get on the water
Make Friends with Whale Sharks
Spend three days on the water, swimming with whale sharks, sea lions, and more.
Fall asleep under the stars
Wake to the Sun
As the sun begins to dawn, and the tide begins to rise, open your eyes, pour yourself a cup of coffee, and enjoy the view.
Find your center
Breathe with the Waves
Practice yoga on the sand each morning with our yoga leader, Erica Chang.
Community is everything
Find Connection
With the sea. With each other. With yourself.
The adventure begins
September 8-13
Vermilion Sea Field Station
Baja California, Mexico
a peek at our days on the sea
What's on the agenda
Meals each day will include a chef-prepared breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
September 7 // Fly into San Diego and stay overnight in hotel. [not included]
September 8 // Depart for Bahía de los Ángeles from San Diego, crossing the border, stopping for lunch and scenic views along the way. Arrive at Bahía de los Ángeles and settle into Vermilion Sea Field Station.
September 9 // Morning yoga. Intro to the retreat, Bahía de los Ángeles, and the field station. Snorkeling lessons and free exploration. Evening discussion and mindfulness exercises.
September 10-12 // Morning yoga. Boat trip to unique ecosystem or snorkeling opportunity. Hiking, beach cleanup, free exploration. Evening discussion and mindfulness exercises.
September 13 // Morning yoga. Pack and depart for San Diego, stopping for lunch and scenic views along the way. Arrive at hotel in San Diego.
create your own adventure
Take what you need. Leave the rest.
Don't want to join the yoga practice? Wanna take a nap instead of go on a hike? You do you. All activites are optional, so you can create the retreat you need.
What's Included
All transportation
All accommodations during time at Vermilion Sea Field Station
All meals, drinks, and snacks
Island permits and Mexican visas
Snorkel equipment rental (wetsuits, masks, fins)
All boat expenses
What's Not Included
Flights to and from San Diego
Hotel stays in San Diego
Emergency medical insurance (required)
Additional snacks and alcoholic beverages outside of included water, meals, and snacks
Scuba diving can be added during secondary registration for an additional $250
Investment
For this all-inclusive, 6-day trip, total investment is $1,198 per person, with optional $100 cancel-at-any-time trip insurance.
We highly recommend adding the optional cancel-at-any-time trip insurance to your registration to protect your payment. This insurance covers $848 of your registration (does not cover the $350 deposit).
Check out some example cancellation scenarios below for a deeper look into the optional insurance.
You will need a valid passport for all members of your party with six (6) months remaining before expiration at time of travel.
You will need travel medical insurance to cover any medical expenses or emergencies while abroad.
Example Cancellation Scenarios
Book your spot in February and decide to cancel in April. You will forfeit your non-refundable deposit ($350).
Book your spot in February, add on the optional cancellation insurance ($100) at secondary registration, and decide to cancel in July. You will forfeit your non-refundable deposit ($350) and we will refund the remainder of your registration payment ($848).
Book your spot in February, choose to decline the optional cancellation insurance ($100), and decide to cancel in July. You will forfeit your full payment of $1,198.
Book your spot after the deposit/balance system has closed ($1,198), add on the optional cancellation insurance ($100), and decide to cancel in July. We will refund $848 of your registration payment.
Got Qs?
Registration for this year's retreat will be open until all spots are filled. There are only 16 spots available. In 2021, all spots were filled by May.
All participants will need to provide proof of vaccination or proof of a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of the start of the retreat. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding in helping us create a safe environment for all.
As of March 2022, there has been no known transmission of COVID-19 at VSFS.
We understand that the COVID situation is ever-evolving. It is very unlikely that we will cancel this retreat. If you cancel for any reason, the above cancellation guidelines will be followed. We strongly encourage you to register when you are confident you will be able to attend and feel comfortable attending while recognizing this retreat may fill.
While whale sharks have typically visited the waters off Bahía de los Ángeles each summer, we can not predict that the sharks will be present during this retreat. Therefore, there is no guarantee that attendees will see or swim with a whale shark.
The Vermilion Sea Field Station is home base for our ocean conservation partner, Vermilion Sea Institute. It is first and foremost a field facility for researchers and educators in the environmental sciences with rustic yet enjoyable accommodations.
The field station is comprised of a central two story adobe and stone facility with 12 multi-purpose rooms, a large kitchen, indoor shower and changing room, outdoor bucket-flush bathrooms and an additional family house.
This retreat is a great way to see the work your dollars are supporting when you shop with us here at A Drop in the Ocean!
We encourage you to take the rare and special opportunity to embrace being “unplugged.” Most visitors to the field station find they connect more deeply with the incredible local environment because of it.
However, if totally disconnecting isn’t possible, there are a handful of internet cafes in town. There is no cell service in town, but there are usually pay phones available at the internet cafes.
Still got Qs? Shoot us a message!
Image credits: Autumn E., Christina C., Erica C., Jen S., Kate K., Katrin K., Meghann M., MJ M., Robin S., Vanessa B.
