Our Baja Kayaking Guides

The staff that you will meet below and hopefully in person have been our core Baja guides for over 10 years. They are a skilled and personable team that looks forward to working together every season and meeting this year’s clients. We hope you will be one of them.

 

Steve Hayward

Steve is our General Manager in Sausalito and has been the Director of our Baja Program for the past 16 years. In Loreto he makes sure that every detail is in order from paperwork with the Port Captain to fresh food, and a healthy outboard for our panga.

Chances are that you have communicated with him in Sausalito before your trip and like a magic genie he will greet you at the airport when you arrive in Loreto and then he will appear and disappear throughout your week. He works tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that your time with us is everything that you expected.

Steve is fluent in Spanish and loves the time he spends in Loreto with all our staff.  When he has some free time he will be fishing, diving or going out for an early morning paddling session. His wife, Hanneke and two teenagers Tossa and Lucas come down at every opportunity to enjoy their home away from home.

 

Mitch Powers

Mitch has Sea Trek’s lead Baja guide for over ten seasons bringing to our clients great leadership, tasty meals, fascinating stories and a sense of his love for this rugged landscape. He has developed a depth of knowledge of the human and natural history to share with you.
At our Sausalito base, he is Sea Trek’s full time Director of Instructional Programs and the author of the sea kayaking handbook “First Strokes.” He is a year-round professional sea kayaker.

 

Michael Morgan

Michael is truly a “Renaissance Man”. He has a background in engineering and Marine Biology from the University of California Irvine. He has been a professional fashion photographer, an artist, and is currently studying 14th Century martial arts and swordsmanship.

For the past eleven years Michael has been a full-time Senior Instructor and Guide in Sausalito. For the last eight years he’s been leading our trips in Baja bringing his safety consciousness, wisdom, and wealth of knowledge of the desert and the sea. With his pirates earring and cheek splitting grin, you will always feel taken care of on Michaels’ trips.

 

Juve Orzoco

Juve is from the village of Puerto San Carlos, which is on the Pacific side of Baja on Magdalena Bay.  Growing up in a small fishing town you learn the all there is to know about the marine environment. You become an expert on the habits of fish that you depend on for your livelihood and the habits of the migrating Grey whales that arrive every year in the lagoon outside your front door.

He is certified as a Master PADI diver and an expert on the identification and habits of the Blue, Humpback, Fins and the other whales that inhabit the Sea of Cortez. Having been trained in survival methods in the Mexican Marines he knows how to live in the desert.

Since 2007 he has been Sea Trek’s lead guide in Loreto. Juve loves taking the lessons he’s learned from the ocean, and adventures from surviving in the desert and teaching them to the guest on his trips.  Its entirely possible that by the end of a trip with Juve you’ll be catching fish with your hands and opening beers with rocks.

 

Sara Carwright

Sara started working with Sea Trek in Sausalito in 1999.  It was the perfect college job while earning her degree in Environmental Science, and later in Education.  She loves guiding kayaking tours, teaching classes and exploring San Francisco Bay.  For over 15 years she has guided multi-day outdoor excursions as well as teaching environmental education for various outdoor schools.  After many years of house sitting  for guides who came down to Baja,  she finally came down herself as a guide, fell in love with Baja and is now a year ’round resident. She enjoys the opportunity to share this place with others.  It is a fun group of folks that decide to join our trips so she equally enjoys what guest have to share as well

 

Jose Cruz

Jose lives in Loreto with his wife Nina and children Jose Jr., and Jessica. He has been a commercial fisherman in Loreto with his brother Alphonso. For four summers he worked at our base in Sausalito guiding trips, driving the Sea Trek skiff, doing boat maintenance and improving his English. His family, including six brothers has lived in Loreto for many generations and he is our second family during our Baja season.

When you come for your morning cofee you will be greeted by Jose’s killer smile. Throughout the day he will be making sure that you are enjoying his home as much as he does.

 

Alphonso Cruz

Jose’s brother, Alphonso is a full time commercial fisherman who has lived in Loreto his entire life. We could not ask for a more experienced person to skipper our support boat. Awareness of changing weather, boat mechanics and an intimate knowledge and love of the Sea of Cortez runs in his blood.

On mornings when we travel to another camp you will see Alphonso loading up the kitchen, extra water and remaining group gear into the panga. The next time we see him is usually at our destination. He sets up the camp and makes for a friendly welcoming sight.

 

Coco Murillo

Geracimo (Coco) Murillo is another one of our support boat captains. He has lived in the small fishing village of Ligui, near the islands all his life. He knows these waters very very well. He is an expert boat captain, fisherman, and camp chef (not to mention a really nice person).

Coco’s the one to see for those early morning fishing trips. Afterwards you can join him (and the seagulls) for a fascinating lesson on how to clean your catch. You’ll be in great hands with Coco as your captain!!