At Sea and Isla Santa Catalina
The quiet sea shimmered molten bronze and gold beneath a fiery sunrise near Isla del Carmen. What a spectacular start to our first day on the Sea Bird! The absence of wind and waves provided ideal conditions to search for marine life, so we dedicated the entire morning to this quest. Sea lions, whales, and dolphins all appeared. An especially exciting sighting was that of dwarf sperm whales. Little is known about these unusual creatures. They are not at all showy or charismatic but are of great biological interest. The two ahead of the ship looked like dolphins resting at the surface with only their backs and dorsal fins exposed. The largest of the marine mammals of the day was either a fin or blue whale that stayed beneath the surface for long dives and teased us with a series of breaths before descending again to the depths. An examination of photos later confirmed this as a blue whale, the largest creature on earth!
During lunch, the anchor dropped beside Santa Catalina Island, our afternoon destination. Soon after eating, the focus shifted to snorkeling and kayaking. Paddlers explored the shoreline where intrusions of green rock formed bold designs on the steep walls. There were opportunities to watch the endemic yellow-footed gulls and also to spot the nimble Sally Lightfoot crabs that skittered near the water’s edge.
A completely different world opened up for those willing to take the plunge into 69 degree water. A fairyland with brightly colored fish species, urchins and sea stars swept away images of the desert landscape so close at hand. Yet this other environment came to life on hikes ashore later in the day.
Isla Santa Catalina has been isolated long enough for a number of unique species and subspecies of organisms to have developed. The most famous of these are the giant barrel cactus and the Santa Catalina rattleless rattlesnake. The snakes eluded us today, but the cacti were everywhere. In addition to the columnar barrels grew cardons, chollas, galloping and nipple cacti. Previous rains had caused a flush of growth visible today on the walks. Everything seemed to have leafed out. Tubular crimson blossoms of toji, a stunning mistletoe, were impossible to miss. The daylight slipped away, and we returned to the landing. As the last Zodiac motored back to the Sea Bird, the clouds turned to pink above Elephant Rock. From the ship we watched the colors deepen to rich magenta and orange, and then melt into the darkness of dusk.
The quiet sea shimmered molten bronze and gold beneath a fiery sunrise near Isla del Carmen. What a spectacular start to our first day on the Sea Bird! The absence of wind and waves provided ideal conditions to search for marine life, so we dedicated the entire morning to this quest. Sea lions, whales, and dolphins all appeared. An especially exciting sighting was that of dwarf sperm whales. Little is known about these unusual creatures. They are not at all showy or charismatic but are of great biological interest. The two ahead of the ship looked like dolphins resting at the surface with only their backs and dorsal fins exposed. The largest of the marine mammals of the day was either a fin or blue whale that stayed beneath the surface for long dives and teased us with a series of breaths before descending again to the depths. An examination of photos later confirmed this as a blue whale, the largest creature on earth!
During lunch, the anchor dropped beside Santa Catalina Island, our afternoon destination. Soon after eating, the focus shifted to snorkeling and kayaking. Paddlers explored the shoreline where intrusions of green rock formed bold designs on the steep walls. There were opportunities to watch the endemic yellow-footed gulls and also to spot the nimble Sally Lightfoot crabs that skittered near the water’s edge.
A completely different world opened up for those willing to take the plunge into 69 degree water. A fairyland with brightly colored fish species, urchins and sea stars swept away images of the desert landscape so close at hand. Yet this other environment came to life on hikes ashore later in the day.
Isla Santa Catalina has been isolated long enough for a number of unique species and subspecies of organisms to have developed. The most famous of these are the giant barrel cactus and the Santa Catalina rattleless rattlesnake. The snakes eluded us today, but the cacti were everywhere. In addition to the columnar barrels grew cardons, chollas, galloping and nipple cacti. Previous rains had caused a flush of growth visible today on the walks. Everything seemed to have leafed out. Tubular crimson blossoms of toji, a stunning mistletoe, were impossible to miss. The daylight slipped away, and we returned to the landing. As the last Zodiac motored back to the Sea Bird, the clouds turned to pink above Elephant Rock. From the ship we watched the colors deepen to rich magenta and orange, and then melt into the darkness of dusk.
