This page describes a program that took place in February 2007 ... During its first week, a group of 10 participants joined Marta Williams in Baja to communicate intuitively with the gray whales in their nursery on Magdalena Bay and other whales in the Sea of Cortez. The group's intent was to ask for and be open to receive any messages or wisdom that the whales would share with us, and to respond in kind. Click here for the latest video from that trip ... The main message received was that the whales need our help. This group now meets every Tuesday at 6pm via conference call with Marta to help manifest healing for the earth and for the whales (most recently, for the wayward pair of humpbacks in the delta) through intention and visualization. There's room for up to 96 callers at a time, so if you'd like to join in, contact me for details. If you'd like to read about our actual experience in Baja, including messages from the whales ... click on www.MartaWilliams.com Read on to learn more about the program, then send an email if interested in joining us next winter ... We'll keep you informed once it begins to unfold! ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* Each winter, the California Gray Whales migrate 6,000 miles from Alaska's waters to breed, birth and raise their young within several protected bays along the west coast of Baja. As recently as the 1970s, the survival of this ancient, highly intelligent species was still under serious threat due to harsh whaling practices they'd endured for centuries. Shortly after the nurseries in Baja (and their entire migratory route) became protected, the new mothers and babies began to reach out — and up — to connect with us humans (see the video!) ... This winter, an extraordinary cast of performing artists, teachers and healers from the San Francisco Bay Area are joining the River Guidess in offering a unique series of eco-tours in Baja. Inspired and united by a common vision of a better world, these facilitators will help us deepen our connection with self, community, nature, and spirit, as we discover the wisdom that the whales and all of nature have to offer us. In addition to whale watching, sea kayaking and other activities provided by Blue Waters Kayaking, our individual and community experience deepens and expands through improvisational movement & stories, sacred music & sound, yoga, breathwork, both interpersonal AND interspecies communication, environmental education ... and more. Returned to us from the brink of extinction, the Gray Whales are the carriers of the ancient stories and songs ... Join us in listening, connecting, expanding, moving, singing, breathing, imagining ... and celebrating the return of the whales! Marta Williams Olivia Corson Suzanne Sterling Dana DeLong Scott Catamas The River Guidess Click for updated schedule and prices for winter 2007 tour series ... Having led eco-adventures on California rivers and bays since 1993, The River Guidess serves as the coordinator of the entire series, and will be present throughout to help facilitate the group experience. Outfitted and supported by Blue Waters Kayaking — with over 20 years experience in Baja — these 6- and 8-day tours include whale watching, sea kayaking, snorkeling, hiking, healthy and delicious meals, and much more. Led by Blue Waters' expert naturalist kayaking guides and instructors, no experience is necessary, and all activities — including kayaking — are optional. Open to men and women of all ages and abilities. These journeys are being offered in the winter of 2007 at both Magdalena Bay — where the Gray Whales are born — AND at a secluded Eco-Resort on the Sea of Cortez. Both locations feature pristine natural environments, as well as opportunities to minimize (and learn more about) the impact of our human footprint on our Earth. An attractive yet uncrowded travel destination, Baja's winter climate is generally mild and dry, with daytime temperatures ranging from the mid-70s to the mid-80s. Please read on to learn about these destinations, then continue for each specific tour.   Flying in and out of Loreto International Airport, hese six- and eight-day itineraries all begin with a day and night in the charming seaside village of Loreto ...

Subscribe to our Newsletter 2006 Whale Video More Baja Pix Questions Frequently Asked of:

Then, Commune with the Magnificent Gray Whales at Magdalena Bay ...

After breakfast on the morning of our second day, we travel two hours by van across the desert toward Baja's west coast. As the southernmost of three birthing lagoons, many whales have chosen these calm waters as the ideal place to breed, birth and raise their young each winter. The adults complete their annual 6,000-mile southern migration to Baja in January, and begin the journey back to Alaska in March ... with their now-capable offspring in tow.

