Throughout the morning we searched for marine mammals in the protection of Isla del Carmen. The water was almost flat, and the day seemed windless. Soon after breakfast we found a group of foraging long-beaked common dolphins. An observer could see them from miles away by just watching their rippled disturbance on the water’s surface. Sometimes they would swim in a broad front for a few minutes, and then change to a milling group that roiled the water into a choppy mass of little waves. Off in the distance another group fed in the same way. The next sighting was a surprise, when one after another, three humpbacks surfaced nearby. They were smaller than adults. After humpback calves are weaned and abandoned by their mothers at about a year of age, they find other young cohorts and travel and spend time together. Perhaps these three were sub-adult buddies. They swam near the ship at times and were easy to observe.
Just before lunch the ship moved around to a beautiful little cove called Arroyo Blanco Norte on Isla del Carmen for our afternoon. It was nearly calm with a 5-knot wind and a relatively flat sea. After lunch the sky had turned dark, the swells were up to 5 feet, and a north wind had changed to 17 knots and was increasing. Our expedition leader made a great new plan, and off we sailed into a significantly protected and nearby anchorage named Puerto Balandra. This refuge is shaped like the inside of the letter C surrounded by colorful volcanic cliffs.
The long and interesting beach here is framed by black, white, and red mangroves and a flat arroyo winding its way into a canyon and out of sight. We were all happy that the anchorage was so protected. It wasn’t long before kayaks were being towed to shore. There were opportunities for everyone—snorkelers, young enthusiasts on boogie boards, guests walking the beach, photographers waiting for brightly-colored land crabs to reappear from the stilt roots of mangroves, and folks relaxing in the sun. Numerous loads of folding chairs, tables, dishes, a large grill, and smiling crewmembers soon arrived, busy at the task of setting up a delicious dinner ashore. Cirrus clouds lightly covered the sky as darkness crept in. The campfire scene was especially exuberant as our expedition leader played Mexican songs and Jack Swenson’s humor produced laughter that filled the bay.
