Reefs to Rockies, Bio-Hotspot Expert, Launches Gray Whale Watching Journey

Reefs to Rockies (http://www.reefstorockies.com/) LLC specializes in designing unique itineraries to adventurous locations made famous by their spectacular flora and fauna, as is the Grey Whale watch

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Reefs to Rockies, Bio-Hotspot Expert, Launches Gray Whale Watching Journey

Pristine wildlife, exceptional guides and rich culture in Mexico’s Baja

Denver, CO (September 3, 2009) – While most travelers are perfectly content sitting on the sandy beaches of Mexico covered in Coppertone and a margarita in hand, some want a little more out of their hard-earned vacation. Denver-based Reefs to Rockies (http://www.reefstorockies.com/), a leading boutique tour operator dedicated to exploring and helping bio-diversity hotspots, today announces the launch of a journey featuring the Baja’s endangered Gray Whales. The trip will be lead by Oscar Fray, an Ocenologist who has been studying Humpback and Gray whales since he was eight.

“The only predators of the Gray Whale are humans and Orca,” explains Sheridan Samano, owner of Reefs to Rockies. “Yet the number of these whales is rapidly decreasing. These whales can only be found in the North Pacific American region, are extremely endangered in the North Pacific Asian Region and have been completely wiped out in the North Atlantic Region. Reefs to Rockies’s (http://www.reefstorockies.com/) goal is to bring awareness to issues such as the threat these whales face while offering a one-of-a-kind, unforgettable Grey Whale watching adventure.”

The highlight of the Grey Whale Watching trip is the full-time professional guide, Oscar Fray. Oscar Fray attended college in the Faculty of Marine Sciences at the University of Baja California where he participated in the Paleontological Research Program of the University sponsored by the National Geographic Society. He also completed specialization courses in adventure travel and ecotourism. He was certified by SECTUR (Tourism Bureau) in La Paz, Baja California Sur in 1994. Later he moved to Puerto Vallarta and in 1995 created a privately founded Humpback Whale Research Program and whale watching tour operations in Bahia de Banderas. Oscar’s most recent research involves the use of Kite Aerial Photography (KAP) to document whales of coastal habitats in their breeding grounds in Mexico.

With Oscar Fray at hand, the itinerary tours through the magical sites that San Ignacio Town and Lagoon provide. The lagoon is located 35 miles south of San Ignacio town and rated as one of the most pristine Grey Whale watching sanctuaries in the world. Each year gray whales use the lagoon to raise calves. The gray whales of San Ignacio are famous for their friendly encounters, swimming curiously alongside small boats carrying enthusiastic whale watchers.

In addition to expert guiding and exceptional wildlife viewing, this Reefs to Rockies (www.reefstorockies.com) Gray Whale watching Journey also explores the rich culture of El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve, which was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993 due to its ecological and cultural importance. See full itinerary here: http://www.reefstorockies.com/pdfs/R2R-Baja-Gray-Whales-with-Oscar-Frey.pdf 

The trip will run from March 19 – 26, 2010 and is listed at $2300/ person based on double occupancy. There is an additional charge of $150/ person for the optional overnight project with SEE Turtles. Please contact Sheridan Samano with any questions: Sheridan@ReefstoRockies.com. Or check out Reefs to Rockies web site at http://www.reefstorockies.com/

Reefs to Rockies (http://www.reefstorockies.com/) LLC specializes in designing unique itineraries to adventurous locations made famous by their spectacular flora and fauna, as is the Grey Whale watching journey. They are committed to promoting the principles of sustainable and responsible tourism. They feel that it is their duty as travel planners to consider the impacts their itineraries have on the environment, on wildlife, and on local communities. To show their commitment to sustainable tourism, they donate 1% of their annual gross sales, not profits, to conservation efforts in the areas they visit. They also adhere to the guidelines set forth by the International Ecotourism Society for sustainable tourism.