Bahia Almejas and Isla Magdalena, 1/21/2023, National Geographic Sea Bird
Aboard the
National Geographic Sea Bird
Baja California
This morning, we sailed into Bahia Almejas on calm seas and with high hopes of spotting gray whales. On the way, we took a good look at the frigatebirds, cormorants, pelicans, and sandpipers that rested on the sandbank. After nearly three hours of fabulous whale encounters that included many, many spyhops, we returned to the ship for lunch and a whale presentation.
The afternoon was spent hiking on Isla Magdalena. We looked for plants and wildlife and enjoyed a refreshing dip in the ocean.
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We welcomed our day with an early whale search. On our way to Boca de la Soledad, we observed double-crested cormorants, magnificent frigatebirds, white ibis, and great and snowy egrets perched on the white mangroves at the north end of Isla Magdalena. Our panguero, Carlos, pointed out a massive bald eagle nest where an adult was guarding the surroundings. As we passed in front of Isla Pelícano, we saw a large flock of American white pelicans standing out among dozens of brown pelicans. As we got closer to La Boca, we spotted gray whale rainblows, spy hops, and a female with its calf. On our way back to National Geographic Sea Bird , Carlos took us to visit the oyster farm by the abandoned phosphorite mine facilities where we found three osprey nests, and one was active with a chick and an adult. We ended our ride observing a pod of bottlenose dolphins. In the afternoon, we hiked the dunes towards Sand Dollar Beach. Our guests enjoyed the beauty of the landscape. We found tracks of different creatures like coyotes, dune bugs, and birds. After dinner we enjoyed the traditional guest slide show. It was a perfect end to a great day.
National Geographic Sea Bird and all her inhabitants began the morning in El Barril, a network of channels lined with mangroves. The mangrove ecosystem is a critical habitat for a myriad of species. Mangroves provide protection and nutrients for many tropical fish who spend their early lives in this environment before entering the Pacific Ocean. The leaves of the mangrove drop from the trees year-round and are fed on by fungus and bacteria, changing a carbohydrate into a useable protein, and providing the necessary food for small tropical fish and many invertebrates. The trees themselves are often called land makers and provide protection from storms for the land they inhabit. This is also a habitat for many species of birds who hunt for fish and nest in the mangroves. Both Zodiacs and kayaks were dropped from our mothership, and everyone had a chance to see the mangrove environment. Our afternoon was spent transiting the Hull Canal and spending the afternoon whale watching in the Boca de Soledad. Bahia Magdalena remains an extraordinary habitat for bird life and after some time in the Pacific waves we returned to calmer waters for more bird watching, as the sun approached sunset.
Today we awoke off Puerto Magdalena, a small community on the southern end of Isla Magdalena. This island is about 50 miles long and is one of the two main barrier islands that creates Bahía Magdalena. While most of the island is beautiful sand dunes, the southern part is full of small mountains and a vegetated desert ecosystem. We got to explore by hiking up an arroyo bed and up to a viewpoint overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Our more leisurely hikers stayed on the bay side, beachcombing and learning about the rich marine ecosystem found here. Some of us even went fat tire biking north of town along the mangroves and sand spit. After a delightful pozole lunch on board, we listened to our special guest speaker give an excellent talk about the geology of Baja California. From there, we made our way back to shore to take a tour of town guided by Chejos, the unofficial major of the community. Of particular interest was the desalinization plant. To celebrate the day, we all gathered at Chejos’ restaurant for some freshly made guacamole, tostadas, and margaritas. It was the perfect way to top off another beautiful day!