Our serene and private island camp, Isla Elenita, is an easy 20-minute kayak paddle from the Baja mainland through an extensive, green and pristine mangrove estuary. Our camp is in a unique location, facing west toward Boca de Soledade, the nearest inlet where the whales enter the bay. As we gather each evening for consistently spectacular sunsets, we're also watching for water spouts as the whales surface for air. Once the sun sets, these vast clear skies offer extraordinary opportunities for stargazing. In addition to spacious double-occupancy tents with thick, comfortable sleeping mats, the camp has two 18-foot geodesic domes. One houses our kitchen; the other serves as our community's indoor shared space, complete with a library of books about whales, kayaking, and the entire region.

Each morning, we'll be escorted onto the bay by trained Mexican "pangeros" to visit with the new mothers and their calves. The mothers approach the boats, often encouraging their babies to make contact with us! On occasion, the mother rests against the boat, waiting to be stroked; her gentle nature and intelligence become apparent as we look into her eyes. These experiences have often inspired people to become involved in the protection of these magnificent creatures. Visit the websites for Seaflow and Oceana to learn more about these organizations' efforts to protect our oceans and all sea life.

Each afternoon, we'll kayak in the protected mangrove labyrinths, escorted by expert guides, who will share their knowledge of the area's natural history, marine biology, birds and local flora. Through their humor and skill, they will offer us a rich, deep, and intimate experience of the area. With both single and double kayaks available, they also provide lessons to those who want to improve their kayaking skills. Our Mexican chef, Lala — who consistently gets rave reviews — prepares delicious and authentic home-cooked meals, served to us with heaping spoonfuls of love ...

At this comfortable base camp, far from the stresses of modern life, we become immersed in the wisdom of "the ancients of the sea." On still nights, we can hear the sounds of spouting whales right off shore ....

Blue Waters Kayaking was given exclusive rights by the Mexican government to inhabit Isla Elenita during this sacred birthing time over 20 years ago, and they've hosted hundreds of customers there ever since. With no permanent structures on the island, Blue Waters sets up this camp in January and disassembles it in its entirety in March, to leave no trace of our presence behind ...

For a detailed and engaging account of the author's experience with the gray whales on a Blue Waters trip in 2005 ...
read "Gentle Giants," a chapter from Karin Kinsey's book, "Dancing on Water: Adventures with Dolphins, Whales, and Interspecies Communication."

"I’m not a very sentimental person. I don’t think we ought to save whales because they’re cuddly or pettable. But it’s simply
an amazing experience having those whales roll over and look at you eye to eye.There’s really an interspecies contact there.
There’s an intelligence.... That’s about as far as I want to go with that, but it’s ... extraordinary." — Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) Lawyer (from Eye of the Whale by Dick Russell)

Then, wind down and nourish your soul at a secluded, ecological Retreat Center on the Sea of Cortez!

Your experience continues with two, three or four days and nights (depending on itinerary) based at this pristine, protected cove of the Sea of Cortez. Enjoy a combination of comfort and adventure, while living off the grid and close to nature. The Eco-Resort features open-air dining, an outdoor "kiva" for evening fire circles, and a 30-foot enclosed yurt for yoga, meditation, music, drumming, and workshops sessions. It accommodates small groups such as ours, with 7 double-occupancy cottages, or "casitas," that either look out toward the beach and the bay, or are nestled among the white sand dunes, just a short walk to all amenities. The resort uses solar-powered electricity, compost toilets, and propane-heated showers. (Regarded as a valuable resource, the run-off from the showers is used to water the plants!) This is a unique opportunity to unwind at a serene sandy cove where the Baja desert meets the Sea of Cortez. In setting our internal clocks to nature’s time, we discover a profoundly rewarding and healing experience.

In addition to daily sessions with your facilitator, all non-motorized activities at the resort are also included in your tour price: Guided hikes, nature and plant walks, snorkeling, and kayaking explorations of this beautiful and remote section of coast with expert guidance.

