions to our guests for over 30 years and believe that it would be irresponsible of us to ignore the pandemic and carry on business as usual. With liveaboards it is even more difficult to suggest guests would be safe. Even if we were to implement safety protocols such as testing prior to departure, daily temperature checks, sanitizing the interior of the boat multiple times a day, etc. What happens if a guest becomes...Continue reading

Hi all, the team at Panterra wanted to share some information with you all about Dolphins, enjoy! Kingdom: Animalia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal...Continue reading

Hi all the team at Panterra wanted to share some information with you all about Sea Turtles. We love coming in contact with these creatures during our expedition. Feel free to read below to gain some interesting knowledge about these creatures. Kingdom: Animalia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal...Continue reading

Hi all, the team at Panterra wanted to share some information with you all about Dolphins, enjoy! Kingdom: Animalia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal...Continue reading

Hi all the team at Panterra wanted to share some information with you all about Sea Turtles. We love coming in contact with these creatures during our expedition. Feel free to read below to gain some interesting knowledge about these creatures. Kingdom: Animalia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal...Continue reading

On March 21, 2020 the Mexican government closed all ports to commercial vessels forcing us to cancel all trips to date. As of today, July 20, 2020, the ports are still closed. I would be very surprised if the ports opened this year or at the least, there is a global containment of the COVID19 virus. We are all fine, with time off to regroup while waiting for life to get back to normal. For myself personally, it has been 35 years since I have had time off to stop, breath and... assess life around me. I believe in the face of this terrible adversity I have found a light at the end of the tunnel. I went from dancing as fast as I could to taking a deep breath and regrouping in a positive and healthy way. I cannot begin to tell you how this moment has presented an opportunity to reassess and make positive changes to the business. In saying this, and until we physically get back to work, I will be posting the natural history of the flora and fauna I have encountered in my 35 years of exploring the Sea of Cortez. I will also be posting information on our 2021 trips and the new, exciting projects on Isla San Jose. Isla San Jose is the 6th largest island in Mexico. It is the only privately owned island in the midst of the Espiritu Archipelago Marine Park. We are blessed to have been given legal access to the island for the purpose of research and educational programming. I would like to wish the remote communities, our guests and followers all the best through this trying time and hope we as humankind can come together and deal with this devastating pandemic. Life matters and we are all in this together. Lela the naturalist

A Day Visit to the gray whales of Mag Bay is one of the most indelible experiences one can have while visiting the Baja. The day begins with an early morning start stopping along the way for an authentic Mexican ranch breakfast where you will be treated to freshly prepared foods to include the ranch cheese. Then onto Mag Bay where we will spend several hours bird watching, whale watching and losing ourselves to the beauty of Magdalena Bay. After the whale watching, enjoy a d...elicious seafood lunch at yet another beautiful little family run restaurant. The seafood is caught and delivered daily. Nothing day old or frozen at either restaurant. End the day with an easy, quick desert hike if time allows. Be prepared for a long day that will leave you with memories of a lifetime!

Gray Whales and Whale Shark Expedition Mar. 7 14, 2020 After coming off the Journey of the Pacific Gray Whale expedition, on the Pacific side, and having one of the most magical and unforgettable trips with the gray whales, we were ready to start our season on the Sea of Cortez side. This was about the time people starting reacting to the Corona virus pandemic and a few guests had cancelled. We moved forward with 8 guests and had an amazing time on the trip.... We experienced the gray whales at Mag Bay, saw humpback whales at the entrance to La Paz, had an incredible encounter with dolphins, explored and discovered the fauna and flora of the desert islands (including observing 2 Red Diamondback rattlesnakes in the bush), birdwatched, snorkelled with whale sharks, had our hearts touched by one of the island communities visited and most of all experienced the beauty of the Baja people, their land, sea and culture. All the components meaningful travel should have. Education, culture and interaction with the Mexican people from all walks of life! Our naturalist Alejandra and the crew were the stars. Providing us with an experience of a lifetime. Julio, one of the crew, even went out early one morning for all of about 20 minutes only to return with a nice sized tuna for afternoon sashimi and dinner! It was a beautiful group of guests from around the world, and we were lost in the magic of the Sea of Cortez from the moment we left the dock to the moment we arrived back to the reality of the current world affairs and the COVID 19 pandemic. We were blessed to have stolen this moment together, until the world turned upside down. I hope you enjoy the album as we take you on a voyage of discovery in Baja California Sur and the Sea of Cortez!

I was sent this video clip that pretty much summed up how we at Panterra are dealing with the COVID situation and a world turned upside down. With all of our trips for the winter and spring cancelled and the very real possibility of continued cancellations into 2021, I can only remain positive and find a silver lining in the COVID storm cloud. While we will weather this storm, it is a perfect opportunity to reflect on who we are, our goals, and develop new directions. I... will be taking the time to take stock of Panterra and, coincidentally, to unveil a new Panterra we had planned on launching in the winter of 2021. When the world of travel gets back to normal, Panterra will unveil its new paths of educational and cultural programming. It’s fun, exciting, kind and respectful, showcasing the beauty of the Baja people,their land, sea and culture. It will launch when the world is once again safe to travel. Enjoy the video and I hope it touches your heart enough to take a moment and reflect on all the positive things in your life. I hope we can all find a silver lining and show resilience in the face of such adversity. Hugs and fishes, Lela the naturalist