SEARCHER LIVE-ABOARD EXPEDITIONS
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The first two exploratory trips on Searcher in April of 2003 are what started and fueled Searcher's deep water expedition program geared exclusively for pelagic birders. Those two back-to-back historic trips to see "what was out there" tallied 91 Murphy's Petrels, 13 Laysan Albatrosses, 60 jaegers (3 flavors), 9 tropicbirds, 190 Leach's Storm-Petrels, 20 Ashy Storm-Petrels, more than 1500 shearwaters (4 flavors), Tufted Puffin..... well, the list goes on and on... and the rest is history.
Ever since those first two exploratory trips in 2003, Searcher owners Art Taylor and Celia Condit have blocked time each year on Searcher's calendar for long-range pelagic birding trips. Deep water expeditions on Searcher always find rarities and mega-rarities in deep water along the edge of the continental shelf. Review the trip logs.
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| Hawaiian Petrel Searcher 6SEP2006 (c) Steve N.G. Howell |
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| Hawaiian Petrel Searcher 6SEP2006 (c) Steve N.G. Howell |
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The 95 foot long Searcher has been operating natural history tours to Baja for over 30 years. Searcher has 14 air-conditioned cabins--12 are double-occupancy and three are triple-occupancy -- each with fresh-water sink, mirror and AC electrical outlet, Each cabin has sleeping bunks, storage shelves, and hammocks for gear storage. Each bunk has a private reading light. There are four sparkling-clean bathrooms on the main deck, two with showers. There are large, roomy birding and wildlife observation decks on the stern, upper deck, and in the bow area.
Here is a typical participant comment following the trip: "The trip was truly a wonderful experience. As a veteran of over 100 pelagic trips, I would rate this in the top five I have ever taken. Great birds & mammals, great leadership, marvelous food & a very friendly and accommodating crew. It was also the keenest & most co-operative group of participants I have ever shared a boat with. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone who would contemplate taking it in the future. WELL DONE!" -- Mike Austin, Friendswood, TX
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| Like Home...... Only Better |
Searcher's library in the salon is available for all to use. We have books about Baja's whales and other marine mammals, plants, birds, travel narratives, fishes, checklists, and maps. There is comfortable restaurant-style booth seating at meals, The salon is also an indoor relaxation area for reading, snoozing, playing a game of cards of just plain socializing.
Beverages and snacks are all included and are available 24 hours per day, in addition to the three delicious meals each day. Searcher offers a wide variety of special request meals and diets with prior notice. Meals are typically made from fresh meats, fish, and produce and are wonderful. There's nothing quite like standing on the bow of Searcher in the sun and wind with a hot, fresh-from-the-oven blueberry muffin and cup of coffee. One thing all the leaders agree on: you won't find a better meal at sea than Searcher. Fresh salads, home-made cookies, pancakes, bacon, burgers, pizza, roast chicken, fresh fish tacos, prime rib, ice cream sundaes, wine with dinner, warm brownies with ice cream, apples, bananas, oranges and a bottomless cooler of complimentary juice, coke, diet coke, bottled water and, most importantly to some of the leaders, beer.
Read what they say about Searcher: True Stories
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Best viewed full screen by clicking the icon near the lower right hand corner of the video (beneath the "You" in YouTube).
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Best viewed full screen by clicking the icon near the lower right hand corner of the video (beneath the "You" in YouTube).
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| Cook's Petrel from Searcher (c) Todd McGrath |
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| Red-billed Tropicbird (c) Tom Blackman |
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| An Incredible Record Of Sightings |
The diverse array of birds seen from Searcher is a result of a diverse itinerary - from near-shore to inter-islands to the edge of the Continental Shelf. We depart San Diego at noon and spend the day birding our way up the Nine-mile bank and other underwater banks, ridges and canyons. The morning or our second day at sea will find us in the Channel Islands. From there we travel north past Point Conception to Arguello Canyon, Rodriguez Dome, then spend two days bearing south past the San Juan Seamount and other seamounts at the edge of the Continental Shelf, 40 miles southwest of Cortez Bank, 150 miles offshore. We see lots of birds near shore and around the Channel Islands, fewer birds out along the shelf edge - but the shelf edge is where the rarities roam.
The primary focus of Searcher Expeditions is to ensure everyone aboard sees all the regional bird specialties. A special effort is made to find rare species on every trip, and we always encounter and take time to study marine mammals. The luxury of 4 days at sea with 3 days in deep water allows us to enjoy natural wonders few people ever experience.
Rarities and Mega-Rarities seen on chartered pelagic seabirding trips in southern California since 2000 include Hawaiian Petrel, Cook's Petrel, Murphy's Petrel, Bulwer's Petrel, Streaked Shearwater, Tristram's Storm-Petrel, Ringed Storm-Petrel, Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel, Wedge-rumped Storm-Petrel, Red-billed Tropicbird, Red-TAILED Tropicbird and Craveri's Murrelet. If we see even one of the rarities, it's a good day. If we see a mega-rarity, we'll be very lucky because none are probable - that's why they're called mega-rarities.
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| Laysan Albatross (c) Todd McGrath |
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| Black-footed Albatross (c) Karen Straus |
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MARINE LIFE: SEARCHER has encountered an impressive array of marine life: Orca (Killer Whale), Mako Shark, Blue Shark, Mola Mola, Blue Whale, Fin Whale, Humpback Whale, Sei Whale, Sperm Whale, Baird's Beaked Whale, Minke Whale, Gray Whale, Pacific White-sided Dolphin, Northern Right-whale Dolphin, Risso's Dolphin, Elephant Seal, Northern Fur and Guadalupe Fur Seals.
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| Risso's Dophin (c) W. Terry Hunefeld |
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| California Flying Fish (c) Steve N.G. Howell |
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Days on Searcher are like a dream. There is nothing else quite like being out there: You never know what you will see, you begin seeing seabirds as soon as you leave the harbor, you're surrounded by experts who are happy help you improve your knowledge and skills, and no matter what the weather, you feel one with nature. On every Searcher trip, new lifelong friendships are made, life birds logged, and fun is had by all. We hope you will join us on one of our upcoming pelagic trips.
Lloyd Snyder of Jonesboro (694 ABA birds) saw 7 life birds on Searcher and pronounced, "This is the most fantastic pelagic trip I have EVER been on, worth every penny I paid and more than I hoped for, and you can print that!"
CONVENIENT SAN DEIGO LODGING: Maps and lodging recommendations: Inexpensive San Diego lodging options
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| Art Taylor and Celia Condit |
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ADVANCE RESERVATIONS:
Reservations for Searcher expeditions are handled by Searcher Natural History Tours, owned by nature-loving Art Taylor and Celia Condit. Call Celia for reservation information about the trips at (619) 226-2403 or visit the Searcher Natural History Tours website.
Read what they say about Searcher: True Stories
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