Los Islotes, Amongst the Giants, and Ensenada Grande
Our final day on this spectacular voyage only added to the excellence that we experienced this week. It was a very diverse day, using many of our tools to learn and enjoy as much as possible about this magical spot. Snorkeling, kayaking, hiking, Zodiac cruising, searching from the ship, beach sitting, and a little scientific research were essential parts of our day. Even though we only traveled a very short distance today, we had a full and rewarding day.
After breakfast, the rocks of Los Islotes were our destination. Blue-footed boobies whistled us a welcome, but the California sea lions were the focus of our morning. Whether we were snorkeling with them or hanging in the Zodiacs with them, we all marveled at their grace in the water and laughed at the ruckus they created. We flopped around underwater, and they dance around us. Some curious young ones seemed to enjoy spinning us in circles, and looking at their reflections in our cameras.
Around lunch time, we headed out to some deep water to do a long-term ocean monitoring program. As we learned about this important research, an interesting blow was spotted. Not far off, it was a sperm whale! The largest of the toothed whales, this massive male was nearly sixty feet long. After a few minutes, the whale rocked and lifted its flukes high into the air. Not long after, another massive whale was spotted, this time even bigger. A blue! The largest on the planet, this blue was probably around eighty feet long. We watched several surfacings as this whale was traveling south, and we marveled at how massive it was.
To end our journey, we entered the stunning cove of Ensenada Grande. Here we again spread out, launching the kayaks, sitting on the beach, Zodiac cruising, and hiking. Some of us hiked a few miles to a spectacular viewpoint, looking out across the Sea of Cortez. As we gathered back on board, an incredible sunset developed and we enjoyed some final cocktails beneath the fiery sky.
