Isla del Carmen & Danzante
At first light the sky looked as if it had strokes of orange painted across the horizon with a dry brush. Blotchy reds within high sunlit clouds soon followed. Isla del Carmen was to port as a few guests appeared on the bow holding their hats with one hand with the wind whipping by. We cruised east and made a wide circle that soon put our bow in the lee, a comfortable warm place to gaze upon the high sheer cliffs of the Sierra de la Giganta. We were looking at the upturned edge of volcanic rock that forms this part of the Baja California Peninsula.
We passed the west end of Isla del Carmen and turned back to Isla Danzante, a strip of jumbled andesitic rock about three-quarters of a mile long and appearing about as high as it is wide. The ship anchored at the north end in a beautiful and protected bay with a sandy beach named Honeymoon Cove. The island’s height and a net-like trail system allowed us to explore. We hiked in the late morning up to high points where the invigorating wind whipped through our hair. Today’s daily expedition image shows a group of us in the upper left hand portion of the photo enjoying the view. The beach in the picture is where we landed for snorkeling and kayaking.
The photograph also shows how dry this winter has been. Although it doesn’t look like any of the plants are living, there were a few of the plentiful limberbush and copal trees were green. Some of them had tiny leaves that were just unfurling. About 20 turkey vultures circled far overhead riding the wind that had been deflected upwards by the island. An osprey sat on a future nest site, while another flew across the cliff faces.
Loreto Bay National Marine Park, established in 1996, surrounded us throughout the day. This 2000-square-kilometer park is part of the Federal System of Protected Areas that prohibits overfishing and other detrimental activities to the local marine life. Perhaps this was why our afternoon snorkeling adventure was rich in undersea life. We found schools of sergeant majors that flashed in the sunlight while giant damselfish patrolled the rocks and groups of Cortez rainbow wrasses milled about. The invertebrates were as dazzling as the fish. Immense sea urchins, many-armed sun stars, tan stars, Bradley stars and crown-of-thorns clung to the rocks. The screams were not only from delight but also included reactions to the water temperature in the low 60s Fahrenheit.
Kayaking offered a very different outing. The need for solitude and the control of one’s destiny are often satisfied in a small boat. One doesn’t have to march to another’s drumbeat if you’re in a solo kayak. Many of us paddled to our heart’s content.
The last option on shore was a photo hike to watch and capture the sunset over the Sierra de la Giganta. With diminishing light, the outside part of our day came to a close and we were soon enjoying each other’s company in the lounge.
