Our Crew
As an adventure travel company, we could not exist without our team of experienced guides. Their attitudes, expertise and love for their work ensures that you'll be well cared for, and that your safety and comfort are top priority.
Baja Guides
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Cesareo "Charo" Castro Charo grew up fishing and whale watching in Magdalena Bay. He has been kayak guiding since 1997 and enjoys sharing his vast knowledge of whales, birds and flora of Baja. He guides our sea kayaking expeditions in the Sea of Cortez and is also our camp manager/naturalist in our Mag Bay Whale Watching Camp. Charo is a graduate of the RARE program which is an eco-tourism and guide training program for Mexicans. He also works for Grupo Tortuguero with sea turtle conservation. |
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Alex Magana Ruiz Alex, a native of Guadalajara, Mexico, now lives in Loreto where he has been a whale watching and sea kayak guide and logistics coordinator for SKA. He personifies guest service and adds panache to our tours. He also runs his own business selling day tours in Loreto and is a wonderful artist and photographer. Go visit Alex at the Loreto marina snack shop for his vast knowledge of day tours in the area. |
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Vladimir de la Toba Valladolid Vlady is our most promising up-and-coming young Mexican guide, who already has his 3 Star British Canoe Union kayak rating. He grew up fishing, boating and body surfing on Baja's Pacific coast, and knows the ocean and the Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California) intimately. In summers, he works for Grupo Tortuguero, educating fishermen about not killing sea turtles and other important species in their fishing bycatch. He is eager to practice his English and show visitors the natural wildlife he loves. |
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Jessica Arce Jessica is a marine biologist at the University of Baja California Sur La Paz. Her specialty is the abalone. Jessica was born in a remote fishing village on the Pacific called Bahia Tortugas, and this love of the sea fostered her career into guiding. Jessica loves all of nature, but particularly the ocean and whales. She is also a fabulous cook! When asked how she can make such delicious food, she answers: "con amor" ("with love"). |
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Ramon Murillo Ramon can trace his roots to generations of fishermen in the Loreto area, and his knowledge of the Sea of Cortez and its weather is boundless. We are truly honored to have him provide motorboat support on some of our Sea of Cortez tours in Baja (called pangas in Baja California). He is a master panga captain, with many amazing stories of the high seas to relate. |
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Edgar Escobar is a marine biologist, NOLS graduate (USA-based National Outdoor Leadership School) and sea kayak guide who has many kayak tours under his belt. We love his enthusiasm, passion for teaching and deep love of music from around the world. |
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Roberto Rodriguez Roberto is one of our sea turtle experts and a naturalist on our whale camps. In the off-season he manages a sea turtle nesting program near Todos Santos, as well as doing research on sea turtle populations in the Loreto Bay National Marine Park. He has a degree in Marine Biology from the University of Baja California Sur La Paz. He lives in La Paz when not guiding. |
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Axel Herrara Originally from Mexico City, Axel is a world traveler and international guide. He recently spent a year guiding in New Zealand. Axel is also a marine biologist from the University of Baja California Sur La Paz, specializing in dolphin vocalizations. He is quite professional as a guide and very knowledgeable on marine natural history. Axel has many stories from his travels to share with guests, including snorkeling with whale sharks. |
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Erick Gonzalez (Tuku) Erick Gonzalez, fondly known to guests and guides as "Tuku", is a graduate of University of Guadalajara in EcoTourism and Adventure Tourism, and a graduate of NOLS with a Mexican Educator's certificate. He is highly dedicated, hard working, and anticipates needs of others before they even realize it. Amazingly knowledgeable about a wide range of things, he can solve a Rubix cube in minutes flat. He loves to share his wealth of knowledge with guests. |
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Valente Valente is one of our pangeros (panga drivers) from Loreto where he is a fisherman when not operating the support boat for our kayak tours. He is a very good cook, has a great smile below his Pancho Villa mustache and loves to share his knowledge of the sea with our guests. |
 | Maria Aguilar Murillo Maria is another true Baja Californian, raised in a seaside fishing village on San Ignacio Lagoon where she has seen gray whales since a child. Maria graduated from the University of Loreto alternative Tourism program and she worked as a naturalist at a whale watching camp in San Ignacio Lagoon. |
 | Monica Sanchez Monica's passion is the water. She's an animal lover, but her favorites are marine mamals. For that she became a dolphin trainer in the Caribbean for 2 years, working with both dolphins and sea lions. Monica has a bachelor degree in science and technology information with emphasis in visual comunication, and also works as a reporter and host for a TV and radio shows. |
 | Daniel Zamora Rangel Daniel is another true Baja Californian, raised in Loreto, where his parents run a family-owned grocery store. Daniel is a graduate of the University of Loreto alternative tourism program. He competed in Track Bicycle racing Nationals and he is an avid kayaker (2* BCU). |
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Canada Guides
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Sarah Hauser Sarah Hauser has been an integral part of Sea Kayak Adventures in Baja and BC for years. She is a trip leader extraordinaire, calm and competent, and always has a smile. She has seen it all and handled it all in her years guiding and paddling all over Vancouver Island and the BC coast. She is one of the best teachers we've ever had on staff, encouraging novice kayakers to grow in their comfort zone. |
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Dustin Chappell 2012 marks Dustin's 7th summer sea kayak guiding. He fell in love with the sport shortly after moving out to BC from Alberta and has been pursuing it ever since all around BC's Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island. He has paddled in several amazing places in the world including Patagonia and Costa Rica. On top of being a passionate paddler, skier and traveler, Dustin is a chef and enjoys sharing his passions with others. |
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Leah Blok Leah Blok has been guiding for Sea Kayak Adventures in BC and in Baja for years. She has more energy and passion for people, wildlife and life than anyone we have ever had the good fortune of knowing! She has paddled solo from Alaska to British Columbia and all over Europe. She adores sharing her passion for paddling and whales with paddlers of all skill levels. Paddlers of all ages enjoy her boundless energy and knowledge and are inspired by Leah. |
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Office Staff
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Gabriela Cortés The office manager for our Loreto operations, Gaby was born in Colima (near Guadalajara) and has lived in Loreto since 2009. She has a BA Degree in Tourism Management and would like to continue her studies to get her Masters degree in finance. Gaby recently welcomed her daughter, Elena, into the world, and spends most of her off time taking care of her baby. |
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Amber Crane A Minnesota native, Amber arrived in Coeur d'Alene, ID in the fall of 2009 to pursue her passion for horses. This lifelong love fosters a kinship with the natural world, a love for the outdoors, and a conviction for preserving the environment in which we are so privileged to live and play. Amber has been a member of the SKA office staff since 2011 and is in the process of completing her degree in writing. |
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Tour Types
"On a scale of 1-10, I give this trip an 11. SKA is an awesome organization with friendly, knowledgeable guides and fantastic food."
