Today we woke up to no wind. As we enjoyed sunrise, the reflections of the clouds and the mangroves were spectacular. The stillness on the water made for some surreal images. Gray whales also seemed to enjoy the calm waters, as we saw a good number of them logging. They floated at the surface of the water without moving, just drifting with the current.
After breakfast, we boarded pangas with local captains to go whale watching. We headed towards Boca de Soledad, the northernmost entrance of Magdalena Bay. On our way, we saw mothers and calves swimming towards la Boca. They were going against the current, perhaps to get the calves into good shape for their first northbound migration. On our way back to National Geographic Sea Bird, we stopped at a magnificent frigatebird and double-crested cormorant roosting colony in a white mangrove forest. We returned to the ship and lifted anchor to sail south through the Canal of Soledad. During transit, Sharon Grainger gave an amazing talk on the history of chocolate, and we got to try some amazing chocolates.
In the afternoon, we spent time exploring Sand Dollar Beach. As the sun made its way down, we were greeted on the beach with great drinks, a bonfire, and s’mores. What a great way to enjoy a spectacular last sunset in Baja California.
