Whales, Dolphins, and Biodiversity of Southwest Mexico

• Learn alongside marine biologists as they conduct critical conservation research on whales and dolphins.
• Visit the mangrove-filled lagoon directly behind the village of Barra de Potosí, a nursery for hundreds of species of fish and birds including Roseate Spoonbills, boobies, White Pelicans, herons, and egrets.
• Connect with and support local artists, budding naturalists, responsible ecotour guides, and a community that prioritizes nature so that everyone can win through cooking classes, art fairs, nature walks, turtle hatchling patrols, visits to animal sanctuaries and more.

Oceanic Society is partnering with our friends at the non-profit SEE Turtles to lead two expeditions to beautiful Barra de Potosí on Mexico’s Pacific coast. Here you will spend a week immersing yourself in this region’s rich marine and terrestrial biodiversity and, as citizen scientists, work alongside the researchers of the non-profit Whales of Guerrero (a conservation project formerly sponsored by Oceanic Society). This will be our 6th year offering trips that support the conservation efforts of the community and researchers in Barra de Potosí. As a participant on this expedition you will have the chance to help scientists better understand the important humpback whale population that inhabits the area during the winter months. Over this week, you will spend up to 3 days on the water looking for whales and dolphins with the Whales of Guerrero research team of U.S. and Mexican biologists and local fishermen to spot, identify, and make scientific observations of humpback whales and any of 13 species of dolphins found in the area. In addition to whales, we also regularly observe 4 species of sea turtles including the olive ridley, as well as 3 species of rays and over 250 species of birds at sea and in the surrounding lagoons, including Roseate Spoonbills, Wood Storks, Brown and Blue-footed Boobies, and Red-billed Tropicbirds. In addition to learning humpback whale fluke identification and hydro-acoustic recording techniques, you will also help record other key ecosystem data. Our citizen scientists come away with a wealth of knowledge about humpback whale behavior and biology and the unique experience of being a part of a pioneering project. Outside of the whale research, the group will participate in many other activities. There are several sea turtle nesting beaches a short distance from Barra de Potosí and we will spend a couple of evenings visiting those beaches to look for nesting olive ridley sea turtles and other species. If we’re lucky, we’ll also be able to go on a patrol and release hatchlings! We can also look for bats and crocodiles at night, visit a local animal shelter, tour a lagoon looking for birds, take cooking lessons and guided walking tours from local women, partake in a mini art show, and learn how salt is harvested and made, among other options.

Notes on Trip Costs

Trip cost includes:

• Lodging as listed in itinerary or equivalent
• Meals listed in itinerary
• Most in-country transportation
• Bilingual and expert guides
• Activities
• Donations to whale and turtle conservation

Trip cost does not include:

• Airfare and airport transfers
• Alcoholic beverages
• Meals not shown in itinerary
• Gratuities to guides
• Optional sierra highlands visit to local sustainably-run coffee plantation will require an additional fee to be paid onsite
• Anything else not indicated in itinerary