Options available at low cost include free-diving, bodywork and healing sessions, facials, horseback riding and mule rides. Optional excursions by motorized panga include sport fishing and whale watching — for fin backs, blues, pilots, humpbacks and occasional orcas. Depending on weather and tides, we might also enjoy an optional panga excursion to soak in some deeply relaxing, thermally heated tidal pools, just a half-hour down the coast.

Visit the Blue Waters website for more about their tours (and more pictures!) ...
Then please contact me directly for your booking on this series or any of their other tours.

Tour schedule for winter 2007 ...

(1) Click on the links to get full details and itineraries for each of the following trips.

(2) Please contact us as early as possible to express your interest in any specific trip. This way we can keep you updated on developments (i.e., airfare sales, scheduling changes, etc.) ... We want to keep you in the loop because we want you there with us!

(3) Attend a local event to meet the facilitators, other participants, Blue Waters' guides, and to learn more about the series ...

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February 3 - 10 (Saturday-Saturday):
Communicating with Whales, Reconnecting with Nature ...
with Marta Williams, author, biologist and animal communicator

Once you encounter the intelligence and spirit of other beings through intuitive discourse, it changes your life radically and forever. Come to Baja to revive this ancient skill that we all possess, and explore your unique role in helping to bring humans and the natural world back together again. Click for more ...

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February 11 - 18 (Sunday-Sunday):
Whale Tales: A Body Tales® Eco-Spirit Journey
with Olivia Corson

Body Tales® is a somatic practice — developed over 20 years ago by Olivia Corson — that interweaves intuitive movement and personal storytelling, with a focus on healing, renewing and strengthening our core relationships with our own bodies and with the earth, within a supportive community setting. Click for more ...

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March 2 - 7 (Friday-Wednesday):
Yoga, Breathwork, Song and Sacred Ceremony ...
with Suzanne Sterling & Dana DeLong

Suzanne and Dana integrate their talents and their teachings to offer a dynamic blend of yoga, transformational breathwork, singing, chanting and sacred ceremony. We'll free our natural voice, develop awareness of our breath, clear our emotional body, and enjoy vocal improvisation and play. Listen to your innate wisdom, allow your creativity to expand, tap into your sacred self and your connection with the Divine, and offer your song as a gift to the whales. See the new music video, "The Call" from Skyclad, featuring Suzanne Sterling.

Click here for more about this retreat ...

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March 13-20 (Tuesday-Tuesday):
What the World Needs Now ...
is Compassionate Communication
(aka, Non-Violent Communication / NVC, or ... The Language of Giraffes and Whales)
with Scott Catamas and special guests

Giraffes have the largest heart of any land mammal, so a giraffe puppet is used as a teaching tool in the language model known as Compassionate Communication (aka, Non-Violent Communication, or NVC). During this week with Scott, we'll look toward the gray whale as the carrier of the ocean's heart. Return home with new conections and memories to last a lifetime, as well as communication skills that will improve all your relationships, allowing you to effectively listen and be heard with more ease, grace and heart. Scott will also give Deeksha, an energy transmission that serves to quiet the mind and further open the heart. Having recently become a "Climate Change Messenger" after a week with Al Gore and hundreds of active environmentalists in Nashville, Scott will share the latest information and insights with our group, inviting select members of local communities who are pro-active change-makers in Mexico to join us ... ... Click for more.

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Contact Gail, the River Guidess, at 415-312-3112 or by email ...
with questions, to reserve your space, or to be informed of program changes and the best airfares. Private presentations may also be arranged in January by contacting the River Guidess.

And lastly ... visit the calendar for Adventures in the Flow to join The River Guidess and a creative, conscious community on rivers and bays that are close to our home in beautiful northern California!

The Kings River FlowFest, June 15-19, 2007, will be the highlight of your summer!
Chill out at the river, then head up to Summer Dance Camp with us and the Northern California Dance Collective (NCDC) from Tuesday (6/19) through Sunday afternoon (6/24)!